The Comforts of Civilization.--Susan Raine.--The Hamlet and the
Church.--Plans for the Future.--Mrs. Edward Deverell.--The Beauties of
Daisy Grange.
The excitement of the reception was great: such screams of wonder and
delight! so many tears at the thoughts of the trials and sufferings of
the wanderers and so much laughter at their tattered condition! Then
succeeded such haste and bustle to procure immediate aid to restore to
them the comforts of which they had been so long deprived, and to spread
the hospitable board with the refreshments so long untasted.
It was only by interjections and extorted answers that any details of
their trials were known at first. It was necessary that they should be
restored to the likeness of civilized beings; and the servants vied with
their master and mistress in providing food and raiment for the needy.
"Tell me, dear Emma," said Margaret, as she brushed her dishevelled hair
and arrayed herself in a clean muslin dress belonging to her
friend,--"tell me if you have still, and unmarried, the pretty
dairy-maid, Susan Raine, who accompanied you from England. One of our
faithful attendants, though rude and unpolished, will be broken-hearted
if he does not find his Susan here."
"But surely, Margaret," answered Emma, "you are not speaking of the
graceless convict, Wilkins? You alarm me, for the good girl has told me
her whole history; and, though she is unwilling to allow it, there is
no doubt the man behaved basely in inducing her to come over from
England to join him, only to find the worthless fellow had absconded."
"But let me explain his conduct to you, Emma," said Margaret; "let me
tell you his story of sins and repentance and then I hope you will
consent to be his mediator and friend."
Then, before they descended to join the rest, Margaret told her friend
all the circumstances of Wilkins's temptation, fall, and happy
reformation after having been thrown amongst them; and this was the
first part of the adventures of the travellers that was related at Daisy
Grange. And when the girls told Mrs. Deverell this tale of trials, she
promised that Susan, who was now engaged in the dairy, should have the
unexpected event properly revealed to her before she was introduced to
her much-lamented friend.
The travellers scarcely recognized each other in their amended
appearance, for which they had been indebted to the wardrobes of their
friends; and they now proceeded to the large dining-room, where the
table was spread with the plenty of an English home. Beef and mutton
from the fields; fowls from the poultry-yard; pastry made by Emma; fruit
and vegetables from the garden, and cream from the dairy. To these
homely luxuries was added home-brewed ale from the barley grown on the
settlement, which Edward Deverell said must satisfy his guests for some
time, till his vines produced him grapes fit to make wine.
In the mean time Jenny and Ruth, with Baldabella and her child, had been
properly cared for by the maid-servants of the establishment, who were
in exuberant spirits at the novelty of visitors, and especially such
wonderful and amusing visitors, who could tell them such strange tales
of their travels; and even Baldabella in time got over her shyness,
under the pressing hospitality of the reception; and little Nakinna was
in ecstasies at the novelties she beheld and the dainties which she now
first tasted. Wilkins moped in a corner in deep distress till his friend
Hugh came to him, who insisted on his shaving and dressing himself
neatly, and who then accompanied him to the dairy, where Susan, already
acquainted with his story by Emma, was sitting weeping, but quite ready
to receive and pardon the repentant man; and the mirth and festivity of
the servants' hall were complete when the reunited pair joined the
party.
It was late before the wanderers had recounted their adventures; and
they all fully enjoyed the luxury of beds, after being so long
accustomed to the open air, though the boys declared sleeping in an
enclosed room was rather confining. Next morning, after a breakfast of
coffee and cream, with all the other good things of the farm, they set
out to see the hamlet, which was to become in time the town of Deverell.
This hamlet stood about a quarter of a mile from the Grange, and
consisted of a long row of wooden huts, thatched with bark, and painted
green; each stood apart in a pretty garden, and each had behind it about
an acre of land fenced round, where a cow, and sometimes a sheep or two,
were grazing; every thing looked clean, orderly, and prosperous.
From the cottages to the river it was not more than three or four
hundred yards, and before them was a green, in the midst of which was an
enclosure that contained a neat stone-built church, with its low tower
and bell to summon the congregation to church.
Mr. Mayburn was moved even to tears at the sight of this temple of God
in the remote wilds; he seized the hand of Deverell, and said, "May
Heaven bless you, my son! tell me whom you expect to fulfil the duties
of this holy place."
