when he had a shirt, however, he made up Along with my companions in misfortune, as for his compelled abnegation of show by the I then thought-how differently I think now!fullest display of his linen, adorned by studs of I was consigned to the hands of women beings the purest strass. It was bad enough to have that bore little resemblance to Aglae or Anna become the property of a thief, but I must con- Maria: who cut me up into small pieces with fess that my pride was still more hurt by the their sharp knives, as if they sought to avenge reflection that I who, when I lived with Lord themselves for the perfidy of the Honourable Millstone, had been decorated with real dia- Percy Plantagenet Mowbray Fitz- Howard, monds, should now be reduced to paste. I had, whose victims many of them might possibly however, to reconcile myself to a great deal worse have been. We-I must needs speak plurally than this, while I continued in The Mizzler's pos-now-were then thrown into five or six difsession." Fronti nulla fides" is a maxim which ferent compartments of a large chest, according they would have done well to remember, who, to our several qualities, my merits as a rag deceived by my respectability, imagined that being as conspicuous as when I occupied a anything respectable pertained to Mr. Thomas higher sphere. I must not conceal the truth. Rumball. Those guileless persons would not My pursuits as a duster had left me very then have allowed that gentleman to button up dirty, and it was necessary that I should be their money, for safety, in their own trousers-washed. I had been in hot water-literally pockets; nor have accepted their share of legacies which the unexpected heir was at a loss what to do with; nor have played at cards or skittles with one who knew nothing whatever of the game, and only joined in it for the sake of being good company; none of these things would they have done, could I disgusted at the villany I witnessed-have warned them against my swindling master. But the wheel came "full circle" at last, nor was I sorry when it came; for though it introduced me to the last vicissitudes of a shirt's career, it released me from my degrading companionship with The Mizzler, who, when he was sentenced to four years' penal servitude, had to wear shirts of a very different material from the flax of Courtrai. After that, I passed through several hands, but my memory is not very clear as to the order of succession. Of one fact, however, I am certain; that, after being tumbled out of a large and very promiscuously-filled clothes-bag, and being care fully inspected by a lady with strongly-marked Caucasian features, I was pronounced unmendable, and fit only to be cut up into pillow-slips: which state of life I was thereupon adapted to, considerably to the profit of Mr. Manasseh Moses, my last purchaser. A dreamy sort of existence was thenceforth mine, and a confused recollection for some years of a species of conversation which goes by the name of "curtain lectures." But pillow-slips are not eternal, and my constancy at length gave way-I mean, my texture. I then degenerated into as many dusters as my economical mistress could fashion out of my worn and wasted frame. I was tossed about here and there, crumpled, stained, made to do duty for everything. At length I degenerated to the last degree of which linen is capable, and once more found my way into a bag-but this time it was the rag-bag.

The era of tinder-boxes had gone by, or the last uses to which I might have been applied would have prevented my present revelations; but I was destined to throw a light on other things besides the domestic hearth. A higher and better lot awaited me. I contributed my weight to a heap of chiffons, and soon found that an existence of idleness, if mine could be called such, was my destiny no longer.

and figuratively-many hundreds of times, but my previous scaldings were nothing to the lustration I now underwent. A Turkish bath is a trial to the human frame, but it is a trifle compared with the searching ordeal of steam to which I was submitted. After the act of purification, came a renewal of the cruel treatment to which I had been subjected in my fibrous condition. As I had been combed and scutched in the earliest stage of my career, so I was hacked and scarified in my latest. My instrument of torture was a hollow revolving cylinder, the surface of which was furnished with a number of teeth-each sharper than a serpent's-so placed as to cut against other teeth that were fixed beneath. I say nothing of my sufferings under this process; let it suffice that the cutters never ceased from their work-as we lay well soaked in water-until they had divided every one of our filaments and mangled us into thin pulp; and all the while this torture was going on, we were deluged with chloride of lime until it became a part of our substance: the object of this commixture being to make us perfectly white. Our state of purgatory was at length over, and we were ready for translation to the paradise we now enjoy. As pulp, or, to speak technically, "stuff," we were poured into a large vat and kept at a moderate temperature by the heat of a stove: our fibrous matter being held in suspension by a continuous motion carried on within the vat by means of an apparatus, which, out of spite, perhaps, to Hebrew rag collectors, is called " a hog.' A shallow square vessel covered with wire cloth, next received us, and the deckle, a very thin frame of wood, was fitted close upon the mould to keep us down, and limit the size it was meant we should attain. Then ensued the duties of the vatman, who dipped the mould into the vat, and having filled it with ourselves, the stuff, shook us about to distribute us equally, released us from the pressure of the deckle, drained us thoroughly, and then handed us over to another workman, called a coucher, who removed us from the mould and deposited us on a piece of woollen cloth or felt, there to remain until we were joined by others of our kindred and formed a lofty pile. But we were

A SIGHT OF ABORIGINALS.

