Australian Tales - Setis

way of setting him up in the world again, and removing their dread of his
borrowing or begging from them. So the barrow was bought, and old
farmer Vetch drove off in his cart to deliver it, with as much pride and
good will as though he were going to present a new organ to the parish
church. His surprise was great when after reading the brief address of the
donors, Mr. Roseley, instead of expressing gratitude for the gift, cursed
the barrow and all the contributors too. A storm of high words ensued
and frightened the horse, which bolted off, upset the cart, and broke the
barrow to little bits. Nothing was saved but the grindstone.
“My mother offered a temporary home to Nanny and her father, which
they gladly accepted. Soon afterwards, Nanny arranged to go to Squire
Leveret's, as nursery governess, though she did not much like the idea,
for some of the children were as rough as their father. But on the very
morning she was preparing to start for the Squire's, my letter arrived, and
caused no small commotion amongst them, you may be sure. Strange to
say, old Mr. Roseley was the first to propose that they should all get
ready to start as soon as possible. ‘Botany Bay, or any other cannibal
country was preferable to Beechwood,’ he said, ‘now he had no other
prospect than a tinker's barrow or the workhouse. Feed me on kangaroos
and cornstalks, if you like, but deliver me from the neighbours who
would mock my misfortunes, and send me about the country grinding
scissors! A fugitive and a vagabond, and a poverty-stricken old tramp
tinker! Come along, Nanny, my girl! I am ready. I can tie all my traps in
a bundle handkerchief, so let us be off as soon as possible.’
“A day or two after that, Captain Luff went down to Beechwood. He
had no difficulty in persuading them all to accept my offer, though some
of the younger ones shuddered at the mention of Botany Bay, as if it
were the favourite watering place of old Bogy and his crew.
“I remained in suspense as to the result of the captain's mission, for we
were unusually long without a mail. Several months had elapsed since
the arrival of a ship from England, and as the time for the return of the
Dolphin drew near, you may imagine how anxiously I watched the signal
staff from day to day, and how often my fancy pictured in dreams at
night the arrival of my fondly expected ones, but only to teaze me on
awakening to a sense of my dreary bachelorhood. Ugh, those days of
single misery! of odd stockings and changed collars, broken buttons and
yellow linen. Mr. Boomerang, I assure you, I would not be single
again — even for six months — for all the brass bedsteads and other
bachelor traps in the world and a cart-load of beadwork slippers to boot.
Not I, sir; ha, ha, ha! Not I. Give me my wife, and water-gruel diet, if
you like, and you will see me happy — jubilant; but give me the range of
an oriental palace, with all Rajah Rumanputtee's diamonds to play with,
and a daily fare of curried peacocks, and without my wife I should be as
miserable as an old jack tar who had lost his tobacco box.”