STORIES FOR OLD SETTLERS AND NEW CHUMS.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue 3096, 10 January 1871, Page 3

STORIES FOR OLD SETTLERS AND NEW CHUMS.

. (BY MRS CUTTLETON.) OTTB SIIAX.Ii SARH. Looking back upon tho night on which John put the title deeds of seotion number 9009 into my handß, I can, even after bo niany years have .elapsed, recollect, quite distinctly, how much pleasure both of us derived from the fact of " one hundred acres more or less/ of fche soil qf New Zealand having become our property. Fernhelm was our own. The ground for which we had been paying what to us appeared a heavy rent had now paseed into John's possession. A wish — an eager wish of my husband's — haddow heen gratified, and theknowledge of having done something towards obtaining for him the gratification of this wish — the thought that I had helped him to achieve a matter on which his heart had long been sefc, repaid me— aye, a thousand times— for all my toil and for all my anxiety. At the imminent risk of being laughed afc by some of my readers, I here confess that, previous to the purchase of our first section, I used, on churning days to feel quite cast down if the butter did nofc make its appearance afc fcho usual time, or if, when ifc was pussed through fche scales, it turned oufc short; of the usual weight. Afc that .time, too, I sustained a severe trial in the death, by drowning, of our best cow Tibby, This infatuated animal, at a time when she was giving more milk than was yielded by any of the other cows, thought fit one evening fco walk right into fche swamp (fche -Slough of Despair, as it was afterwards named) where I found her next morning dead. From tho time her calf (a Bfcrawberry heifer), was taken away from her, Tibby began to exhibit suicidal intentions. One day, Bhe was discovered in a half-Buffocatod condition, having thrust her head between tbe rails of the fence. On anotber occasion she all bufc managed to poison |herself with ufcu berries. She at length effected her insane purpose, as I have already mentioned, by drowning. I think ifc is Shakespeare who soys, " misfortunes come not singly bufc in battalions," bufc whether it is he or some ono else who says so, certain it is tho line expresses my experience of fche ills of life. The very next week after Tibby put an end to her existence or letter from the storekeeper in Wellington informed us fchafc our bacon (I had taken no end of pains in the curing) was unsaleable ! Late issues of the Independent have contained stirring news— news well calculated, in my humble opinion, to make thoughtful folks somewhat' sad ; bufc, depressing as the intelligence recently received from Europe haß been, ifc does not oause me so muoh anxiety as do those letters from town abeut fcbe bacon being unsaleable, or the butter not realising the price of the casks in which ifc is paoked. Were next Saturday's' paper to inform us of the destruction of tho city of Paris, of the death of Napoleon, and a fresh reign of anarchy (is the phrase permissible ?) in France, I verily believel would feel lighter-hearted ofter reading through the column of telegrams announcing these disasters 'than I would after perusing a " favor" from Mr Soales, telling us of the discovery of a lively colony of jumpers in my hams. Ifc took John and your humble servant a considerable time fco sorape together the two hundred and odd pounds required for the purchase of our section. Resolving not to bother John about the purchase, but fco leave fche affair solely in his hands, I began to praotice the most rigid economy. Till the title deeds of our section were secured, I determined to effeot wonders with my old wardrobe. I tried my beat to " Make auld olaithes look maisfc like new," and succeeded better than lat first anticipated in bo doing. By my " patent art" I contrived to.ronovate an old blaok Bilk (ifc had been, in our family from time immorial, and had been worn by each of my sisters as well as by myself) that John, mistaking it for a new one, asked me how I had. oome by it. On my telling him it was an old fright of a thing, which could only only be styled " a dress" through courtesy, and fchafc I had brought; ifc to fche etate in which he then saw it by turning and sponging, by letting it out afc the waist, and taking ifc in under fche: arms, stripping off the flounces (there were three rows), altering the leg-of-mutton sleeves, &0.,&0., he assuming a look of fche- greatest; astonishment, -quoted the line, " Wbafc a ohange fchis hand hath wrought ?" and, raising my hand fco hiß lips, kissed ifc, jusfc as if I had been a fine lady and he a gallant of the old eohool. - Some oarpingly inolihed individual may, possibly,., exclaim, as .he zeads fche foregoing passage, "What a pair of antediluvians! Whoever heard bf fine gentlemen kissing ladies' hands in our times 1 That fashion went out along with hair

