Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1853-04-14
A Heroine at the Diggings.

A late number OF the Dublin Commercial
Journal publishes letter Of quite roman.
tic character. lately received BY a lady Of
Dublin from young female friend and
former scbool.fellow Of hers now al The
Australian diggings. Ii appeats from her
narrative that she and her brother were sud,
denly left orphans with f30O for their ne.
cessities,. and all the fancies and niceties
(which life in prosperous circumstances is
wont to include. She says: a. 8as
"He had passed through college with cred
it, and could write poetry and ride I'D 10 the
hounds as well as any huntsmsn who ever
hunted the Golden Vale, while |, on nv mart
could play polkas, sing ballads, speak French
and q little German, was a capital horse.
woman (only wanted horse and once in
my life had composed a waltz, and written
sixteen chapters OF novel, which broke
down from my not knowing how 10 get nv
heroine out terrible scrape. But, alas! my
dear friend, all these thiogs might have done
well enough, 'once upon a time, but the real
battle OF life was now to be fought by two
utterly inexperienced raw recruits, and the
question was, how our time and means were
20 be protitably rather than pleasantly spent.
Fortunately, we were both young, strong, ac-
tive and hearty, and never did any Sebastian
and Viola of them all love each other with
stronger and more enduring affection than
did Frank and sole remnants, MS we
were, OF so much prosperity andso little pru-
dence."
Alter nervous consultation over the f300
thoy determined to emigratc to AustraIia.-
On reaching Melbourne, they found that they
could NOT encounter worse Inconvenience
at tue diggings, and there they are now under
sngularly interesting circumstances. The
young lady says:
was resolved to accompany my brother
and his friends 10 the diggings, and I felt
that TO do SO in my own proper costume and
character would be 10 run unnecessary haz-
ard. Hence my change. cut my hair 10
very masculine fashion; | purchased broad
felt hat, sort of lunic or smock Of coarse
blue cloth, trousers 10 conform, boots Of a
miner, and thus parting with my sex for
season hoped better one, behold me an
accomplished candidate for mining opera
tions and all the perils and Inconvenience
they might he supposed TO bring. All this
lransmutatlon took place with Frank and
Mr.. Ms sanction; indeed it was he who
first suggested the change, which | grasped
and improved on. | could no: bear 10 be
separated from Frank, and We all felt that
should be safer in my male attire than if |
exposed myself 10 the dangers Of the route
and residence in my proper guise. We have
now been nine weeks absent from Mel
bourne, and tried three localities, al the last
Of which we have been most fortunate, aud
orr tent is pitched on the side of as pretty a
valley as you could wish to visit. have for
myself SORT of supplementary canvas cham
ber, in which | sleep, cook wash clothes
that is, my own and Frank's-and keep
watch and ward over our heap of gold dust
and nuggets the sight aud touch of which
inspirit me when grow dull, which seldom
do, for have constant choppers in, and to
own the truth, even in my palmiest DAYS,
never was treated with greater courtesy or
respect.
Ofcourse my sex is generally known.
am called 'Mr. Harry ian abhreyation Of
Harriet y but 40 one intrudes the more on
that account. Ia fact have become sort
Of necessity as l am always ready TO do
good turn-the great secret after all, of So
cial success; and never refuse TO oblige
'neighbor' be the trouble what it may. The
consequences are pleasant enough Many
nugget IS thfuSt on me whether Will or no,
in return tor cooking pudding or darning
shirt and if all the cooks and sempstresses
in the world were as splendidly paid as am
the song of the shirt would never have been
written at all events. My own hoard
amounts now to about 10 lbs. of gold; and if
60 on accumuuting, even The richest heir
ess in my family in my former days, viii be
left immeasurably behind. Sometimes when
have few idle hours, accompany Frank
and his comrades to the dggings, and it is a
rare thing TO watch the avidity with which
every bucket is raised, washed, examined
and commented upon. Wild the life is,
certainly, but full OF excitement ond hope !;
and strange as il is, smost fear to tell you
that do not wish il TO end 4! You can hard
y conceive what merry company gather
together in our tent every evening, or how
pleasantly the hours pass"