Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1901-04-11
THE LITTLE
GOLD NUGGET
A Tale of the Australian Gold
Diggings.

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John Archer decided that the mug
get would be safer in his little daugh-
ter's keeping than in his own.
"You must take great care of it, dar-
ling" said John Archer "It is for
your mother And Effie slowed the
little nugget away in a corner of the
old workbox which had been her moth
er's under the cotton and socks she
was darning for her father. She felt
duly weighted with the responsibility.
She knew that this yellow earth was
of great value, for her father. leaving
her mother, who was very delicate,
with some friends in Brisbane, had
come long, weary way to find it.
Having hidden the little nugget
away, Effie came out of the hut to look
around and see If any one was near
who might have seen her. No. No
one was near who might have seen her
only Billy, the black-King Billy, the
aboriginal monarch, who loved rum
anu lOUdCCO anu WI Wdo CAOppluS
some firewood for her.
This little girls reason for trusting
King Billy, the black, was somewhat
strange and is worthy of being re-
corded She trusted him because she
| had been Kind to him.
But Effie was only 12.
| AS the child stood in the broad light,
her tuInbled hay hued lair kissed and
illumined by the bold rays of the sun
and her round, trustful blue eyes shad-
cd from the glare by two little brown
hands, watching King Billy at his
work, flock of laughing jackasses
alighted in a neighboring gum tree
and set up demonlac cachinnation
What made the i'll omened birds Sc
madly merry? What was the jokei
Effie's trust? Billy's gratitude? They
failed to explain, but their amusement
was huge and sardonic.
Drive them away, Billy" cried Eff
fe, and the obedient king dropped his
ak and threw faggot CT wood at the
tree. which stopped the laughter and
dispersed the merrymakers.
"Billy tired now." said the black
grinning. "Too much work-plenty
wood" and he pointed to the result
of his labor.
Eyes, that will be enough, thank
you. You're good boy. I'll give yor
some tobacco"
"Billy's thirsty"
''Then you shall have some tea."
''No tea. Rum"
''No, Billy. Rum isn't good for you
"Good for miners; good for Billy"
'fNo, it's not good for miners" said
Efie emphatically ''It makes then
fight and say wicked things"
Makes black fellow feel good,' de
clared Billy rolling his dusky eyes.
This last argument was effective
Effie went into her hut-her father had
returned to his work-and poured 6
little spirits from John Archer's fiasF
into a pannikin. Billy drank the
spirits with rolling eyes, smacked his
lips and then lay down in the shadow
of the hut to sleep.
The long afternoon passed very slow
ly for Effie. Her few trif1ing duties
as housekeeper were soon done. The
little hut was tidied and the simple
evening meal prepared and some hours
must pass before her father returned
How could she pass the time? She
had only two books-a Bible and g
volume of stories for little girls, which
she had won as a prize at school ii
Brisbane. But she was too young tt
appreciate the first, especially as the
type was very small and it was difficult
pppreciating the stories for little girls
having known them by heart three
years before. She would like to have
slept. Everything around her suggest
ed and invited the siesta-the steady
heat, the brightness of the light with
| out the hut, the distant murmur OF
| miners voices which came from be
yond yonder belt of waffle gums, the
| monotonous hum of the locusts in tht
| forest, the occasional fretful cry of {
strange bird and the regular snores Of
| the fallen king, who slumbered in the
shade of the hut Even the buzz of thu
annoying flies assisted the general eff
| feet and brought drowsiness.
To remain still for a few minutes
would have meant inevitably falling
asleep. Effie felt this and remembered
the little gold nugget. If she slept
some thief might come and take it. Ant
so she put on her hat and, forsakins
the seductive cool and shade of the hut
| went out into the brightness and heat.
Archer's hut stood on the edge of th'
valley, over against the foot of th'
blue, heavily timbered hills. About 81
yards distant from it. hidden among
the trees, was high moss grown rock
at the base of which Effie had discover
ed the smallest and sweetest of natura
springs. Thither the child ran-lookin.
back often to see that no one approach
| ed the but in her absence-to bathe he