L powder, frilled shirfc fronts, cooked hats, and knee breeches. Then what wretohed twaddle is fchafc she writes' about; her anxiety concerning the buttor, aB if butter, or hamß, or anything of tbafc sort, oould possibly give a reasonable being a moment; s serious consideration." To this I reply, " True ifc is, kissing' hands waa never much in vogue with persons of the grade in life to which John and I belong, such persona greatly preferring a more ancionfc custom, and one thafc ia likely to be followed for ever and a day. I mean, to use a Scotch phrase, ' preeing the mon.' " JBufc this aofc of John's, ridiculous as ifc appears to you, conveyed to my mind a very agreeable piece of information. "Not one of your efforts for my advancement pa3Bes unobserved or ia unappreciated." Such wus fche message I gleaned from that simple and absurd act; of John's, and the woman through whose heart a message of this kind (coming from one standing in the Bame relation fco her aa John does to me) would nofc send 'a thrill of pleasure, is deserving of— of . Well, I will moderate myself and write — a niobe inßarnum's Temple of Humbugs and Monstrosity. Bufc whafc aboufc the butter? Simply this. You may, possibly, deplore fche'faofc, but still it is a fact;, fche greatest; portion of thought is given by the majority of civilised mankind to thafc which brings " grist to the mill." Our chief stay, waa the dairy. A sago .cobbler, whose name, alas, has nofc been " emblazoned on the Bcroll of fame," ia reported to have Baid, "There is' nothihg like leather," and, were John a cordwainer, I should certainly endorse the sentiment. . Seeing, however, my husband is a farmer, I take my stand upon my butter tubs, and declare (pryfchee, worthy- compositor, set fche statement in imposing type) " attention fco the dairy to be the primary duty of a woman in my Apologising for all this prosing, I now resume my narrative. I fancy I should not err greatly if I said John felfc somewhat proud of his new position, namely) tbafc of a landed proprietor. He began to. talk a good deal about the " rightsof property," and to expatiate on the important services rendered fco the colony by men of his standing. According to his ideaß, that terribly hackneyed phrase, " the pioneers of civilization,'' meant; men holding small farms of aboufc one hundred acres. With him such persons formed the "backbone of New Zealand sooiety," For a whole week, after returning from town with fche title deeds, he, instead of going on with fche Castle of Otranto, (aod we had gob to such an exciting parfc) persisted in reading a bundle of pamphlets, picked up at a second hand book store. These papers bore such taking titles as " A. Few Remarks on Draining," " Potatoes versus Beet," " M'Alister on the Rotation of Crops," " Telford on Sheep," " Manure," " How to collect it, how to save ifc, and how to use it," "Guano and Bpnedusfc.'f One evening he wound up some rather exagger* ated or, aa fche American would term it, " tall talk" aboufc the aforesaid " pioneers," by saying, " The long and short of ifc, Annie — are you listening ? — ia this. The cultivator of .the Boil (np matter how small a portion he may.fcill) is a more useful man in fche colony and is also a greater benefactor to his race than is either thb most extensive trader, the ablest lawyer, the most skilful doctor, or — or Sir George himself! Don't you think so ?" Thus appealed to I laid my. seam on the table, gave my head a sagacious shake and expressed entire concurrence with the sentiment so ably enunciated, barring thafc parfc of ifc, however, referring to the Governor. John must have detected a roguish expression oreeping over my face, for he immediately said, " Ah ! thafc wag of your head doesn't deceive me, madam. You're laughing at my speech. Don't attempt to deny fche charge. Your eyea are laughing. You can't restrain yourself." I laughed heartily. Then John tried.hard to look offended, bufc on my asking bim in a very earnest, humble, 'and coaxing way to repeat bis peroration tbe feigned expression of mortification vanished before a smile; John's little eccentricities of speech and manner occasionally excite my risible faculties, bufc somehow or other my laughter never infliots and never did inflict pain. Were ifc possible a wish on my part; could banish these eccentricities I hardly think I would exeroise