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On this Page 11
By HENRY LAWSON
TIHE two-roomed house is built of round timber,
Sslabs, and stringy-bark, and floored with split
.slabsi. A b.ig bark kitchen standing at one end is
larger than the-fhouse itself, verandah included.
:' , . . * '** • .' ,-*' / . , , _.. _' :? ' "* .. .
B ush all round . bush with
no horin, .fobr?the: country- is
flot.
S The buslh consilsts pf stunted, rotten
native apple-tiees.. No. undergrowth.
Nothing to relieve the eye save the
. darker green of a-few sheoaks which
are sighing above the narrow almost
- waterless creek; Nineteen miles to
the nearest slin of civilisation - a
shanty on the main road.
The drover, an ex-s~luatter, is away
with sheep. His wife and children
are left here alone. -
dFour ragged, dried-up-looking chil
dren are playing about the house.
Suddenly one of them yells: "Snake!
*Mother, here's a snake~!" -
The gaunt, sun-browned bush
woman dashes from tlhe kitchern,
snatches her baby from -the ground,
holds .it on her left hip, and reaches
for a stick.
"Where is it?" . .. -.
"Here! Gone into the wood-heap!"
yells the. eldest boy--a sharp-faced
urchin of 11. "Stop there. motherl!
1 1 have him. "Stand back! I'll have
the beggar!"
"Tommy, come here, or you'll .?be.
bit. Come here at once when I tell
you you little wretch!"
:The youngster comes reluctantly,
.carrying a stick bigger than himself.
Then. he yells, triumphantly.:
"There it goes-?under the house!"
and darts away with club uplifted. At
the same time the big, black, yellow
eyed dog-of-all-breeds. , who . has
shown the wildest interest in the pro-.
ceedings breaks his chain and rushes
after that snake., :
SHe is a moment late, however, and'
his . nose reaches the crack in..the.
slabs just as the end of its tail..disap
pears. Almost at the same moment
the boy's club comes down and skins
the aforesaid nose.
A LLIGATOR takes small
Snotice of this, and proceeds to under
mine the building; but he is subdued
after struggle and chained up. They
cannot: afford to lose him.
- The drover's wife makes the child
ren stand together near the doghouse
while she watches for the snake. She
gets two small dishes of milk and
sets them down near the wall to
tempt it to .come out; but an hour
goes by and it does not show itself.
SIt is near sunset;' nd a- thunder-:.
storm is coming.. The children must •
be brought inside. She Will not take
S-,tlem into the house for she knows
. the snake is .there and may at any.
moment come up through a crack in
the rough slab floor; so she carries
several armfuls of firewood into the
none Help
kitchen, and then takes the children
there.
The kitchen has no floor-or, rather.
an earthen one-called, a "!ground
floor" in this part of the bush. There
is a large, roughly made table in the
centre of the place.
She brings the children in, and
makes them get on this table. They'
are two boys and two girls - mere
*babies.
She gives them some supper, and
then, before it gets dark,, she goes
into the house, and snatches up some
pillows and bedclothes-expecting to
see or lay her hand on the snake any
minute. She makes a bed on the
kitchen table for the children and its
down. beside it to watch all night.
She has an eye on the corner, and
a green sapling blub laid in readiness
on the dresser by her side; also her
sewing basket and a- copy of the
Young Ladies' Jdurnal. She *has
brought the dog into the room.
tlOMMY turns in. under
protest, but says he'll lie awake all
mght, and smash that blinded snake.
His mother asks him how many
times she has told him not to swear.
He has his club with him under the
-bedclothes, and Jacky protests:
"Mummyl Tommy's skinnin' me
alive wif his club. Make him take
it -out'.".
Tommy: "Shet up, you little -!
D'yer want to be bit with the snake?"
Jacky shuts up.
- "If yer bit;" says Tommy, after a
pause, "you'll swell up, an' smell,.an'
turn ied an'- green an' blue all over
till yer bust. Won't he, mother?" '
"Now then, don't frighten the child.
Go to. sleep," she says.
The t~wo younger children go to
sleep, and -now and then Jacky com
