The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1891-01-20
AUSI RALIAN HOSPITALITY.
a Glimpse of Life In a Comfortable Victoria
station Residence.

- u
station Residence.
Having hitherto had somewhat full
experience of station life in New Zea-
land, | was quite prepared for features
here which might strike the stranger as
remarkable, writes a Melbourne corre-
pendent of the Boston Journal. For
score Of miles in every direction extend
undulating plains of brown and scanty
grass, SO sparse and thin that the land
can furnish to each acre nutriment for
only one sheep. There are few trees
except along the dribbling water
courses, and these are strangely gnarled
and cOntorted as If suffering from a
hard Struggle for existence. In the
midst of this almost desert, the visitor
comes upon an oasis of plantations, a
great garden filled with every variety
of tree and flower, extensive orchards
and vineyards. Surrounded by the gar
den is substantial and spacious man
sion, its walls of solid stone, five feet
thick, comfortably, even elegantly, fur
nished, boasting a fine library, musical
instruments of all sorts-in short, every
hONCoolSy anu AUAuIy " DC AOuAA Lh LuO
best-appointed houses of Melbourne.
This station residence, like others I
have seen, had the mingled appearance
OF home and a caravansary. Outside
the quarters of the immediate family
was low rooted structure, divided into
small rooms for guests, who, either
especially invited or otherwise, are in
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seasons Australian hospitality, pro-
fuse everywhere, makes its apotheosis
on the stations. ''Come when you
can, do what you like. and stay as long
as you WISH" is standing invitation;
the latch-string is always out, and you
can never find your hosts unprepared.
The hospitality of English country
houses-ths truest and finest in the
world-maintains here. II you desire
70 ride or drive there are horses, saddles
and traps" at the stable, and the SER
wants accept your orders as a matter Of
course. II you delight in fishing-there
is room, one side of which is stored
with tackle, while on the other side are
well-oiled guns in racks, and boxes Of
cartridges for such as wish to shoot.
You 60 and come as you like-you do
not even need to make yourself agree
able-your host entertains you mot you
him), and he is happy if you enjoy your
sci Naturally, the stations are rarely
untenanted by visitors; l know of one
which entertains over six hundred
guests annually.
lilo Is tsrolu ~
the will of the visitor. You are never
asked how long you are going to stay,
and your announcement of intention to
depart excites none of those hypocritical
regrets and insincere pressures to re-
main longer, which are characteristic of
the more artificial civilization OF the
towns. You please yourself in coming;
you please yourself in going; you should
be the Judge of your own affairs, and the
road is known-you can return at will
Most pleasant, natural and homelike is
thissystem. If you wear out your welcome
you never learn 1.-THE case is extreme
when your entertainers show that they
have had enough of yOu-generally, in
deed, being glad enough to see fresh
faces from the outside world. Abuses Of
such hospitality are rare. AT the very
station in question, however, gentle
man of moderate circumstances once
came, surveyed the situation, and de-
cided that he was here very we'll of.
Coming originally for a fortnight, he
stayed month: then two; finally six;
a year passed and still he remained. He
used the horses, dogs and guns, dis
played an excellent appetite-his host
did not complain. He smoked the to-
bacco of the master of the house, drank
his whisky, and his welcome did not
grow cold. After about nine months,
however. the station agent grew less
warm by degrees, then distant, and at
the end of the twelvemonth had ceased
to speak to his guest The latter, how
ever, was pachydermatous, and did not
mind, and for year longer fingered
quite unabashed, enjoying himself huge
", even though sitting at meat three
times day. and smoking solemn pipe
in the evening, opposite silent and
glowering post. At the end of the sec
ond year he went away to visit some
BODY else, without a word being said
during all that period TO the effect thai
he was not wanted. and would do well
to leave. Such is Australian station hos
pitality.