United States or Kazakhstan ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Sydney. Lest this seem an exaggeration, I venture to annex an extract from a manuscript letter to the author from Mr. George Blakeston Wilkinson, author of "South Australia" "I will instance the case of one person who had been a farmer in England, and emigrated with about L2,000 about seven years since.
Blakeston, who didn't want to be left behind, had to break into a little trot to keep up with them. Jim tried also to get Liza all to himself in the conversation, and let Tom see that he was out in the cold, but Tom would break in with cross, sulky remarks, just to make the others uncomfortable. Liza at last got rather vexed with him.
Blakeston attacked Liza madly; but the girl stood up bravely, and as well as she could gave back the blows she received. The spectators grew tremendously excited. 'Got 'im again! they shouted. 'Give it 'er, Liza, thet's a good 'un! 'it 'er 'ard! 'Two ter one on the old 'un! shouted a sporting gentleman; but Liza found no backers. 'Ain't she standin' up well now she's roused? cried someone.
So, having surveyed the crowd, she turned her eyes to Mrs. Blakeston, and stood in front of her, trembling a little, and very white. 'Na, 'e ain't there, said Mrs. Blakeston, sneeringly, 'so yer needn't look for 'im. 'I dunno wot yer mean, answered Liza, 'an' I want ter go awy. I ain't done nothin' ter you. 'Not done nothin' ter me? furiously repeated the woman.
She looked round and recognized the man whom Tom had told her was called Jim Blakeston. He was sitting on a stool at the door of one of the houses, playing with two young children, to whom he was giving rides on his knee.
'Tike care of meself why? asked Liza, in surprise. 'Yer know wot I mean. 'Na, I'm darned if I do. 'Thet there Mrs. Blakeston, she's lookin' aht for you. 'Mrs. Blakeston! Liza was startled. 'Yus; she says she's goin' ter give you somethin' if she can git 'old on yer. I should advise yer ter tike care. 'Me? said Liza. Sally looked away, so as not to see the other's face.
Two more people hurried along, and when they came near Liza saw that they were Jim Blakeston and a woman whom she supposed to be his wife. 'Are you comin', Liza? Jim said to her. 'No, she answered. 'I didn't know you was goin'. 'I wish you was comin', he replied, 'we shall 'ave a game. She could only just keep back the sobs; she so wished she were going.
As she worked on she began going over in her mind the events of the preceding day, and she found entwined in all her thoughts the burly person of Jim Blakeston.
At that moment Jim's wife passed and looked at her with a scowl. Liza wished herself a hundred miles away, and blushed more violently than ever. 'Wot are yer blushin' abaht? ingenuously asked one of the girls. And they all looked from her to Mrs. Blakeston and back again. Someone said: ''Ow abaht our Sunday boots on now? And a titter went through them.
'Oh, she's got some pluck in 'er, she 'as! 'Thet's a knock-aht! they shouted as Mrs. Blakeston brought her fist down on to Liza's nose; the girl staggered back, and blood began to flow. Then, losing all fear, mad with rage, she made a rush on her enemy, and rained down blows all over her nose and eyes and mouth.
Word Of The Day