A TWELVE MONTHS';ENGAGEMENT

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXII, Issue 33, 18 August 1904, Page 24

A TWELVE MONTHS';ENGAGEMENT

Eileen Mattison came out from ' home ' with a somewhat false idea of life in the colonies— as the Australian States, were pre-federally described. To begin with she had imagined that the spirit prevailing in this new land would be much more progressive and original than that of the old, but the very briefest soiourn in easygoing old Sydney dispelled that notion. What touched her affairs more personally, however, was her false estimate of thQ labor market. She had been led to believe by the cousins on whose advice (at her father's death) she had taken passage for Australia, that the professions were much undermanned, and that a girl with her high attainments and Continental training would be sure to command a salary bordering on munificence.

The truth was that the cousins w r ere by no means sorry to he relieved of the fear of her support. They knew ljttle of the girl, as she had spent most of her life abrcaaV chiefly at the Brussels convent noted for

its high educational standard, or they would have. rea-. lised tha^ her nature, an essentially proud one, WouW.' 3 have forced hor to accept the humblest situation before" the bread of charity.

Whether or no Eileen's cousins believed in the wondrous possibilities for teachers in Australia, they knew well that none existed in Ireland. Talented and trained young women there weie in plenty, for whom no salaried positions opened, and, the sum left by Brian Mattison being so absuidly below anticipations, there was every thane e, they reasoned, of Eileen swelling the ranks of unemployed governesses, and with no home to look to but theirs

Thuo it was that Eiltit-n cU lived in Sydney armed with a capital of £20, a bright and pretty face, and a letter ol intioduction to thu Mother Superior ot a Sydney convent, a lady who had been a bosom fnend of one of her instructresses in Brussels. To her intense grief, on presenting the letter, she found that the death of the reveied lady had taken place some weeks earlier. Her successor, however, and the other Sisters with whom she was associated at once took an affectionate interest in Eileen, begging her to make the convent her home while they endeavored to find her a suitable position. They shook their heads with pitying smiles when Eileen spoke of the ease with which she expected to find employment, but put no obstacles in the way of her departure when she, though warmly grateful for their ready hospitality, felt the tension of inaction affecting her painfully, and left the convent for a quiet lodging in the city, where she could be near the registry offices and other business places. Fortune befriended her in the very first ' employment agency ' to which she applied. ' Yes,' t,aid the hard-visaged agent, on her second call, ' we have found something to^suit you. Have you paid the booking fee of five shillings ? ' Eileen eiedulously had. ' Well, it is \ery fortunate that you are fiom home for I have a client who particularly stipulates for an English or Irish lady— Colonial girls have duch shocking at cunts— you won't object to going some distance inland, I suppose ? '

' Oh, no. 1

' The salary,' continued the agent, 'is £30 and there are three children to teach. Will you sign now ? Mrs Lee is anxious for the governess to start at once ' Eileen was quite ready to leave at any momeirt, and so signed two formidable documents by the strict interpietation of which, she laughingly noted, she seemed to gne herself body and soul into the keeping of Mrs. Sam Lee for a period of twelve months.

i\ow the fee will he thirty shillings,' said the harpy, and your fare, second-class, will be paid at Rcdfern the night you go. Eileen felt a mixture' of elation and depression on leaving the dingy room m which .she had bound herself to remciin 300 miles from cnilisation for a year, but she was young and strong and eager for bush experiences, .-,0 she conquered the timidity, and went to tell her news to the Kind Sisteis. They comforted her with heloful adwee and lo\ing prayers, and the following Fnday night found her at Redfern starting for Tinnabnnjva, 30 miles from the railway, town of Birrabool. A girl from the registry office procured her ticket, and, putting her into a car, went away. Not until she had gone out of sight did Eileen discover that she had marched off, inadvertently no doubt, with a hand-bag she had ottered to hold while Eileen arranged her parcels This contained a few articles of value, s o she jumped out of the train in the hope of getting some official to telegraph or telephone to the registry office. While on her somewhat distracted quest a gentleman travelling by the same train came to ncr assistance, and, taking her to the station-master, arranged for a wire to be sent as soon as the agency was open in the morning Eileen, thanking her fellow-passenger, did not put less fervor into her thanks that he was a handsome manly specimen of the best type of Australian. He courteously saw her to her carriage, and, mentioning that Birrabool was his own destination, asked permission to look after her comfort on the journey Eileen, who had been feeling horribly depressed and a little scared, had quite an emoyable sense of protection as she watched ' Broad Shoulders,' as she mentally dubbed her new acquaintance, walk away to his own carriage. The deflection of the bag was not an unmitigated evil, for ' BroaJd Shoulders ' proved quite a knight-er-rant, bringing sundry cups of tea or coffee, prints, magazines, and other trifles to Eileen along the route, for all of which she was truly grateful, as on this, her first allnight journey in Australia, she would have lacked "courage 1o look after herself.