I was lying on a sofa reading an entertaining book at an hotel in Geelong one day, when I was suddenly interrupted in my agreeable occupation by the landlady, who rushed into the room, exclaiming,

"Oh, do come into the bar. A number of natives are there, come down from the bush. You'll have such a sight of them!"

A large crowd, chattering in all sorts of discordant keys, surrounded us the instant we entered the bar, screaming out, "Giv saxpence ! giv saxpence! giv saxpence!"

I was about to comply with their request, when my landlady whispered,

and ant-eaten; there were no young branches and refreshing, and tiny trickling streams of dancing with joy in the sunbeams, hiding little water wound their way down the hill. nests of warbling birds in their rich clusters of green leaves. And yet it was spring-time. In the distance there appeared to be a large pile of packing-cases, but, on closer inspection, we made out the packing-cases to be the dwelling-place of the old woman who kept goats; the habitation had a cask for a chimneypot, and around it on the ground lay heaps of porter bottles and ale bottles, old boots and shoes, bones, rags, and other rubbish; on a line were shirts, pocket-handkerchiefs, and socks drying; five beautiful Cochin China fowls were scratching up some ants' nests near the stump of an old tree; and rows of ants in single file, like Chinamen when they travel, were marching off in all directions, heavily laden, each carrying an egg bigger than itself. On the top of some felled trees, a pretty little white kid had perched itself; it was nibbling the bark until we approached, when it suddenly bobbed its little head, darted about backwards and forwards, kicked up behind, cut capers sideways, and then leaping to the ground, bounded off to its mother far away. No one seemed to be either inside or outside the hut, so, after waiting some time, we agreed it would be better to come another day. But somebody, quite close to us apparently, said: "Be aisy, now, and I'll be wid you." And an ugly bloated-looking visage, with a broad frill | round it, suddenly appeared at a small opening in the building which served for a window. In answer to my request, it said, in a soft soothing tone of voice,

"And is it the milk you're afther? The Lord be wid you! Maybe you're a fresh hemigrunt, me blessin' an thim! and the counthrey's new to you ?"

After telling her that we had landed in Australia only the day before, late in the afternoon, and that, understanding she kept a number of goats, we had come to her, wishing to have milk sent to us every day, she said:

"But it's precious little milk I gets out o'. thim hanimals; its starving they is for want o' the grass that's all burned up, and they can't make milk out o' nothing at all; you're a mother yourself, I'm thinking. Long life to you! and sure, now, that's thrue, ivery word av it, ye know; its meself likes the dhrop o' milk in me tay, but divil a taste av it can I git no how; howsumdiver, I'll see what I can do far you to-morrow marning."

Vivid flashes of lightning, followed by heavy peals of thunder just over our heads, startled us, and, in spite of the excessive heat, we ran all the way home. We were fortunate enough to get within doors as the rain came pouring down in torrents, and streams of foaming waters came rushing down the hill behind our cottage -which was no impediment in their way, for it was built on sunken stumps of trees, and stood at least a couple of feet above the ground.

The storm continued throughout the night; but next morning the sun shone out again most splendidly, the air was delightfully cool

"Don't give them money on any account; they are sure to buy brandy with it, and it makes them mad. We should be fined fifteen pounds if we gave them anything but water to drink."

I thought I never had, in my life before, seen such ugly men and women; their skins were dark brown, almost black, and their features had an unfinished appearance, like those of a portrait just dead-coloured in; the women were uglier than the men, and seemed more abject. Each had a profusion of matted hair, all had jet-black eyes, and ill-shapen mouths. They were naked, with the exception of a dirty ragged blanket, which was worn as a cloak, or only wrapped loosely round the body. Presently, one man came out of the street into the bar with a waistcoat and a high-crowned beaver hat on, that somebody had just given him; he was very proud of these decorations, and strutted about finely. Then, coming close up to us, he held out a beautifully-carved club.

"Knock head, black man," said he, giving his own head a gentle tap with it.

"Then they can speak a little English ?" said I to the landlady.

“He can,” said she, “because he picks up a few words from the drovers, who employ him to find their cattle when lost."

A miserable-looking skinny old woman stepped out from amongst them, who had been bitten by a savage dog. The flesh was hanging ragged and jagged from her fingers, which she held up for us to see.

"Dogs never go mad in Australia, that's one comfort," whispered my landlady. Then, catching hold of my arm, and pulling me into a corner, she added, "Do you see that black fellow with a dirty red rag round his head ?"

"That one with his shaggy black hair pulled out over the top of it?" said I. "He who looks as if he had two heads of hair, one on the top of the other ?"