plains of being "skeezed." .More room
is made for him. Presently Tommy
says: "Mother! Listen to them (ad
jective) little possums. I'd like to
screw their blanky necks."
And Jacky protests drowsily.
"But they don't hurt us, the little
blanks!
Mother: "Tliere. I told you you'd
teach Jacky to swear."
But the remark --makes her smile.
Jacky goes to sleep. -
Presently Ibmmy asks:
"Mother - Do you think they'll ever
extricate the (adjective) kangaroo?"
"Lord!: How am Ito know, child?
Go to sleep." - -
"Will you -wake me if the snake
comes out?"
"Yes. Go to sleep."
Near midnight. -
HENRY LAWSON Help
HENRY LAWSON
The children' are all asleep and she
sits there still. sewing and reading
by turns. From LIme to time she
glances round the floor and.wall
plate,, and whenever she ,hears a
noise, she reaches for the stick.
* The thunderstorm comes on. and
the wind, rushing through the cracks
in the slab wall, threatens to blow
out her candle. She places it on a
sheltered part of the dresser and fixes.
up a newspaper to protect it.
At every flash of lightning the
cracks between the slabs gleam like
polished silver. The thunder rolls,
and the rain comes doawn intorrents.
Alligator lies at full length .on the
floor, with his'- eyes turned ,towairds
the. ~grtition. She knows 'by thit that
the shake is there'."- There are large
cracks in that wall opening under the
floor of the dwelling-house.
She*is not a coward, but recent
events have shaken her nerves. A
little son of her brother-in-law was
lately bitten by 'a snake. and died.
Besides, she. 'has, not heard from her
husband for six., months. and is
anxious ab6ut-hir,'im. i "
He was a'. drover, ariid started squat
ting here .when they were married.
The drought of 18-- ruined him. He
had to sacrifice the remnant of his
flock and go droving again.
SHe intends to move his family into
the nearest town when he comes. back,
and, in the meantime. his brother,
who keeps a shanty, on the' main road,
comes over about once a month with
provisions.
aThe wife still has
a couple of'cows,
one horse. and a
few sheepn The
brother-in-law kills
one of the latter
occasionally, gives
her what she needs
of it. and takes the
rest in return for
other provisions.
She is used to be
ing left alone. She'
once lived like this
for 18 months. As
a girl she built the
usual castles in the
air; but :all her
girlish hopes and
aspirations h a v e
long been dead.
- Today, The Newns puib
lishes the first of a series
of short stories by Henry
Lawson, whose prose and
poetry 'did much to
create a national senit
ment in. Australia; Law.
son was at his best in
writing about the bush.
This story, "The Drover's
J'ife", is :a magnifiBent
tribute to the edurage
with which pioneer
women faced the difficul
ties and the lonelineness oif
life outback last century ,
She finds all the excitement and
recreation 'she needs In the 'Young
Ladies' Journal. and, Heaven. help
her! takes a pleasure in the fashion
plates.
Her husband is an Aiustrallan, and
so is she. He is careless, but a 'good
enough husband. If he had the
means he. ivould take her to the city
and keep her there like a princess.
They are used to being apart. or at
least she is.' "No use fretting," she
says: He may forget sometimes that
he is married; but if he has a good
cheque when he comes back he will
gives most of it. to her.
'WHEN he had money he
took her to the city several times -
hired a railway sleeping compartment,
and -put up at the best hotels. He
also bought her a' buggy, but they
had to sacrifice that along with the
rest.
The last two children were born in
the bush - one while her htsband
was bringing a drunken doctor, by
force, to attend to her. She was
alone on this occasion, and very weak.
She had been ill with a fever. She
prayed to God to send her assistance.
God sent Black. Mary-the "whitest"'
gin in all the' land. Or, at least, God
sent King Jimmy first, and he sent
Black Mary.
He put his black face round the
door post, took in the situation at a
glance, and said cheerfully: "'AU
right. missus-I' bring my old woman,
she down alonga. creek.'? . -
Coatad. on re4 Ipatge

