DRAMA OF THE BUSH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20842, 8 April 1931, Page 10

DRAMA OF THE BUSH.

WOMAN'S GREAT SACRIFICE. JUSTICE DONE BY A JUDGE. [FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] " SYDNEY, April 2. Life outback in New South Wales is usually accompanied by hardships. Annie Laracy has had more than her share of them. Leaving school more than 20 years ago —Miss Laracy is now 46—she pledged herself to hard work on the station of her aged father, Mr. Philip Laracy, at Gulargambone. With advancing years, the old squatter became more and more feeble, and his daughter Annie was now'.the recognised heart and soul of the homestead, directing everything with the energy and vigour of a man. A typical bush girl, she would mount the fleetest horse of the station to round up the cattle and horses, and do the roughest work at the homestead. She never complained and was always cheerful and happy when her father v/as pleased with her efforts. Then there came into the girl's life a man. She loved him and promised to be his wife, but her father did not want to lose her. She bowed her head to his wishes, and to forget—were such a thing possible—her poor little broken romance, she toiled with increasing vigour. The station hands adored her, and her commands were never disobeyed. Some years before Philip Laracy died his hearing forsook him, and he became partially blind. lie had reached his 90th year, and Annie tended him with the care of a nurse. As a reward For her life of sacrifice ho promised to leave her his estate of £II,OOO. But all he bequeathed to her was £3OO, the rest of the estate going to charities. Urged by her friends that justice would bo done to her if she approached tho Courts, reluctantly Miss Laracy did so. Her case was heard by Mr. Justice LongInnes, and tho outback country girl, who gave up tho man she loved and worked like a Trojan on the station for a-quarter of a century, was given tho solace of a life interest in the whole of the rcsiduo of the £II,OOO estate.