AustLit

Domestic/marital. A young husband left to bathe the dog during his wife's absence resorts to the hose by day three. (PB)

A reminiscence of gold digging in Victoria. The original four mates are split when one is turned out for dishonesty. Unease is caused when he returns at the same time as David Chance brings his simple young 17-year-old daughter up from Melbourne. She wanders often, searching for lilies her mother told her about in England, and falls in love with the youngest mate. The dishonest partner robs the father one night after he has been working on a particularly rich smelting - taking the gold and striking the daughter in his exit. She dies from the blow and the thief dies when he accidentally stumbles into their 60 foot mine shaft. Interesting in relation to the descriptions of smelting, direction of the gold reef etc. Also the young girl's dawning affection. (PB)

Domestic. A wife's attempts to find the right word, and her rejection of her husband's careless offerings. Humour. (PB)

A poor London cashier, working hard for 40 years for his company, tries for 6 long hard months for a literary competition prize of £100 annuity, much needed by his family. At last he recovers a letter telling him he has won and only discovers it is a cruel practical joke after spending the rent on new books, clothes and tea. Moving tale. (PB)

Family adventure and romance on the Victorian diggings. Four poor prospecting mates, the two Bird brothers and Marston, a Yorkshire agitator and his son Will, strike gold during a very hot summer. Their riches bring some troubles as Will, the son, falls in with loose companions and when he proposes to Lena the sweet and beautiful daughter of one of the Birds, she agrees to become engaged but not to marry him until he has proven himself a reliable man. Will's brother George who has a share in the mine and also loves Lena is filled with jealousy and hatred - and pushes Will into a 100 foot mine shaft in his rage. He fears he has killed Will and after several months disappears, to the relief of Lena and his mother who suspected his crime. Years later he and Will meet in New Zealand when George is sick with fever, and are reconciled as he returns to life. Will returns home with the proceeds of his lucky mining in NZ, and with George. Lena and his mother, fallen on bad times through the mine failing and father's drinking, welcome them home, marriage follows. Happiness at last. Very biblical in parts, also warm, strong and interesting. NB: Catholic religiosity present, but not overtly; repeated technical details of crushing process of quartz rock, etc. (PB)

English tale of jealousy and contrived death among the aristocracy. A lady's maid tells of her mistress' engagement to burnt crippled hard Lord Strange for his money. The Lord's jealousy is stirred by his handsome secretary whom he introduces to his betrothed to test her. The secretary is accused of stealing his employer's jewels, is tried and convicted, and hangs himself in his cell to avoid transportation. After their marriage the Lady discovers the jewels in her husband's strong room, accuses him and he dies of a burst blood vessel. Interesting tone - detachment of the Lady from romance is unusual. (PB)

A retired whaling captain, eccentric in character, dress and house in Queen Street, relents and allows his daughter to come and live with him from Tasmania. He had not seen her since his wife ran off with another man years before. She warms his heart and reforms his ways, refusing all suitors for several years. Eventually, acting as a gold buyer, the captain hires a handsome clerk. Regular meetings and a dangerous encounter with thieves - in which the clerk and daughter save the captain - open the way to romance and a happy ending. Father's fears of loss of his daughter through marriage are groundless. Light, happy tale. (PB)

Paris is swept by admiration for a figure in a coiffeur's window, displayed only an hour a day. The narrator, a gentleman's club member, discovers the figure was the hairdresser's wife - and she had disappeared because she had run away with a well known nobleman. Slight. (PB)

A widowed Melbourne sea captain marries a loving spirited Adelaide woman who transforms the disputes of his relatives by firmly standing her own ground. Part romance and family saga; part light exemplary tale where the woman who stands up to relatives, husband and children with firm love is shown to win love and respect. Family gossip and characters well written. Amusing in part; exemplary moral lightly told. (PB)

A young poor London attorney is hired by a veiled woman to write a will in her favour, leaving nothing to her step-daughter, the will to be signed on her husband's deathbed. The lawyer on a whim writes out a duplicate will leaaving all to the daughter - and it is this the old man signs. Includes a small revolver pulled on the lawyer by the scheming lady. Light. (PB)

An old maid tells of her two brushes with marriage - one a widower who was offering her a place as English teacher at a boarding school when she thought he was offering his hand; and the other to a Frenchman who jilted her and ran off with £100 of her money the day before the wedding. Unsymptathetic. (PB)

Set on a sheep station near Victorian ranges, a tale of Irish brothers, two workers on the station and the other a bushranger who had sworn revenge on the policeman who had stolen his wife and let her die deserted in Melbourne hospital. A friend of the owner's with a doctor's qulifications is visiting and plays a part in averting the sworn revenge from the policeman. He also helps warn the bushranger and treats his daughter before she dies. Strong sense of Irish loyalty, faithfulness to vengeance and a lack of mercy to informers. (PB)

Romance deflated. A youth holidaying in a country town uses subterfuge to gain the acquaintance of the beautiful Miss Todd. She sees through his efforts, allows him to attend a meeting of her Girls' Club on truthfulness and punishes him suitably. He returns to the city chastened. Slight. (PB)