The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-08-23
A STORY OF AUSTRALIA.
For the sunday crescsit.I

1
the wild, romantic lives, none could be more
touching than that Of Ella Courtney, the only
child Of Sir Henry B.
To begin at the beginning, as the story books
| say, the reader must go with me TO q small "gold
rush" as they are called in Australia, about fifty
| miles from Bsllarol. II was near sunset Of a glo-
| rious dsy-such day as one never sees even in
our lovely laDd-we arrived at what courtesy
| calls house, being composed of q number OF mp
rights, covered with unbleached cotton cloth, the
| sleeping rooms side, divided only with cot
| ton. the other side forming long hall, through
the center of which run deal table surrounded
| by wooden benches; the bare earth to tread on,
| and windows Of the smallest dimensions for air
| and light. Occupants that loved gold better than
water, and bad liquor better than either, drove
| me TO the outer door to seek for air and amuse-
| ment, whilst our horses were being baited. Hard
| faces passed by; some toll worn, others with the
| ndellible brand Of crime /; some hopeful, others
| despairing under continued i'll luck day by day
hoping sgainst hope in the weary search for gold.
None can tell by looks, nor by letters that the
traveller sends home, the life Of q gold digger,
| especially the gold dggers of Australia. Eng.
| lishmen have not the ever bounding pulse Of hope
| that bless our countrymen. Go to California,
| watch men following the same svocations, you
| will see hope, that sheet anchor Of the working
| day-woTld. ever in the ascendant. Even the
rudest, whose gibes and jeers whose bias phemous
| tongue will make you shudder, will seldom part
! with hope. The bitterest disappoin tments only
rouse them TO the hope of better luck ne 1t timeb
so fight on, so often win But the English dig
| ger sinks under almost the frst disappointment;
| yields TO the love OF numerous nobbers of
brandy or pots Of beer until at last he sinks into
a. Unknown grave without much as "God bless
| you"
But what has this to do with the heroine of this
| little romance? Whilst listlessly watching thi.
| hard, red shifted, pipe-smOking crowd, a tall
| 1.-THE figure Of female glided along through the
! center Of the road, never swerviDg, bu. straight
| on her dress of the simplest, but denoting
through its poverty, something Of better days
The face was hidden beneath a large cabbage leaf
| bat. The figure showed purpose to pass on
unheeding and a let-alone look. A strange in
terest pervaded me as | watched her pass through
that crowd Of men. Ifelt there was a story there.
| Our horses were brought, when, as I was about
entering the carriage, saw her returning with
large bundle which made her slight figure sway TO
and fro. SO determined was | to see her face
crossed the road as she came up. Shall ever
forget II! Never. White as marble--the Aus
tralisn sun had not left its mark large deep.
blue eyes frnged with long dark lashes: the mouth
full OF character, though when first looked at it,
was set hard and defiant her hair OF dark
brown, combed back from a medium high fore.
head, yet the curls would steal out against the
owners will. beautiful woman. have never
seen so sad face. Rachel when she heard in
Les Borsces," the death of her lover. came
nearest TO IL. | ssluted her-she returned il like a
queen, and so past on. Days after the memory of
that despaiTiDg face haunted me like q troubled
dream.
During our wanderings we came 10 another
rush." called Red Bank. Here I asked for q
wesherwoman. Judge my surprise when they
ushered 10 this same woman who had so long filed
my mind. Involuntary | asked her to take a
seat, but she coldly declined; spoke in low hard
tone, saying she was the laundress had sent for.
You! ! exclaimed Oh, the quiet dignity of that
eyes" in reply. felt as the saying is squelehed
had nothing left me but to count out the soiled
linen, telling her when wanted them. and let her:
depart. What misfortunes could have brought
her so low? never doubted for an instant but
that she WAS in a wrong position.
At the promised time she come but what a
change! She looked as If years had suddenly
passed over her, carrying with them all her youth.
Her eyes swollen, her proud figure bowed TO the
earth. womanly instinct made me 90 to her.
taking her hands in mine At the touch, the food.
gates opened. pressed her to my breast, where
she lay sobbiDg and helpless as q child. | asked
her no questions, hut let her sOrrow have full
sway. AT last she said, "You are q mother, and
will feel for me. Come-my boy, my darling my
only hope on earth is dying" l went. We come
TO a small cotton tent. Outside, sheltered BY the
brush, stood the tubs, the means OF her wrstched
living. Inside stood a cot in which lay man
snoring in helpless drunkenness near by, in a
rude cradle. child about three years old breath.
ing, and evidently past hope. had the precau-
ton TO send for physician as passed along.
The sir was hot and close. With the mothers
aid we brought the baby out under the bush. Too
late. The physician had scarcely come ere lis
IIile spirit passed away to q better land, whilst
the poor mothers wall OF agony was mingled with
Goddefend me ever from like scene. That night,
IN the bush under a southern sky we laid her dar-
ling in his narrow bed, leaving her hopeless.
Before left she told me her pisable story. She
said she was the only child Of SIR Henry B. of Eng.
land-how tenderly she had been nurtured, the
idol and the hope of her parents. In an evil hour
she met Capt. Courtney; he was Of good family,
but an unworthy second son. At this time, how
ever, his vices were not known: Tan. handsome,
well educated, possessing much of that poetical
small talk Young girls are so fond Of, he soon won
her heart. Her father opposed the match, told her
when she married that man she could return to his
hosse no more. Vain threat when did it stop the
course OF needless love? His love was more TO
her than the fond parents who had reared her \;
so. in an evil hour, she fed her happy home and
joined her fate with his.
Six months after be was ordered with his regi-
ment to India; she went with him after vanly
seeking reconciliation with her parents. There
bis fast habits increased and after twice being re-
primanded he was ANONYMOUSLY dismissed the
army. With few hundred pounds they went TO
Australia, where, through the influence Of friends
he was appointed secretary to the governor. Bal
M bite and drink soon lost him that. He fell lower
and loyer, until those who knew him refused to
know h'n more. They went to the interior; all
advised her to leave him, but no, his lot was hers
AS said they went to the interior but what could
he do there bred as he had been? Nothing. Soon
the miners pick and spade we're left aud be be-
came hopeless drunkard. They had one child,
the one saw laid under the bush This heart
ened her, and the hands that had never known
rOugher labor than the busting of some pet orna-
ment in lieu OF all other employment was obliged
to wash the rough clothes Of miners for the daily
bread. All this was told me with the apathy Of
despair.
| advised her TO leave her worthless husband,
for even the death Of his boy had not reused him
from hs sOttishness told her l would give her
means TO send her TO her home. Better and truer
than J, she refused to leave him, saying, "Who
would take care OF him when | am gone. No.
dear madam, | wrought my own misery, would
not heed the prayers Of dear mother was deaf
TO the counsels and threats Of my father for he
loved me dearly, despite bis stern decree. Oh!
father, mother, shall | never see You again."
Again urged-in vain. She said, "My fate is his,
be IL what It may be-"
When left gave her my address 10 Melbourne,
also the address of friend, who | knew would
aid her should leave the colony.
On the day before / left for Englsnd, some
months after, neither in the streets of Melbourne
coming to seek me. | saw God had been kinder
than man, for her plain widows weeds showed me
her incubus had gone. She told me he had been
killed in a drunken brawl.
She was then goyerness to a gentleman's family
who lived oD-. They we're then in Melbourne |
N, hasw awI.- III