Next morning our new chum faced the situation rather gloomily. It Ayas a little startling to awake and find one's self still rushing on to the unknowa after

what seemed an interminable journey. Neither was ..the grey-green country^ its monotony focikpu fcnl* by., traces? of bush firqs;kuj|&jsti«' to raise aM|a|se|'i ipwiM $x& \ when l Brogf $B6«|ders ' appeared Vfth r^wfie A br^k^a'sf; 5 ' ■ and stopped^for a" chat in her now.,KQme.wiiat lesaxrowdT ed carnage, Eileen, sociable daughter -pf-Erln "as "Shewas, gladly welcomed him lie told her his' .name was Gisbojwe^aiuLjthatj^o was anrfcypit tovhiS'tfat&ljftsPrun of nnAjmrhflfa, 35 "hiiles v fronf Uirrabool!' " * — '-Wtiy.-l'nr-gwmg-id Tihnabrinra, r said Eileen, 't 0 a INlrs. Lee, to teach her children.' ' Indeed ' That is pleasant. Lee— l don't know the~ name It is probably ono nf Iho new selertors ' Ye*, it is a selection thirty- iiviles facia Birrabool-^-I go l»y coach.' ' • '-^ '-' "-'•' ' Yes, the coach meets the train, but I expect my brother! wrth a buggy. If I we're sure our roads lay in the same direction I'd ask you to accept a lift.'. 1 Oh, no, tha,i«k- you ; my fare- is paid by coach, so> I had better go that way.' zrfiv^W , li ? rrab <>Pl Eileen said good-bye, 'arid goy info|t*ft* waiting foach, Jeaying '^r-. Cisborjie wt the-" ' plil&tMi,io&kiQßl v tox Ms 1 tardy^bi'oHher. * ' '' • ' w;Al '' The coach went t<o Tinnabrinka by a circuitous route, and-4he-d-riv^r evidently -thought hi?Tߣs-sehger bound for " the station. " ~ ' lo.'SfSEfcNed CJisborne on the pl^tf^rm,' he remarked wh,on y 9t)me nules out, ' I wonder* you dtidn't ga'Q'ufr^ttlv"* 1 hirm'', ; -\. ' > \ 7 i , ' *. «-' - '- « > not 'going to' the station,' 'Eileeitlex-''^ r ■*^'<'1?3 S ol f>S to Mrs Lee's^-MTS.'Sam'L^^r "'-' ~' v-jPrnftfi^, said the driver in the tone of a \e>ry deaf or astorin'ded person. ■ ■'• . ' Mrs. Lee's.' His only comment on this was 1 a species of grunt, and Eileen, not finding the conversation very exhilarating, also relapsed into silence. It was nearly five o'clock when the coach driver at length pulled up, saying 'Here's Sam Lee's, if aou ically want to get out here. Shall I put your baggage down'?' ' Please,' said Eileen, and looked about for the house, but she saw nothing but a bark shed with a dingy woman leaning against it. / / / ; : ' Where do Igo ?' stoe asked bewilde redly,' as the' driver prepared to go on. - - *' Straight over,' he jerked, and whipped up the horses. The dingy woman thereupon came over to Eiloon and said : ' You're Miss Mattison, I suppose ' Yes , can you direct me to Mrs. Lee's ?' 11 1 am Mrs. Sam Lee. I'll take your things in.' £?he. actually took the luggage into the , -bark hut, EtJeeti' following, and not till inside realising tftat it was 'a dwelling-house. While the governess was staring about her with a da/cd sensation, the woman said ' Here are the children, and three of the quaintest infajats .she had e\cr seen came mt-o view.

1 I've got some tea ready in the next room ' remarked the woman, ' and that's my husband coming up the path.' ,

EiJcen looked, and lo '-Mr Sam Lee was a Chinaman ! a fairly clean, decent-looking individual, but unmistakably from the Flowery Land. In a flaih she understood the dark eyes and yellow skins of the children -—her pupils !