"Yes, that one. Would you believe itthat black fellow one morning saved my Jerry's life in this very bar? You must know that one night last rainy season, just as we had got warm and comfortable in bed, my poor Jerry was obliged to get up again to open the door

the conveyance we had ordered. It was an hour and a half past the time appointed by the driver for starting, and we had heard that the roads were dangerous to travel at night; so we stood at the window of our room in the hotel at Maitland, looking at the bare sandy plains that stretch themselves out in front, in anything but a contented frame of mind. The only convey

for a digger, come down from Ballarat, who wanted a night's lodging-the digger had slept on the wet ground the night before, poor fellow! -them diggers suffers a mortle lot, I can tell you, ay, that they do. Well! My Jerry slipped on his great-coat, for it was a hawful night, raining in torrents as it always does here if it rains at all. I'm sure I wonder he didn't catch his death o' cold, for he wouldn't put on any-ance to be had on that road was a small cart, thing else though I wanted him-'tween you and I, he's got a queer bit of temper at times, precious obstinate, like all the men, when he takes a thing in his head-well, he lets the man in, tells him to throw his mattress and blanket down in that corner, and follow him into the long room at the back where the travellers sleep. After that, he comes a shivering and a shaking into bed again. I never shall forget how his teeth did chatter, to be sure. My Jerry is an American, you know, and the cold cuts him up hawfully."

"An American!" said I, perfectly astonished, for I thought her husband was an African negro, and had often wondered how she came to marry him she being a fine handsome blue-eyed Englishwoman. 'Yes, yes, I know now," said 1, on second thoughts; "you mean he was born in America."

"To be sure he was," said she. That accounts for his complexion. Well! At five, up he gets as usual, and goes down into the bar to open the door and take the shutters down, for we had no man to help us then-couldn't get one for love or money-all up at the diggings, bless ye. Well! When he'd the heavy shutter in his hand, what should he see, think ye, but that native there, creeping into the bar; so, down he puts the shutter, flies into a dreadful passion, and kicks him out. Then he goes outside again, to take the other shutter down. Will you believe it now? That black fellow slipped into the bar again. Now it was haggrivating, wasn't it? My Jerry told me afterwards when it was all over, that it sent him into the most dreadfullest passion he ever was in in his life; so this time he catches hold of a stick-a good thick one, too, it was—and he rushes at that fellow, and that fellow leaps over the counter, and what do you think he clutches hold of? Why, a large snake. And Jerry declares he slapped his face with it."

"What! are there snakes about here, in Geelong ?" said I, shuddering.

"Lord bless you, no! I'll tell you how it happened. The poor digger had slept on the damp ground at the side of his fire in the bush, the night before, and the snake, no doubt about it, had got into his mattress while he was fast asleep. But what a mercy, to be sure, it didn't catch hold of my Jerry!"

A JOURNEY TO SINGLETON.

Having a twelve hours' journey before us to Singleton-so, at least, we were told-where I had advertised a concert, to take place the day after, we, with our packed boxes, were getting very anxious and impatient for the arrival of

with a seat on either side, an iron rail to lean against, and a door behind. At last we saw it coming down the road, and we at once hastened down to the door-steps to get into it.

After taking a wide circuit on the smooth sandy ground in front of the hotel, the whole time flourishing his long whip over the backs of the two poor lean horses harnessed tandem fashion, the driver of the little cart drew up before us proudly, and very much to the enjoyment of two or three pretty women who were leaning out of the bedroom windows.

He was a funny good-natured-looking little Irishman, with roguish grey eyes (that had the habit of looking two ways at once) under thick overhanging brows, and a mouth grinning from ear to ear. His arrival was the signal for a number of men belonging to the hotel and neighbourhood to gather round his little cart for a gossip, and to hear the news.

"The tap o' the morning to you, ladies," said he, raising his cabbage-tree hat half a yard, at least, above his head; then jumping down from his elevated position, he very gallantly assisted us into the cart.

"Those two boxes are ours," said I, pointing to them; "you must take great care of them, if you please.'

"Boxes? You said boxes ?" He stood scratching his head and considering. "Oh, ah! They must come afther us another day, that's all about it; it's intirely unpossible to carry thim with us; they're too heavy far the hosses."

"But we can't go without them," said I.

"Y'up there!" he shouted to a stableman; "haist the boxes up here, ye dirty blackghuard; d'ye think I'm the man to lave the lovely craythurs' boxes behind? Gintly now, my boy, there's pink and white sarsenet gowns in 'em, and lace, and flowers, and feathers, and all sorts of fal-de-rals." And he leered at us, as much as to say, "I know who you are, you see.”

We started on our journey at last, and Mike commenced cutting at the poor half-starved horses frantically. The weather was overpoweringly hot, and the road so rough and uneven that we were obliged to lay hold of the iron rail which went round the top of the cart to keep ourselves from tumbling out.

Mike was in excellent spirits, singing Irish songs the whole way he went:

"Bryan O'Lynn had no breeches to wear,
So he bought him a sheepskin to make him a pair;
With the skinny side out, and the woolly side in,
'They are pleasant and cool,' says Bryan O'Lynn."

At that moment the horses suddenly plunged into a gully, which stopped his song, and very nearly jolted us out of the cart.