American Citizen

An Australian Courtship.

Many curious anecdotes illustrative of the manners of the early settlers in Australia are told in connection with the strange travels through the bush made by the late Mrs. Chisholm. On one occasion, while journeying with a party of girls, a strong bush-man suddenly sprang from the thick covert, and took hold of the reins of her horse. The driver, taking him for a bush-ranger, was about to strike him over the head, when Mrs. Chisholm arrested his hand.

The man asked, "Are you Mrs. Chisholm?"

"I am."

"Do you see that nice looking person I wanted farm on the side of the hill?"

"I do."

"Well, then, the face and smile of a woman never crossed my threshold.

Now, for God's sake, Mrs. Chisholm, if you have got a nice Tipperary girl with you, leave me one;" and pulling out a large bundle of bank-notes, he added:

"This is the thing that will do it with the clergyman. I wish you would see what I have in the cottage-several flitches of bacon, a chest of tea, a bag of sugar, and plenty of every thing.

Besides, I have a bullock, dray, horses, cows and calves, with lots of fowls and pigs, too."

Mrs. Chisholm said to the modest bush-man, "I have several nice Tipperary girls with me in the drays, but at present I am going through the district, and I never make matches on the road."

"Oh, I would feast your whole party for a week if you would only consider my case, and may God bless you?"

Mrs. Chisholm did settle on a farm not far off a nice Tipperary girl that she thought would suit this well-to-do bush-man, and had no fear that he would not soon find her out; and some months afterward Mrs. Chisholm had the pleasure of hearing of their marriage.