She threw herself on fo a chair, and tried to realise her position. What horror had she come into ? This hut— this dreadful hut) with Us surface cleanliness and strange, close odors, was where $he was supposed to live for twelve months. Why, bhe could not sleep one Mfght in it. With the thought came hysteric laughter and a desperate determination to escape. - ' I understood I was engaging |ritUi a Catholic Australian family,' blip mauagedio gasp. ' I cannot stay here — I canno^' .<. ;' , \ -JY^ e tyV aincld to lnc Sydney ofTice exactly,' said the wtrar^fi.C an£rjly, ' and you mii.sU stay. I got the agreemmf fast •mail/ , ' Please let me go,' pleaded Eileen wildly. ' Ch, dcQefc tmoh Ra , I don't l|ke it— l didn't understand '— aas mk^ jpt)OF,, overwrought -girl ourst into such terrible sohs that even phleginatjjcGMrs. Sam Lee was frightened • • ' ?,'•) 1 You can't< go, anyhow, till the coach comes this way again,' she., said, <* and we wofa't eat you.' NothLa^g^W cpmfoTt Eileen.- There ehe sat with hat and Jjg||wed' : bn,'"'hever^ moving, hut crying, crying, as if hsjofjjjfc^ would I ' %eajt ? puttfng up broken prayers for resHg&£s»«fcels at soleiftrily the while by her wouldbe punffl^^^Q-wli-ngiy bj^their ambitious father. Abw^^ime o'clock, whin faint and ill with weeping and lack^OT^iood,' Eile i eii "stayed her tears a moment to listen to ffiSiaM 1 r seamed ihc. sound of wheels, alniost drowned by the ' tarking of "dpgs about the place. A

man/5 step Qft^Ahe path, andean eniphatic kno(*«#n the U9 *l l *l?T* !B p<x>r proved, herf rigiH&N-'i. % x - -Jii- Mss •HTattisotf'ttfe*? ■• A aWcdr 'a 4^ M seem- . cd..to Eileeju.JJiat-0f...- d n. ft nn € el-.f r€m^heavefr: — ~ — ■ " What-y otr-wafit-?-^ Sam "LeeT" ~' 'My mother has sent me for her. She thinks there must be some mistake.' ' »., .■ : msm Eife>ln taMnf.'/^B^i^ 'Oh, Mr (xisborne, take me away— CJod sent you to take me away.' , - ' You poor little woman, of course ! Here's the buggy for you, and my sister in it, Come alon& WftMl , apologue tb-.^s.-We Holler .flftc' ; G.T^^bS Lileen sprang into the buggy as if she feared forcible detention, and in less than five minutes was driving through the darkness to the, hospitable roof of Tinnabrinka homestead. Young Oisbornc and his sister, a gentle girl of seventeen, soon soothed her into c^ m ne/,s_.antL.tfeeai told fcis .tale. *■ At <«*eat^e |1# fuh Eileen, -ja|d |ske« h^ ipefi^e^iE %h& M^lhe r itoa „ . T^j2£ k ed explanations f rgm. . Jhjs . Wfltbei JoUosoai, and then he heard that Sam Lee was a very decent hard-working specimen of Chinese, marrie*%|i^ former housemaid of Mrs. 6i^ort»e»: had l^^Piade a , good : ;deal ot i|id^^o|utrblj his >j|and au^^a^^Wnd residence, became very ambitious__ forW»T^Bften •': ' M+Se.'ho#'-g« -pittblic scHobl,'" "he was in^^^^S^r of saying w*n Mrs .G^borne, calling for frnit>f#a^g^^ of the youngsters. 'They get good edlucaUcmr-real Englis lady.' . . . „ *< ;pT ,$ Mrs. Oisborne had often quoted this as a great? joke, never dreaming Sam was in earnest. X)n hearing oi the destination, of Ned's pretty Irish acquaintance she at once understood that the gffl c6uld have no conception of what awaited her, and had sent "Mt 'son and daughter in haste to find out the facts of the case,

It was with very little reluctance that Eileen goon afierj Agreed 1 to spend the rest of her thays tnidtt^the .So«tfi<?rn C^rosis. She was glad, however; that €he other patty-W tlte -agreement considewd -with her ~tn*fc— 4he nest view .of the starry jewel wa.s to be obtained feoja the shores of Port Jackson, her- initial Australian !&*. ventiure having given her a certain distaste for the interior.—Sydney ' Freeman.'