I Forbid the Banns! — page 219: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

ON A BISHOP. 209 appearance of being made out of flour barrels and tea chests. There was not much of the tea chest look about the old oak dresser she had just seen with the date 1618 carved upon it. The most picturesque bush stations were those which gave one the impression that the owners meant them to do duty for only a night or two, and the furniture was suggestive of ingenuity rather than stability. The English elms were far finer than the blue gums, she declared, and though she admitted that the absence of the mosquitoes gave her a feeling of loneliness, yet she felt certain that, in the course of time, such isolation could be endured by her with resignation, if not with abso- lute cheerfulness. “T should like nothing better than to have a num- ber of such farms,” said she, ‘‘and to visit them every day.”’ “You need have no difficulty in gratifying your inclina- tions in that direction,” satd he. ‘‘ You can get plenty of them cheap enough just now.” ‘“T should so much like to give assisted passages to England to some of the struggling Australian farmers whom I have seen,’ said Bertha. ‘“ They cannot make a living out there owing to the competition, the dearness of labor, and the uncertain climate. And yet, according to what you say, we have a fine country here only waiting to be occupied by industrious men. Yes, a few sturdy emi- grants from Australia to England appear to be what this place wants.” , Julian laughed. “ Upon my word,” said he, “‘I am not so sure that you are wrong. Iam not so sure that the importation of fresh blood from the old colonies to England would not bring about a good state of things for us here. Well, you have - some money of your own, I think you told me ?”’ CORNIECLOOOKS (E(0)