it. Strange ifc is, we like even fche oddnesses of tbose we love. I feel a positive delight in seeing John groping in the depths of hia pockets for. the handkerchief, whioh he, only a few minutes before, made into a doll for Oarry. I like too, fco see fche half bewildered look, to hear fche muttered, " Well, how odd to be sure !" and to observe fche smile fchafc steals over the dear face when I draw his attention to the fuot of ,the handkerohief being in Carry's arms. It's a treat — afc least fco me and the ohildren — to hear John'B 0 ! when anything excites his wonder, or when ho feigns surprise. It's too muoh for the gravity 6f our Scotch neighbor, Mr Dodds, and he, I can tell you, is nofc a man to be tiokled with a straw. It requires fonr figures to express the number of acres now held by üb. Looking baok, aa lam now doing, at old times, it seems to me we were aB happy when we had to toil hard , .and to live vory plainly indeed, aa we are now when we fare aumptuously and can occasionally " take a apell." Ifc is nofc my wish to sermonise, bufc bb this day's paper will find its way not only into- the residences of the squatters — men whoso fences extend for miles, and whose sheep are numbered by thousands — but also into the homes of humble, hard-working settlers, I beg permission to say to those of the last-named olass who do mo the honor of reading thiß column thafc my experience of life has convinced : me of tho old saying, " It is not necessary to have muoh to be happy." Happiness, believe me, is only to be found in trying fco work out the task appointed us hy the Great Master ; in the consciousness ofbeing to him or her whom we love dearer than riches, or kindred,, or lifo ; in the reflection of our not having lived in vain ; in the knowledgo of our nofc having held back our hand when the blessing waa offered ua of alleviating misery — in a -word, in the thought of having done something to promote the happiness and well-being of our follows. This may sound like preaching on my part, hut I am nofc ashamed of the doctrine inculcated, nor will fchey who practise this doctrine feel ashamed on reviewing their lives. Do nofc imagine, my reader, that I am unaware of the advantnges conferred by wealth, or thafc I bave any wish to represent; a state of poverty as being conducive to tho growth of happiness. At this point I raise my head and try to catchJohn's glance. He ia reading on English paper. After waiting patiently, or, rather very impatienly, for perhaps a couple of seconds, I venture to pufc this question to him, " Were you writing aboufc poverty what would you say ?" I regret having pufc fche question. Ifc bas caused pain — I know ifc haa by thafc knitted brow and compressed lips. Hia answer is delivered slowly — " Poverty is truly said to be a curse. To find oneself baulked at every turn — to be unable to lay hold of such chances of success in life as may present themselves— -to be compelled to forego all one's plans of advanceniont- — to live without hope in the world—to be looked upon with contempt not only by sooiety in general, bufc by those whom we respect and even ifc may be with affeotion— how bitter a lofc is this ! And such is the position of the viotim of poverty." After reading tbis I need not tell you John has felt the sting .of poverty. I had propared a tolling paragraph wherewith to wind up this chapter, a paragraph holding up New Zoaland as a land of hope' to fche patient toiler, in my mind, and was about to commit to paper — a land in whioh every energetio careful man may not indeed amass a fortune, bufc oan' certainly secure comfort, when I was interrupted by John, who said, " Isn't fchia oapital ? Do listen : — ' It is a fact that no government;, fchat no administration, that no laws, that no amount, of industry or commerce, that no extent of freedom, can give prosperity and solid comfort to tho homes of tho people, unless there be in those housos. economy, temperance, and the practice of virtue.'" Yes, happy is thafc home where economy, temperance, and virtue dwell, even though the' house itself be but a bark whare, and its Occupants bufc " hired servant* !" Again, I wrifce goodbye.

!"■■■■' ■'■ ■» -Not Registering a BißTH;~Matfcbow Hill was charged afc the Auckland police courb with negleoting.fco register the birth of a child, and was fined 10s, though the aofc allows a fine of £10, The Magistrate said he was thus lenient as that; was the first caße of fche kind brought before him, and added— no country could be governed well,or, indeed, governed afc all, unless an 'abduratje record was kepfrof the state oif its populat^ ;--."; i"