Read Online Bill Rules by Elizabeth Fensham - Free Book Online Page A

divided in the local community. Neighbour of the O’Connells, Mrs Mabel Flint, said, ‘Young Bill O’Connell seems to have been influenced by some extremist, political agitators. I think he should let sleeping dogs lie.’
    Meanwhile, elderly resident Mr Herbert Riley is reported as saying, ‘I told young Bill to stick to his guns. But I’m worried he might have chosen the wrong gun and that he has it pointing at his foot.’ Mr Riley declined to expand on his comment.
    Mrs Facey pinned the newspaper cutting to the Grade Five noticeboard. She praised Mat for her initiative in contacting the local press.
    â€˜Equal rights is an interesting topic that we might explore in greater depth later in the term.’
    â€˜Tell us about your state women’s cricket and getting your rights and all that, Mrs Facey,’ called out one of the boys, Johnny Chan, who was passionate about cricket, but who also knew that if he got Mrs Facey onto the subject of cricket, he could sabotage the lesson.
    â€˜Well, cricket used to be seen as a “gentleman’s sport”. That’s where we get expressions like, “It’s just not cricket” which is what you say when someone is not behaving like a gentleman – honourably and according to the rules. But for longer than you’d realise there have been women playing cricket. Way back in 1874, there was a women’s cricket match played in Bendigo. And a proper Victorian women’s cricket association started in 1904!’
    â€˜And what happened next, Mrs Facey?’ asked Johnny. ‘Didn’t you once tell us that the First World War stopped it again?’
    The class was delighted with this distraction. It was supposed to be a spelling and tables test, but Mrs Facey took about five minutes to answer Johnny's question.
    â€˜And where does Bill O’Connell come into this? Bill is a boy, not some olden days lady in a long dress who isn’t allowed to belong to a cricket club,’ asked one of Mat’s friends, Emily Smith.
    â€˜What Bill and Matty have done is point out that maybe sometimes we think equal rights is just about women when it’s really about equal opportunities for people.’
    â€˜I think we should give Matty a round of applause,’ called out another of Mat’s friends, Kate Artemis.
    The clapping seemed to never stop. Mrs Facey glanced at the clock and laughed. ‘You rascals! You’ve distracted me again!’
    Meanwhile, in the Grade Six classroom, Bill was not enjoying the attention that the article from the Hills Post had brought him. Out of consideration for how Bill possibly felt, Mrs Townsend had not pinned the cutting on the noticeboard. She knew Bill and Matty well enough to realise that this fight for justicewould be Matty’s doing. Mrs Townsend had respect for Bill; the whole community knew about the way Bill had kept a cool head and got help for Matty when she was bitten by the jumping ant. Bill was a sporty kid, into his footie and cricket and, despite his loyalty to Mat Grub, no radical protestor. Some part of the story was not clear.
    Despite Mrs Townsend’s attempt to protect Bill from the limelight, Isabelle Farquay-Jones had different ideas. She brought her own cutting of the article, ‘Local Boy Mis-Guided’, from the Hills Post and made sure it circulated round the class. The boys were confused, but most of them shrugged their shoulders and went no further than teasing Bill with, ‘Want to play cricket, mate, or will you be playing with the girls?’
    Bill had rehearsed some of what he was to say next, but the first bit was off the cuff. ‘Well, we all know that cricket promises you maidens to bowl over, but I’m telling you there is one hell of a maiden up there at the Guides. Ever seen Marguerite Bell around?’
    Shane Storey’s mouth was hanging open, ‘Little Bonnie Bell’s big sister?’
    Bill