heir bachelor neighbours had a particle of good taste or judgment.
Willie was delighted with everything. His great ambition was to become
a first-rate stockman. He was rather young to begin active life; but he
had made good use of his time at school, and he promised, when he left
England, that he would not give up reading and study. The Gilpins had
found the time pass quickly before the arrival of their sisters, they
now found it pass still more quickly; and it was only by managing it
with the greatest care that they could accomplish what they had to do.
The Miss Gilpins entered warmly into all Fanny's and Emily's plans--
which had, indeed, now become their brothers'--for giving religious
instruction to the surrounding population, which had of late years
considerably increased. Though many of the men went off to the
diggings, the women remained, hoping to see them return, loaded with
wealth. Not a hut nor a residence of any sort remained unvisited by
these six active young missionaries, who left tracts or books wherever
they went. They procured some Bibles from Sydney, and many a cottage,
where the Word of God had never been heard, was supplied by them. They
had great reason to believe that a blessing attended their efforts.
They had often made application in Sydney for an appointed minister of
the Gospel. One at length came, but he had a wide circuit, so that he
could not come to any spot within the Sunday morning's journey more than
six or eight times in the year. He went his rounds, preaching on
weekdays, from station to station, and holding a service every evening
where he rested. Such is the only human agency by which spiritual life
can be maintained in the wide-scattered sheep and stock stations in
Australia, and it behoves all those connected with that magnificent
land, who love the Lord Jesus Christ, to aid in sending missionaries of
the Gospel through its length and breadth. There are many who have
scarcely ever heard the glad tidings of salvation; many have passed
away, sunk almost in heathen darkness. At length, a regular place of
worship was built, to the satisfaction of many, which satisfaction was
by no means decreased by an interesting event which took place there
shortly afterwards, namely, the marriages of Jane and Arthur Gilpin. It
would be difficult to find a more united, contented, and happy family
than that now dwelling at Warragong, and certainly, if steady,
persevering, industry and upr