(Cntimnued fIroma Page 11) .

One of the.children died while she was heze alone.
She rode 19 miles for-assistance, carrying the dead
;child. b
It mustbe near one or two o'clock. The jire is burning
low. Alligator lies with hlis. head resting on his paws, and
watches tkhe wall.

HI-e is not a very
beautiful dog, and the
light shows numerous
old wounds where the
hair will not grow.
He is afraid or nothing on
the face of the earth or
under it. He will tackle a
bullock as. readily as he
will ..tackle a flea.
i He hates all other dogs
except kangaroo-dogs-and
has .a marked dislike to
friends or relations of the
family. They seldom call,
however.
He " sometimes "' makes
friends with strangers. He
hates snakes and has killed
many, but he will be bitten
some day and die; most
snake-dogs end that way.
Now and then the bush
woman lays down her work
and watches. and .listens,
and thinks. She thinks of
things in her. own life, for
there is little else to think
about.,
The rain will make the
grass grow. 'and this re
minds her how she fought
a bushfire once while her
:husband was away. The
grass was long, and very
dry, and, the fire threat
ened to burn her out.
SHE put on an
old pair of her husband's
trousers and beat out
the flames with a
green bough, till great
drops of sooty. per
spiration stood out on her
forehead and ran in
streaks down her blackened
arms.
The sight of his mother
in trousers greatly amused
Tommy, who worked like a
little hero by her side. but
the terrified baby howled
lustily for his "mummy."
The fire would have mas
tered her but for four ex-.
cited bushmen, who arrived
in the nick of time..
She thinks how she
fought, a flood during her
husband's absence. She
stood for hours in the
drenching downpour and
dug an overflow gutter to
save the dam across the
creek. But she could not
save it. There are things
that a bushwoman cannot
do.
Next morning the dam
was.broken, and her heart
was nearly broken, too. for
she thought how her hus
band would, feel when he
came home and saw the
result of years of labor
swept away. She cried
then.
She also .fought the
pleuro-pneumonia - dosed
and bled the few remain
ing cattle. and wept again
when her two best cows
died.
Again, she fought a mad
bullock that besieged the
house for a day. She made
bullets and fired at him
through cracks in the slab.
with an old shot-gun. He
was, dead in the morning.
She skinned him and' got
17/6 for .the hide.
She also fights the crows
and eagles that have de
signs on her chickens.
Her plan of campaign is
very original. The children
cry. "Crows, mother!" and
she rushes out and aims a
broomstick at the .birds as
though it were a gun, and
says, "Bung!" The crows
leave in, a hurry; they are
cunning, but a woman's
cunning is greater..
Occasionally a bushman
in the horrors, or a vil
lainous-looking sundowner
comes.. and , nearly scares
the life -out of her.

She generally tells the
suspicious-looking stranger
that her husband and two
sons are at work below the
dam. or over at the yard,
for he always cunningly
miquires for the boss.
Only last week a gallows
faced swagman.- having
satisfied himself that there
were no men on the plate
-threw'.his swag down on
the .verandah and ..de
manded' . tucker. She. gave
him something to eat; then
he expressed his intentioni
of staying. for the night. It
was sundown then.
• S. HE got a bat
ten from . the sofa,
loosened the. 'dog, arid
confronted the stran
ger, holding the bat
ten in one hand and the
dog's collar, with the other.
"Now you go!" she said.
He looked at her and at
the dog, said, "All right,
mum," in a cringing tone,
and left.
She was a determined
looking woman, and Alli
gator's yellow eyes glared
unpleasantly. Besides. the
dog's chewing-up appara
tus greatly resembled that
of the. reptile he .was
named after.
She* has few pleasures to
think of as she .sits here
alone by the fire, on guard
against a snake. All days
are much.the stme to her;
but orn- Sunday afternoon
she dresses herself, tidies
the' bhildren smartens up
baby..and goes for a lonely
walk along the bush-track;
pushing an old perambula
tor in-front of her.
She does this every Sun
day. She takes as much
care to make herself and
the children look smait as
she would if she were go
ing to 'do the block-in the
city.
There. is nothing to see,
however; and not a soul to
meet: You might walk for
20 'miles along 'this track
without being, able to. fix a
point in your mind. unless
you are a bushman.
This. is because of the
everlasting. maddening
sameness of the stunted
trees -- that monotony
which makes a man long

