Ruth Walsh Part I

Tales for the Bush Vidal, Mary Theresa (1815-1873) A digital text sponsored by Australian Cooperative Digitisation Project 1840-45 University of Sydney Library Sydney 1997 http://setis.library.usyd.edu.au/ozlit/ © University of Sydney Library, State Library of NSW, National Library of Australia and Monash University Library. The texts and Images are not to be used for commercial purposes without permission Source Text: Prepared from the print edition published by D.L. Welch Sydney 1845 All quotation marks retained as data All unambiguous end-of-line hyphens have been removed, and the trailing part of a word has been joined to the preceding line. Author First Published 1845 Australian Etexts women writers short stories 1840-1869 prose fiction 28th October 1997 Creagh Cole Coordinator Final Checking and Parsing Tales For The Bush “According to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”Titus, iii, 5, 6, 7. SYDNEY: PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY D.L.WELCH, 1845 THOMAS AND ANNE THOMPSON “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.” Exodus, xx. 8. CHAPTER I THOMAS and Anne Thompson were among those who determined to leave England for New South Wales. They had been married eight years; their family was increasing, and labor becoming scarcer and scarcer. They heard of other families emigrating and that they easily got high wages, and lived in plenty: so they thought with their four children they would do so also. They were both honest, hard working and strong people, and Anne had been well brought up by a careful and pious mother, who had lived many years as servant in the squire's family. Anne was her only child, and she had been able to keep her at school, and, what is of far more consequence, she had set her a good example. Old Nurse Gordon, as she was still called, was well provided for by her former master's family, and though it was near breaking her heart when she heard of their plans to emigrate, she could not find any reason against it. She laid down her spectacles on the old Bible from which she had been reading, and, wiping away the tear from her eye with the corner of her white apron, she patted her little grandchild's head and answered, “well, Anne dear, I'm not learned enough to gainsay you, may be 'tis just as you and Tom say; but, if it was God's will, I should have wished to have you close my old eyes and see me laid in the grave - but His will be done!” “Aye mother, that's the way to look on it,” said Tom “cheer up, and we'll save you a little something in that country which will go to make you more comfortable.” “Thank ye kindly, Tom,” said the old woman, “but I am, thank God, well cared for-while my missis lives, I shall never want - night and day I pray God to bless her and her's -and you must do so too, for oh! it's a cruel comfort to think that, though we've no silver nor gold, we have one way of repaying they that are kind - we can pray to God for them. And now,” continued she, “let's have a cup of tea together,” and she and her daughter spread the tea-things and produced the loaf. This was the last time they ever met in that little cottage. It was Sunday evening. The old woman wore her Sunday gown, and white apron; the meadows seen from the door looked green; the sun set very gloriously, and threw its slanting red beams on them as they sat: the roses and sweet briar smelt very sweetly and they heard the chimes of the village church; for in that place they chimed every Sunday evening. As they sat, feeling sorrowful and sad, the old mother again spoke, “I'm thinking that's a sound ye'll not hear yonder; I suppose there's no church bells across the seas.” “I suppose not,” said Tom,“it is a new country, a fine place for farming and grazing.” “Well, I hope God will prosper you - but mind my last words - when I'm dead and buried, mind my words‘honor the sabbath day, and keep it holy.’ When once we forget this, we don't know where to stop: and Anne, my dear, see I give you this book, this Prayer Book; use it, and teach the children out of it; look, my name is on it - read it Tom.” Tom read -“this book was given to Anne Gordon by her mistress as a reward for her punctual attendance at church.” “Yes, ” said the old woman as she followed her son-in-law's voice - “yes, that's it - and now I give it to you, Anne Thompson, with my blessing; and you Tom, you have been a kind and sober husband to her; and now you are going so far, be sure you mind all your duty - may be there'll be no good parson like Mr. Howe - but remember his words, and keep your church and fear God.” It was now time for them to go, so putting the children's hats and bonnets on, Thomas and Anne returned home; they had a walk of a quarter of a mile, but it was a pleasant evening and they talked cheerfully of the future; how they should save money and buy a farm, and, perhaps, grow rich. CHAPTER II In five months from this time the family of the Thompsons reached Sydney. They had encountered some troubles on the voyage: Anne was very sick, and it made her very weak and inclined to be discontented and cross tempered, and there were many discomforts on board the ship. There were a great many passengers, and some of the bad ones quarrelled; but Tom was steady and sober, which was a great comfort. He attended to the children when Anne was ill, and was always ready to lend a helping hand when it was wanted, so that he became a favorite. Their little boy John, the eldest, got very ill, so ill, that they began to fear it might be their lot to bury him in the ocean, as one other poor mother had done her child. This was a sore trouble to Anne; she thought she could have borne to bury her child under a green sod; but to hear the coffin plash down into the waves of the deep sea - that was dreadful. While she was thinking in this way, her mother's gift came into her head, and she opened the Prayer Book. She turned to the burial service; there she saw that the same good and holy words would be used as if she were at home in Ringford church yard; and at the bottom of the service she saw that there was something written expressly for a sea burial; it spoke of the sea giving up the dead and of God's subduing all things to Himself. Now this comforted Anne, and she felt what a blessed book the Prayer Book was; there were prayers for every thing; in sickness, in death, or in joy. Whether on dry land, or on the deep waters, turn to your Prayer Book, and you will find words of comfort and instruction; the self same words too which all good christians have ever used, the same words which are uttered in every church throughout the world.' Thinking of these things and watching by little John, was of use to Anne; she felt she had been impatient and fretful at the discomforts of board-ship, and as she sat by the sick child, she prayed for forgiveness and for grace to help her to quench such feelings in future. Thus the trial was turned into a blessing, and Anne felt every day more ready to submit cheerfully to God's will. But it pleased the Almighty to spare them the trial of losing their child. Little John recovered; and before they reached land, he was as rosy as before, and said his catechism every Sunday, out of the Prayer Book, to his mother. CHAPTER III. I cannot tell you all that happened to them, or how many plans they had when they first landed; but they at last set up a little shop in some of the outskirts of Sydney; and besides this, Tom was able to get plenty of work at his trade, which was gardening. Every thing seemed to go on well: they had plenty of custom, and Anne's tidy appearance and respectful manner brought people to the shop. There was no church where they lived, but the service was performed in the school room, every Sunday; and the two eldest children went to the school. The custom of the place was for all these little shops, like the Thompson's, to be kept open during Sunday. The shutters were half closed; and many persons bought all they wanted on Sunday, instead of coming on Saturday afternoon. At first this struck Anne's conscience: she thought of locking up the house, and going to church at the school house, with all the children; but her husband objected, and said that would never do, they must do as others did - it was the custom of the country; and, if they refused to serve customers on a Sunday, they should have none.

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