The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1895-11-07

->> = - ,ss s culture OF their re-
fnement.
Crawling with vily-ladened bul-
lccil wagons across plains and never
ending scrubs would rot appear to be
an existence possessed of many
charms, and yet I believe there is no
case on record of man or woman
who, having once served his or her ap-
premiership to the trade, has ever re-
turnel to civilized life again.
in the Queenland Bush carrying
trade, you must understand, there are
three main arteries, the townships Of
Eus:,enden. Longreaeh and Charlie
vile, and from each of these places
there flows continually a stream OF
enormous table-topped wagons, bound
for stations in the Great West, al
more or less remote from what is
generally supposed to make life worth
living.
Tie existence OF the carrier is rough
to terrible degree, ami must in no
way lie confounded with that of the
respectable, jog-trot class who ply
their trade in English rural districts.
Small wonder that the women grow to
be hard and rough, consorting, as they
do, with none but the siernest of the
opposite sex, and daily doing work
that would test the patience and en-
6urauce of the strongest man. These
are some Of the folk who in reality do
the building up Of our colonies, 81.
though the credit goes to another
no;s;er, uglier and far less useful class.
Gut to get back to my story.
AS I have said at the beginning, she
was tall, angular and peculiarly plain,
AMI, in spite of the glaring inconSruity
OF it, it must be recorded that her
baptismsl name was Daphne. Her
husband was 8 carrier on the Hid
cerse- Na1aba track. and she was at
once the brain and the mainstay Of lis
business.
Ny first acquaintance with them
occurred OF the elge ofa Bo-ee scrub,
q dismal place, and more than hun
dred miles removed from either OF the
above townships. They were camped
beside big water hoe, and on dis
mounting from ny horse i Was intro
duced by the carrier, with becoming
ceremony, to his wife. Great were
the proofs Of friendship they showed
to me, aud long will I cherish the
memory OF that rough but hearty hos
pitality. Next morning [ Went my
way, they theirs, and it was not for
nearly year 5ha5 we met again.
Wnen next heard Of them, Daphne
vas in the township hospital, recover
ing from e serious accident occasioned
by q fall from the wagon; and her
husband, an enormously bailt man,
with q rough manner, which, ny those
uus&il!cd in such matters; might easily
have been mistaken for insoleuce, had
that very day returned with loading
from the west. By iEquiripg after his
vile, whose illness I was aware Of, ]
touched the right string; for his eyes
lit up, his voice softened aud he an
swered my questions with surprising
mee&Gess.
'':5he was getting on well,' he saie
''hut all the same, it was terrible slow
work.
Now, it must be known here tho
although the kalaba Hospital occupies
the best position in the township, even
then il is, II anything, 3 little less
cheerful than IN undertaker's show
rooIo. Great gray plains surround it
on three sides; the township, with its
ugly wnitewasned roofs, stares at It
from the fourth AMI it would be im-
possible to say which view wonld be
likely to have the most depressing
effect upon an invalid. / am told that
kalaba was onl y designed as a depot
for the Great West, and console my
self with tic reflection that in the
very near future the Overland Railway
will obviate that necessity, and then
it will be scattered 70 the four winds
OF heaven. At present it is the Deca-
!oguc turned backward.
When nv business was finished |
rode up to the hospital and LETT some
newspapers. Daphne being the only
patient, I found her occupying the
best bed in the only warit. Her wirs
black !sir struggled in rank confusion
about the pillow, while her complex
ion harmon;zed. Is we'll as n wcil-
tanned skin would permit, with the
dingy vhitene:s OF the counterpane.
Only the great da-A honest eyes lent
reliel to the monotouy Of her express
sion, and hey were now full Of some
thing which, when read arigit, sl'alt
hone!essness Of an extraordinary de-
gree.
Toward tae enl Of the afternoon the
husband made lis appearance, and,
preceded by the metron, stalhed into
his wifes presence. For a moment
h.. stocd il the doorway. dazed, be-
v..4cred perhaps by half darkness
tbyu, recognizing his wife, he ad-
vanccd toward the bed.
Daphne, old gal, he said, with a