"We have but just completed the most difficult and important work we
have yet undertaken," answered Deverell. "The stone has been brought
from our own quarry; but the labor of cutting and building was great and
tedious. Our people are, however, pious and industrious, and they gladly
worked extra hours to raise the place of worship they pined for. I have
ever proposed to wait for you to be our priest, my good father; and
month after month I have expected letters from you. For some of the
graceless crew of the _Golden Fairy_, who escaped in the boats, reached
Adelaide; and when they reported the vessel to be destroyed by fire,
they asserted that you and your family had been taken up by an Indiaman.
My plan was, as soon as I had heard from you where you were settled, to
write to beseech you to join me. It is only during the last month that,
afflicted and disappointed by your long silence, I have reluctantly
turned my thoughts to the necessity of searching for another minister;
and I was on the eve of setting out on a long journey to consult our
worthy bishop, when the raid of the bush-rangers called me away to
recover my property. Now Heaven has sent you to us, may I not, then,
venture to hope that you are ours for life?"
"For life, Edward Deverell," answered Mr. Mayburn. "I am content and
happy to remain with you; and I feel sure my children are determined to
do the same. Teach them to be useful and happy as you are; and allow us
to form part of your new colony."
"Huzza!" cried Hugh; "but you must grant us allotments to build cottages
on, Governor Deverell."
"You shall hear all my plans," answered Deverell. "In the first place,
you must all be our guests till dwellings are provided; the Grange is
large enough for a city hotel. We will begin by building a handsome
manse for our worthy pastor, with a large and convenient museum, which
everybody must try to furnish with wonderful birds and eggs, and all the
natural curiosities of Australia. I can spare volumes of my own to fit
up the library, till we can procure all that are needed from Sydney."
"Delightful!" said Margaret. "I long to see you begin."
"Then we must have a house and workshop for our friend Jack," continued
Deverell; "and constitute him head carpenter of Deverell. On your
recommendation, I will venture to employ Wilkins as a stock-keeper; he
shall be placed at the dairy-house, which the prudent Susan shall
manage; and they shall have a good allotment, with cows and pigs of
their own, to encourage them to prudence and industry. As for your
female followers, Nurse Wilson, Ruth, and the native woman and child,
they must remain with us, at least till the parsonage-house is
completed, and Mr. Mayburn wishes to found his household."
"I propose, Edward," said Margaret, "that, if you do not object, I
should teach some of the little girls of the hamlet--I see you have a
number who are peeping at us from the cottages; then Nakinna will learn
with them, and soon be a little English girl in all but complexion."
"That is just what I expected from you, Margaret," answered Deverell;
"and Emma will be delighted to have such an associate. On this pretty
spot, my brother Charles proposes to build a good house for himself,
that he may be near his patients, who, I am happy to say, are few. He
intends, when his house is ready, to go down to Sydney, and bring thence
a wife to preside over it. He has fixed on a very charming young orphan
girl, who, with her two young sisters that will accompany her, will form
a most agreeable addition to our society."
"That is quite right," said Mr. Mayburn. "I rejoice to hear of his
intention. And you, my dear Edward--would it not be also desirable that
you should bring some lady suitable to you to this pleasant abode? If
you have really resolved to pass your days here, it is your duty to
marry."
"Do you think so, my very dear friend?" answered Deverell. "Then I leave
the affair in your hands; you must kindly select a bride for me."
"I, my dear Edward!" exclaimed Mr. Mayburn. "I that have ever lived so
much out of the world, and that am now a perfect solitary. I am actually
acquainted with no young ladies in the world but your sister and my own
child."
"Perhaps, papa," said Gerald archly, "Edward would be satisfied to take
Margaret."
"How exceedingly absurd you can be, my dear boy," said Mr. Mayburn;
then, after a few minutes' consideration, he added: "The thought never
occurred to me before; it is not an absurd idea. I really do not see
why such a pleasant arrangement might not be."
Margaret fled from the delicate discussion, and Edward Deverell then
assured Mr. Mayburn, that not only he should be satisfied to take
Margaret, but that he had never thought of any other person; as
everybody but Mr. Mayburn understood long ago.
Then Margaret had to be asked if she would consent to be the mistress of
that comfortable and happy household, to which she agreed, providing
Mrs. Deverell and Emma would still continue to share the pleasures and
duties of her home. And Edward told her all his plans for extending the
population of his colony, and regulating it according to the laws of
England and the commands of God. The great hall was, when needed, a hall
of justice, and his people knew they were amenable to the law as much as
if they lived in England.
