were fond of reading eagerly accepted the offer to join the
book-club, and at last we started the educational subject. Many
plans were discussed, and finally we arranged for one woman, who had
received an excellent education and was quite fitted for the post,
to commence a day-school; but this entailed so much loss of her
valuable time that the terms she is obliged to ask seem
disproportionately high to the people's means. She wants 2
shillings and 6 pence a week with each child, and this is terrible
heavy on the head of a family who is anxious and willing to give
them some "schooling." However, the plan is to be tried, and I have
promised to start them with books, slates, copybooks, etc. It was
quite touching to hear their earnest entreaties that F--- would come
over on Sunday sometimes and hold a service there, but I tried to
show them this could not be managed. The tears actually came into
their eyes when I talked of the happiness it would be to see a
little church and school in their midst; and the almost invariable
remark was, "Ah, but it'll be a far day first." And so I fear it
will--a very far day; but I have often heard it said, that if you
propose one definite object to yourself as the serious purpose of
your life, you will accomplish it some day. Well, the purpose of my
life henceforward is to raise money somehow or somewhere to build a
little wooden school-room (licensed for service, to be held whenever
a missionary clergyman comes by), and to pay the salary of a
schoolmaster and mistress, so that the poor Cockatoo need not be
charged more than threepence a week for each child. The Board of
Education will give a third of the sum required, when two-thirds
have been already raised; but it is difficult to collect
subscriptions, or indeed to induce the squatters to listen to any
plan for improving the condition of the small farmers, and every
year which slips away and leaves these swarms of children in