2/16 There were very few countries where idle, unsteady people got rich. 'As for the poor man, he was the real rich man in Australia; high wages, cheap food, lodging, clothing, travelling. What more did he want? Unfortunately, these last were highly popular professions; and many people, high and low, belonged to them here--and everywhere else.' We were all well up in this kind of talk, because for the last two or three years, since we had begun to shear pretty well, we had always shorn at his shed. He was one of those gentlemen--and he was a gentleman, if ever there was one--that takes a deal of notice of his working hands, particularly if they were young. |