to break away and travel
as far as'trains can go, and
sail as far as ship can sail
-and farther.
But this, bushwoman is
used to the lonelines 6f it.
As a girl-wife she hated
it. but now she would feel
strange. away from it.
'She is glad wheni her hus
band returns, but she does
not gush or make a fuss
about it. She gets him
something good to eat. and
tidies up the children.
She seems contented with
her lot. 'She loves her chil
dren. but has no time to
Show it. She seems harsh
to them. Her surroundings
are not favorable to the
development of the
"womanly" or sentimental
side of nature;
'It must be near morninig
now: but the clock is in
the dwelling-house. Her
candle is nearly done; she
forgot that she was out of
candles.
Some more wood must be
got to keep the fire up, and
so she shuts the dog inside
and hurries round to the
woodheap. The rain has
cleared off. She seizes a
stick, pulls it out. and -
crash! the whole pile col
lapges.
Yesterday she bargained
with a stray blackfellow to
bring her some wood. and
while he was at work she
went in search of a miss
ing cow. She was absent an
hour or so. and the native
black made good use of his
time.
On her return she was so
astonished to see a good
heap of wood by the chim
ney, that she gave him an
extra fig of tobacco. and
oraised him for not being
lazy.
He thanked .her. and left
with head erect and chest
well out. He was the last
of his tribe and a king'
but he had built that
wood-heap hollow.
She is.hurt now. and tears
spring to her eyes as she
sits down 'again by lhe
table. She takes up a hand
kerchief to .wipe the tears
away. but: pokes' her eyes
with her bare:;.fingers' in
stead '
The :handkerchief is full
of.holes, and she finds that

HENRY LAWSON, as David Low, saw him, holding up three fingers in the. attitude he adopted when? trying -to borrow 3d. from contemporaries. Help

HENRY LAWSON, as David Low, saw him,
holding up three fingers in the. attitude he adopted
when? trying -to borrow 3d. from contemporaries.

she has put her thumb
through one, and her fore
finger through another.
This makes her laugh, to
the .surprise of the dog.
She has a keen. very keen,
sense of the ridiculous; and
some time or other she will
amuse bushmen with the
story.
She had been amused be
fore like that. One day she
sat down "to have a good
cry," as she said-and the
old cat rubbed against her
dress and "cried too." Then
she had to laugh.
It must be near daylight
now. The room is very close
and hot because of the fire.
Aligator still watches the
wall from time to time.
S·uddenly he becomes
greatly interested; he
draws himself a few inches
nearer the partition, and
a thrill runs through his
body
tHE hair on
the back of his neck begins
to bristle, and the battle
light is in his yellow eyes.
She kniows what this
means, and lays her hand
on the stick. The lower end
of one of the partition
slabs.has a large crack on
both sides.
An evil pair of small,
bright, bead-like eyes glis'
ten at one of these holes.
The snake-a black one
comes slowly out, about a
foot. and moves its head
up and down. The dog lies
still, and the woman sits
as one fascinated.
_ The snake comes out a
foot farther. She lifts her
stick, and the reptile. as
though suddenly aware of
danger, sticks his head in
through the crack on the
other side of the slab, and
hurries to get' his tall
round after him.
Alligator springs. and his
Jaws come together with a
snap. He misses, for his
nose is large., and ':th
snake's body close' down in
the angle formed by the
slabs and the floor.
He snaps again as the tail

comes round. He has the
snake now, and tugs it out
18 in.
Thud, thud comes the
woman's club on the
ground. Alligator pulls
again. Thud, thud. Alliga
tor gives another pull and
he has the snake out - a
black brute, 5 ft. long.
The head rises to dart
about. but the dog has the
enemy close to the neck.
He is a big, heavy dog, but
qhuick as a terrier. He
shakes the snake as though
he felt the original curse
in common with mankind.
The eldest boy wakes up
seizes his stick, and tried
to get out of bed, but his
mother forces him* back
with a grip of iron. Thud,
thud-its head is crushed,
and . Alligator's nose
skinned again.
She lifts the mangled
reptile on the point of her
stick, carrieS it to the fire,
and throws it in; then
piles on the wood and
watches the snake burn.
The boy and dog. watch,
too.
tShe lays' her hand on the
dog's head, and all the
fierce. angry light dies out
of his yellow eyes. The
younger -. children . are
quieted, and presently go
to sleep.
The dirty-legged- boy
stands for a moment in.his
shirt, wafching the fire.
Presenritly, he looks up at
her. sees the tears in her
eyes. .and throwing his
arms round her neck, ex
claims:
"Mother. I won't never
go drovin'; blarst me if I
do!".
:And she hugs him to her
worn-out breast and kisses
him; and they sit together
while the, sickly daylight
breaks over the bush.
Another Henry
Lawson s to r y
aw flI be: Pu b -
ltshed next Fri
"day.

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