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Updated: May 4, 2025
The neighbours described me as "a sorrowful lookin' delicate creetur', that couldn't larf to save her life" quite a different character to the girl who at Caddagat was continually chid for being a romp, a hoyden, a boisterous tomboy, a whirlwind, and for excessive laughter at anything and everything.
Uncle Julius had taken a run down to Sydney before returning to Caddagat, and was to be home during the first week in September, bringing with him Everard Grey. This young gentleman always spent Christmas at Caddagat, but as he had just recovered from an illness he was coming up for a change now instead. Having heard much of him, I was curious to see him.
Leaving the cook to collect the things and put them in the spring-cart, we continued on our way, lazily lolling on our horses and chewing gum-leaves as we went. When the last of the sheep got off the Caddagat run it was nearing two o'clock. Mr Ledwood and I shook hands at parting, each expressing a wish that we might meet again some day. I turned and rode homewards.
Monday arrived last day of November and seventeenth anniversary of my birth and I celebrated it in a manner which I capitally enjoyed. It was the time of the annual muster at Cummabella a cattle-station seventeen miles eastward from Caddagat and all our men were there assisting.
When I had come to Caddagat the last of them had gone "down" with horses poor; now they were travelling "up" with their horses some of them thoroughbreds rolling fat, and a cheque for their weeks of back-bending labour in their pockets. But whether coming or going they always made to Caddagat to camp. That camping-ground was renowned as the best from Monaro, to Riverina.
Then aunt Helen brought her arguments to bear upon me, and persuaded me to think it was necessary for the benefit of my little brothers and sisters that I should take up this burden, which I knew would be too much for me. It was a great wrench to be torn away from Caddagat from refinement and comfort from home!
Grannie, seeing them pass that afternoon in the rain, had gone out and prevailed upon them to spend the night at Caddagat. Mr Hawden took no notice of me now, but showed off to the others for my benefit. After dinner we had music and singing in the drawing-room. I was enjoying it immensely, but grannie thought I had better go to bed, as I had been travelling since about midnight last night.
"There now, you have nothing to complain of in the way of looks," she remarked at the completion of the ceremony. "Come and have a good look at yourself." I was decked in my first evening dress, as it was a great occasion. It was only on the rarest occasion that we donned full war-paint at Caddagat. I think that evening dress is one of the prettiest and most idiotic customs extant.
He had come to Caddagat for a pair of bullocks which had been fattening in grannie's home paddock. Uncle gave him a start with them next morning. When they came out on the road I was standing in a bed of violets in a tangled corner of the garden, where roses climbed to kiss the lilacs, and spiraea stooped to rest upon the wallflowers, and where two tall kurrajongs stood like sentries over all.
Lack, nay, not lack, but utter freedom from the first instincts of cultivation, was to be heard even in the great heavy footfalls and the rasping sharp voices which fell on my ears. So different had I been listening in a room at Caddagat to my grannie's brisk pleasant voice, or to my aunt Helen's low refined accents; and I am such a one to see and feel these differences.
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