the side of a hill, for the convenience of the creek, and washed and
rinsed under a blazing sun (for of course it never was attempted on
a wet day) and amid clouds of sand-flies. Not until evening was
this really hard day's work over, and the various garments
fluttering in the breeze up a valley behind the house. The chances
were strongly in favour of a tremendous nor'-wester coming down this
said valley during the night, and in that case there would not be a
sign next morning of any of the clothes. Heavy things, such as
sheets or table cloths, might be safely looked for under lee of the
nearest gorse hedge, but it would be impossible even to guess where
the lighter and more diaphanous articles had been whisked to. A
week afterwards the shepherds used to bring in stray cuffs and
collars, and upon one occasion "Judy," the calf, was discovered in a
paddock hard by, breakfasting off my best pocket handkerchiefs with
an excellent appetite. Of course everything was dirty, and needed
to be washed over again. We had a mangle, which greatly simplified
matters on the second day, but it used not to be uncommon on
back-country stations to get up the fine things with a flat stone,
heated in the wood ashes, for an iron. After the washing operations
had been brought to a more or less successful ending, there came the
yeast making and the baking, followed by the brewing of sugar beer,
preserves had to be made, bacon cured, all sorts of things to be
done, besides the daily duties of scrubbing and cleaning, and
cooking at all hours for stray visitors or "swaggers."

But I am overcome with contrition at perceiving into what a
digression I have wandered; having strayed from my maids' rooms to
their duties. They arrived as usual on a dray late in the evening,
tired and wearied enough, poor souls. In those early days I had not
yet plucked up courage to try my hand in the kitchen, and our meals