living for many years as an extensive sheep-farmer.
Believing that property has its duties as well as its profits, I
resolved to go over and see what my new acquisition was like, and what I
had best do with it. I had no thoughts at first of settling in the
colony. But I found when I got there a great deal to do and a great
deal to undo before things could be set properly in order; and by the
time I had got things into shape I had got so used to colonial life, and
so well satisfied with its freedom from many of those fetters which
society imposes on us in many of her usages in the old mother country,
that I made up my mind to settle, for a time at any rate, in my adopted
land.

"I had a house of my own in Melbourne, and used to visit my country
estate from time to time as I found it necessary. One day, as I was
walking along one of the principal streets of the city, when I had been
settled in the colony a few years, I noticed a little boy of rather
superior appearance, who was neatly but plainly dressed, walking slowly
past the shops with a very sad expression on his face and his poor eyes
full of tears. I stopped him, and asked what was the matter. He was
reluctant at first to tell me; but on my getting his confidence by the
sincere interest he saw I took in him, the little fellow told me that
his dear old nurse was very ill, and he was afraid she would die before
his father came back.

"I went with him at once to his home, which was a very humble one in a
side street, and found the poor woman, the child's nurse, quite
sensible, yet manifestly near her end. The neighbours had been kind,
and had done what they could; but it was too plain that human skill
would not avail to restore the old woman to health or prolong her life.
But she was quite able to listen to me; and when I had offered a prayer
by her bedside, she evidently felt that she could confide her sorrows
and troubles to me.

"She told me that her master, the little boy's father, was called
William Jackson; that he had come from England a few years before, after
the death of his wife, to try his fortune in the colony, having lost his
property in England. She herself, having known him from his infancy,
and always having lived in his family, came with him to Australia to
take care of Horace, his only child, who was then an infant. Her master
had found employment in the city, but was anxious to see if he could not
meet with success at the gold-diggings.