From Squire to Squatter: A Tale of the Old Land and the New
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of the most ordinary good-natured-looking black fellow; halfafraid of even the pet kangaroo when he hopped round and held up hischin to have his old-fashioned neck stroked; half afraid--but happy, sohappy nevertheless, because she had all she loved around her.
Gentleman Craig was most deferential and attentive to Mrs Broadbent,and she could not help admiring him--indeed, no one could--and quiteapproved of Elsie's choice; though, mother-like, she thought the girlfar too young to marry yet, as the song says.
However, they were not to be married yet quite. There was a year toelapse, and a busy one it was. First and foremost, Craig took theunfortunate Findlayson's farm. But the old steading was allowed to goto decay, and some one told me the other day that there is now a genuineghost, said to be seen on moonlight nights, wandering round the ruinedpile. Anyhow, its associations were of far too terrible a character forCraig to think of building near it.
He chose the site for his house and outbuildings near the creek and thespot where they had bivouacked before the murder was discovered. It wasnear here too that Craig had made his firm resolve to be a free man--made it and kept it. The spot was charmingly beautiful too; and as hisdistrict included a large portion of the forest, he commenced clearingthat, but in so scientific and tasteful a manner that it looked, whenfinished, like a noble park.
During this year Squire Broadbent also became a squatter. From Squireto Squatter may sound to some like a come-down in life; but reallyBroadbent did not think so.
He managed to buy out a station immediately adjoining Archie's, and whenhe had got fairly established thereon he told his brother Ramsay thatfifteen years had tumbled off his shoulders all in a lump--fifteen yearsof care and trouble, fifteen years of struggle to keep his head abovewater, and live up to his squiredom.
"I'm more contented now by far and away," he told his wife, "than I wasin the busy, boastful days before the fire at Burley Old Farm; so, yousee, it doesn't take much in this world to make a man happy."
Rupert did not turn squatter, but missionary. It was a great treat forhim to have Etheldene to ride with him away out into the bush wheneverhe heard a tribe had settled down anywhere for a time. Etheldene knewall their ways, and between the two of them they no doubt did much good.
It is owing to such earnest men as Rupert that so great a change hascome over the black population, and that so many of them, even as Iwrite, sit humbly at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in their right mind.To quote the words of a recent writer: "The war-paints and weapons forfights are seen no more, the awful heathen corroborees have ceased, thefemales are treated with kindness, and the lamentable cries, accompaniedby bodily injuries, when death occurred, have given place to Christiansorrow and quiet tears for their departed friends."
It came to pass one day that Etheldene and Archie, towards the end ofthe year, found themselves riding alone, through scrub and over plain,just as they were that day they were lost. The conversation turnedround to Rupert's mission.
"What a dear, good, young man your brother is, Archie!" said the girl.
"Do you really love him?"
"As a brother, yes."
"Etheldene, have him for a brother, will you?"
The rich blood mounted to her cheeks and brow. She cast one half-shy,half-joyful look at Archie, and simply murmured, "Yes."
It was all over in a moment then. Etheldene struck her horse lightlyacross the crest with the handle of her stock whip, and next minute bothhorses were galloping as if for dear life.
When Archie told Rupert how things had turned out, he only smiled in hisquiet manner.
"It is a queer way of wooing," he said; "but then you were always aqueer fellow, Archie, and Etheldene is a regular Bush baby, as Craigcalls her. Oh, I knew long ago she loved you!"
At the year's end then both Elsie and Etheldene were married, andmarried, too, at the same church in Sydney from which Bob led Sarah, hisblushing bride. It might not have been quite so wild and daft awedding, but it was a very happy one nevertheless.
No one was more free in blessing the wedded couples than old Kate. Yes,old as she was, she had determined not to be left alone in England.
We know how Bob spent his honeymoon. How were the new young folks tospend theirs? Oh, it was all arranged beforehand! And on the verymorning of the double marriage they embarked--Harry and Bob going withthem for a holiday--on board Captain Vesey's pretty yacht, and sailedaway for England. Etheldene's dream of romance was about to become areality; she was not only to visit the land of chivalry, but with Archieher husband and hero by her side.
The yacht hung off and on the shore all day, as if reluctant to leavethe land; but towards evening a breeze sprang up from the west, thesails filled, and away she went, dancing and curtseying over the waterlike a thing of life.
The sunset was bewitchingly beautiful; the green of the land was changedto a purple haze, that softened and beautified its every outline; thecloudless sky was clear and deep; that is, it gave you the idea youcould see so far into and through it. There was a flush of saffronalong the horizon; above it was of an opal tint, with here and there atender shade of crimson--only a suspicion of this colour, no more; andapparently close at hand, in the east, were long-drawn cloudlets ofrichest red and gold.
Etheldene looked up in her husband's face.
"Shall we have such a sky as that to greet our arrival on Englishshores?" she said.
Archie drew her closer to his side.
"I'm not quite sure about the sky," he replied, shaking his head andsmiling, "but we'll have a hearty English welcome."
And so they had.