from our tired horses (remember they had each carried a heavy "swag"
besides their riders), lights gleamed from the windows of the little
house, and a wood fire sparkled and sputtered on the open hearth.
Mr. C. H--- only just guided me to the door of the sitting-room,
making an apology and injunction together,--"Its very rough I am
afraid: but you can do what you like;"--before he hastened back to
assist his guests in settling their horses comfortably for the
night. Labour used to be so dear and wages so high, especially in
the back country of New Zealand, that the couple of men,--one for
indoor work, to saw wood, milk, cook, sweep, _wash_, etc., and the
other to act as gardener, groom, ploughman, and do all the numerous
odd jobs about a place a hundred miles and more from the nearest
shop,--represented a wage-expenditure of at least 200 pounds a year.
Every gentleman therefore as a matter of course sees to his own
horse when he arrives unexpectedly at a station, and I knew I should
have at least half an hour to myself.

The first thing to do was to let down my crinoline, for I could only
walk like a crab in it when it was fastened up for riding, kilt up
my linsey gown, take off my hat and jacket, and set to work The
curtains must be drawn close, and the chairs moved out from their
symmetrical positions against the wall; then I made an expedition
into the kitchen, and won the heart of the stalwart cook, who was
already frying chops over the fire, by saying in my best German," I
have come to help you with the tea." Poor man! it was very unfair,
for Mr. C. H--- had told me during our ride that his servitor was a
German, and I had employed the last long hour of the journey in
rubbing up my exceedingly rusty knowledge of that language, and
arranging one or two effective sentences. Poor Karl's surprise and
delight knew no bounds, and he burst forth into a long monologue, to