"You should see how grave I look when I am seated on my throne of
office, Margaret," said Deverell: "I must have Mr. Mayburn and Arthur on
the bench in future, to give more dignity to my court. And now I must
show you a domain which will be especially your own--my gardens,
orchards and vineyards."
No labor or expense had been spared to enrich the gardens with all the
fairest products of Australia and England. Conservatories and hot-houses
were not needed in this charming climate, where the most delicate
flowers and choicest fruits reached perfection in the open air. The rich
blossoms of the apple, peach, apricot, and nectarine were now glowing on
every side, and the trees, though so young, gave promise of abundant
fruit; and the fragrance of the strawberry beds proclaimed the fruit to
be ripe. Margaret was delighted with all she saw, and astonished at the
thought of the labor and perseverance that must have been used.
A long avenue was shaded with the broad and luxuriant leaves of the
vine, on which small bunches of grapes were already formed, a young
crop, but giving promise of the rich vintage future years would bring.
"When my vines have reached maturity," said Deverell, "I shall require
all the heads and the hands I can command, in order to make good wine
from my own vineyard, of which, if God spare me, I have no fear. And I
hope, Margaret, you are pleased with the delicate and fragrant blossoms
of my orange-trees. They are yet but low shrubs; but I trust we shall
live to see them tall and productive trees."
But it required many pleasant days, and many rambles about the domain,
to see all that had been done, and all that it was proposed to do. Mr.
Mayburn's new dwelling was planned and immediately commenced, orchards
and gardens were marked out, and a list of fruit-trees and seeds made
out. Jack was in his element, superintending the cutting down of timber
trees, and then manufacturing them into tables and chairs, and other
useful furniture, to his heart's content.
"It's a great comfort, Mr. Arthur," said he, as his three young friends
stood near him in his new workshop. "It's a great comfort to have a good
chest of tools again, and that thief, Peter, no longer here to make off
with them; and to be working at good jobs that we shall not have to run
away and leave behind us, as we had to do when those ugly black fellows
were always hanging at our heels."
"But, Jack," answered Hugh, "do you know that Mr. Deverell has a number
of those black fellows employed on his estate, who not only wear clothes
and live in huts, but speak English, behave quietly and honestly, and
attend prayers regularly with the other work-people. Baldabella is very
glad to meet with the native women, who are not _jins_ here, but wives;
she certainly holds herself a little above them, but she condescends to
teach them decorum and the manners of society. We are all to be employed
in the schools immediately, and then you will see what wonders papa and
Arthur and Margaret will effect among these poor natives."
"Well, Master Hugh," answered Jack, with a certain air of incredulity,
"I hope, by God's help, it may turn out as you say; but you'll not get
Wilkins to believe such a thing. He hates blacks like toads, and always
did. There's Susan, however, she is a quiet, good lass; but she has a
good spirit, and maybe she may win her good man to think better of them.
But, Mr. Arthur, now you are at your proper work among books, and Master
Hugh and Master Gerald, they'll be riding about on the land, I shall not
see much of you; there's no need for any of you to take up a hammer
now."
"Your workshop will always be a favorite resort, depend on it, Jack,"
said Arthur; "but I am going to read hard for the next year, to make up
for lost time. Then papa intends me to go to England, to be entered at
one of the universities."
"And to return to us the Reverend Arthur Mayburn," said Gerald, "ready
to help papa, and, I should say, to marry little Emma."
"But I shall always come and help you, Jack, when I have time," said
Hugh; "we should all be mechanics here, in case of vicissitudes. My
particular pursuit will be to study medicine with Charles Deverell, to
be fitted for the second doctor when our colony shall be so much
increased that two are required. Gerald is to be farmer, and hunter, and
game-keeper, and ornithological assistant to papa; and then, I think,
Jack, we shall form such a pleasant, cosy family circle, that we shall
none of us feel any inclination 'to take to the bush.'"
"Farewell to the cowardly bush-rangers," said Gerald. "They never dare
face such a band of heroes. I shall be head ranger myself; and on grand
occasions I shall call you all around me for a field-day, to beat the
bushes, and keep up our character of successful Kangaroo Hunters."
END.
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