her up several times; but the heavy little
head sunk lower and lower, despite my
covert attempt to prop it up with a spare
shawl; and, at last, the perilous predicament
of the hat and roses became manifest to the
mother, who shook up my tiny neighbour
with no gentle hand or look, jerked furiously
at the broad pink ribbon strings, and snatched
off both hat and cap; when lo! beneath all
was a hair-net, made of gold twist and
beads, and a pair of great gold rings in the
soft baby ears. "I'll pull yer ear-rings, I
will, ye blessed limb o' mischief, if ye spile
yer things that way," growled the mother—
only the word was not "blessed," but as
opposite in meaning as the reader pleases to
imagine; and a rough box on each side of the
head in turn completed the forlorn aspect of
affairs, by setting the child's nose bleeding,
to its own great terror, and the irretrievable
damage of its smart silk jacket. The sister's
petticoat was seized to do duty as a pocket-
handkerchief; no such commonplace article
being provided amidst this collection of finery.
The mother, whose outer dress was all new
and expensive, had showy rings on almost
every finger of her rough hands; but no
gloves.

Few women whose husbands have been
diggers wear less than two or three massive
gold rings of coarse colonial workmanship;
and many of the men wear thick gold rings too,
whilst their cottages are devoid of the
commonest comforts. The floor is, probably, the
original mud; the seats, a rough bench made
of a slab, the outside refuse part of a tree when
sawn up; the table, two or three slabs nailed
together, and uneven on the top; the dinner-
service, tin plates and pannicans, and perhaps
one table-knife—possibly, an odd fork also:
the inmates or guests being expected to be
provided with pocket-knives. The cost of
one silk gown expended in the purchase of a
few cheap American chairs, some neat,
strong earthenware, a plain table, and other
decent trifles, would, it might be supposed,
be more productive of comfort than the
continual purchase of fine clothes, which,
when put on, cannot find a spot around
them fit to sit down in; but any attempt
at tidy housekeeping is but too seldom seen
here.

I do hope that the arrival of free emigrant
families will now soon improve the character
of our rural population. Until the cessation of
transportation here, no amendment could
be expected; but, that priceless boon being
granted us, I do now look forward to the
pleasure of seeing neat cottages and pretty
gardens around us, instead of the usually
bare dwellings which the labourers are
content to live in, the space in front being almost
invariably occupied by the wood-heap,
instead of a flower and herb border. Only one
attempt at a cottage garden has been made
by any of our servants on the homestead;
and, to that, I have given my best encouragement
in the shape of plants, seed, cuttings,
and unlimited praise and approval. Its tall
rows of peas and beans, and its gay bright
borders, with broad-faced sunflowers and
tapering hollyhocks looking pleasantly over
the neat paling fence, have a most cheering
memory of English cottage life about them;
nor does a nearer view of the domicile break
the charm, for the clean bright windows, the
spotless floor and hearthstone, the buff-
coloured walls, adorned with prints from the
Illustrated London News, coloured (it may
be with more zeal than strictly good taste,
in the case of a few crimson trees and lilac
mountains), and the tea-trays, candlesticks,
and other metal articles, looking almost hot
with the amount of polish bestowed on them
—all have an air of good housewifery that
gladdens my heart to see; and I hopefully
anticipate the time when my model cottage
shall cease to stand alone in its glory.
Next to this, the thriving potato plot of an Irish
labourer bears ample evidence of plenty, but
none of taste. The ash-heap and the wood-
heap lie at the hut door, together with rags,
bones, and old shoes, and whatever else of
refuse is cast out from within, including all
denominations of slop and dirt, around and
amidst which the juvenile Paddies perambulate,
during mild weather, in their birthday
suits; and, as they are wont to extend their
promenades across the road, our horses are
often startled by a small nude apparition
emerging from some favourite play-place in
the mud, and scudding away home as we
drive past.

Broken bottles form a large item in the
collections of house rubbish here, from the
quantities of bottled wine, spirits, and malt
liquor, which are consumed by all classes,
but especially the lower, who, having no
subsequent use for bottles, fling them about
wherever they are emptied, to the great
danger of horses, cattle, and other
animals. Few carts travel to the township and
back without their drivers bringing liquor
of some kind away with them, to treat
any friends they meet on the road, and
solace their own feelings of loneliness
between whiles. A servant who can be
depended upon to go with horses or oxen to
the township (which is also our shipping
place) and return in a state of
unblemished sobriety, is a rara avis indeed.
At this present writing, I cannot bring to
mind one so singularly gifted. As each bottle
in succession is emptied, it is shied out at a
parrot or a crow, or dashed against a tree;
and, consequently, every road is garnished
with portions of broken glass. A valuable
and very favourite horse of our own was
recently lamed for life by setting a hind foot
on one of these mischiefs, hidden in long
grass; the glass cut deeply, severing the
sinews below the pastern joint. Our eldest
boy, who was riding home at the time, after
his daily attendance on a neighbouring