Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-06-20
PHUNDERBOLT.

staying at Wyalls, the head station of g
neighhor, on the marshes of Queens
land and New South Wales, and thor
oughly enjoying the hospitality of oul
kindest of hostesses, a lady who com
mspded the allegiance of every young
fellow for fifty miles around. Ladie:
were few and far betwe II in the bush in
those days, and Mrs. Kaye had a:
her call troop of dashing light horse
men, her neighbors and Iiege vassaIs
who would have ridden fast and far al
| her behest.
| Railways were afar off in the "good old
| times" and the screech of the locomotive
/ had then never scared the wild cattle in
| the granite ranges, nor had the electric
| telegraph stridden over the great gray
plains with It's long stills, nor played
| strange music on its HoIian harp for the
| lonely shepherd TO wonder at. A
| journey to Sydney was an affair of a
weeks hard travelling and not to be
undertaken lightly.
| On this occasion a friend and chum OF
mine and 1 were riding down country
| together on our way TO Maitland, thence
meaning to take a boat for Sydney, and
we were hating our first night at Hayes
! Wyalia Station. Half dozen of us were
sitting in the wide veranda, after tea
watching the violet light fade from the
great ranges of mountains visible to the
eastward, across the plain at our feet
and had announced my intention OF
buying buggy and harness in Sydney
and driving back the two horses which
was riding down the country. When, as
| in duty bound, asked Mrs. Kaye what
commission could DO for her in sgd
ney her lord and master, from behind his
| big pipe, warned me:
| Don't be too rash. young man! You
may be taken at your word and have
more on your hands than you might bar
gain for"
"No fear" quoth Loyalty.
"Well, you are COOK boy" said Mrs
Kaye 81 have a commission. There
is something want very much. But il
will be too much trouble; you will not care
| to do it for me-"
So of course | vowed that nothing
could possibly be too hot or too heavy
for me to bring up country if by so doing
[ might please my hostess.
Well, then, bring me up housvmaid.'
"What! A young woman? How on
| earth am to get bold of onef"
ooh, you foolish fellow! Why go tC
the immigration depot, of course, and
hire one"
Evidently my host was right and I had
been just little rash.
"But, Mrs. Kaye, how am [ to choose
one? What do | know about house
maids?
ooh, just bring me up the prettiest
! girl you can see among them-a nice
i looking one. 1 am sure you know what
mean"
"Why, she'll be married in a mouth
like the last one," says some one.
"Oh, no! The last one squinted. It is
only plain women who marry the frsI
man who asks them; the pretty ones are
much more particular, they are used &c
being made love TO. If Mr.. @. will bring
me up Pretty girl, she will turn up hel
nose at anything short of an overseer
very likely set herscap at one of you
young gentlemen. Besides all the men
on the station will be counting her, and
there is safety in umbers. l have tried
ugly ones until I am til ed; they will mar
ry anybody, and never last me any time
at ALL"
So, under promise of reward, and hav-
ing to endure chaff from the mankind
present, 1 engaged to hire and bring up q
country servant maid for Mrs. Kaye OF
Wyalla. We made an early start next
morning, my friend and I, each with 6
spare horse, making long journeys over
mountains and plain, by Glen Irnes &c
Tamwortb, and across the great Liver
pool-Ran9e TO Mururrundi, whence by
rail 10 Maitland. One evening on the
fifth day from Wyalla we were steaming
between the towering black cliffs which,
form the magnificent entrance TO Sgd
ney Harbor. Off Fort Macquarrie We
passed beautiful London ship just com
ing TO anchor. We knew by the rows OF
heads which lined her bulwarks that che
was full of immigrants, and 1 was wildly
reminded of Mrs. Hayes commission.
Once housed at the club, we scarcely
knew what to do, the excitement apC
whirl of Sydney was so pleasant to US
However, we bought some cut tobacco
and paid visit to the outftters, who, OF
course, knew exactly what We wanted and
guaranteed to renew our responsibility
of appearance in a m1raculously shor
time. Seasons were good in the "gooC
old times" tallow sup" and cattle, bott
fat and store in request, so of course my
agents were delighted GO see me and forth
with asked me to dinner. At my friends
pretty house down at Rose Bay 1 sat al
dinner next to q charming young matron
who as Sydney matrons often were in the
'good old times" to bachelor squatters
fresh from the bush, was very kind to me
listened to my perplexities abo1t Mrs
Hayes commission, laughed at her theor.
about pretty handmaidens and their mat
rimopial ambitions, and volunteered tt
go with me to the depot and select
Mopsa who should fulfil the necessar,
| conditions.
My friend was the wife of government
official, and as such enjoyed certain priv
ileges not granted to the General" 81
next morning saw me at the depot witt
my chaperon, where, certain ceremonie
having been gone through in the office
we were presented to the matron of tn
newly arrived ship--a genial dame--one OF
whose shoulders the weight of RESPONSE
bility, in the shape of four or five scor
young women, sat lightly. We wer
. ushered into a great bare hall among
a lot of some sixty gills of all descrip
tions-ex-London slaveys, fresh caugh
Irish maidens with "the mark of til
dogs teeth,' yet in their heels, tai
daughters of the plough" and some poo
girls who might month before hav
figured in a picture of Hood's "Song o
the Shirt"
All looked fat and healthy after fou
months of sea air, the usual condition o
newly landed immigrants, but the Sydne