Eena Romney; or, Word-Pictures of home-life in New South Wales

Front matter

■ ■ ■ ■ ■ EENA ROMNEY; OR, WORD-PICTURES OF HOME-LIFE IN NEW SOUTH WALES. BY MYRA FELTON. " In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths." Prov. iii. 6. GRIFFITH FARRAN OKEDEN & WELSH, NEWBERY HOUSE, LONDON and SYDNEY. [The rights of Translation and of /Reproduction are reserved.} <<50 THE fflEMOI^Y OP CQy GQother. CONTENTS. Chap. Page 1. Introductory ... ... ... .. ... \ 2. Arrival in Sydney ... ... ... .. ... ... ]Q 3. Retrospect ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 20 4. Bereavement ... ... .. ... ... ... ... 31 5. Separation .. 37 6. A New England Homestead 42 7. Work for "The Master" 48 8. Branding 52 9. Biding the Right Time 60 10. Attacked et Celestials 66 11. Life or Death 73 12. Eena's Will, and a Proposal 80 13. Between Mother and Child 92 14. A Baptism and a Wedding .. .. 97 15.

A Family Council, a New Arrival, and an Escape 108 16. Another AVedding ; and a Heart's Light Quenched 121 17. Envy and Gratitude 129 18. \Atill He Recover? 139 19. A Base Deed 145 20. A Patient Heart .. ... 151 21. Marion Revisits her Early Home 158 22. Repentance . ... 170 23. A Flood, and a New Life 178 24. Saved 186 25. Eena and Eilah Meet 197 26. What is Right? 203 27. A \A7reck 210 28. Thanksgiving 221 29. Conclusion ERBATA. Page 15, line 83, read ''dark" instead of " Mack." „ 19, „ 17, ,, "crusted" „ "oruahed." ,, 197, „ 4, „ " pleased " „ " placed." OR WORD-PICTURES OF HOME-LIFE IN NEW SOUTH WALES.

Chapter I

" For He comrnandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof. They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths : their soul is melted because of trouble. They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wit's end. Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and He bringeth them out of their distress. He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. Then are they glad, because they are quiet ; so He bringeth them unto their desired haven." — Psalm cvii. " If He is thy pilot, why fear ? Not a blast then may blow upon thee, Not a billow may roll but to bring thee more near To the haven where thou would'st be. Gales of sweets from the land of the blest, Never wafted the frail vessel there, And say, where the bright bow of promise should rest In skies that for ever were fair." — Waring.

" Eena, my child ! " said Mrs. Romney to a fair young girl, who seemed deeply engaged with parallel rules, compasses, and all the etceteras attendant upon plan drawing. " Eena, will you not put by your drawing till to-morrow \ for the last five hours I have scarcely seen your dear face, and though to know that you are with me is a great comfort, yet the room does not seem so light to me, love, when that great drawing board is between us." Eena looked up, and reader, you would not have wondered at her mother's pretty little speech, could you have seen that bright face ; yet Eena was by no means beautiful, her face was too intelligent by far for classic beauty ; there was deep and anxious thought on her broad high brow, over which fell in rich clusters her "bonny brown hair,' which always gave you the idea, from its shade of gold, that the setting sun shone upon it ; and her deep grey eyes, oh ! what intensity of feeling was veiled by those long black lashes (it was impossible not to feel sure of sympathy from her) a nose slightly Roman, and a mouth well formed and full of expression, but not very small ; and, to complete her portrait, a figure considerably above the middle height, and so well balanced and naturally easy in its movements that it required neither teaching or thought to make it one of the most graceful that I have ever seen.

" My own dear mother ! " exclaimed Eena, as stealing her arm round her mother's neck and dropping on her knee beside her, she laid her cheek lovingly on that shoulder which had pillowed it through all her troubles, " it wants yet an hour to sunset, and I promised Mr. Seer that he should have these plans by nine o'clock to-morrow morning ; he wishes to send them to the works before noon." " But could not you rest now, dear," said Mrs. Romney, " and work before breakfast to-morrow, if you rose at six." " As it is, Mamma," replied Eena, " I must rise even earlier than that, for Mr. Laselle will call about his likeness at eleven, and as yet there are but the mere outline and rough shadows of the first sitting, and I am anxious not to disappoint him ; I wish him to settle with me at once, for there are two or three things still needed to make the room comfortable for our Marion and her little one, which 1 mean the thiee guineas I receive from him to procure.

I suppose they will be here the day after to-morrow. Oh ! how I long to see them ; I cannot feel certain of her happiness from her letters, can you, my Mammy ? " A deep shadow fell over Mrs. Romney's calm face, and for a minute or two they both remained silent ; while Eena inwardly scolded herself for her thoughtlessness, " I might have known such a question would sadden her, and what good did I do any one by asking it ?" " It is as it seemeth Him good, my Eena," said Mrs. Romney at length, "and therewith we must be content ; shall not the Judge of all the earth do right 1 If when she comes we find she is not happy, we have the great comfort of prayer, and His promise that if we ask aright, our requests shall be granted." With that thought her brow cleared again ; and after a fervent kiss Eena returned to her pencils. . . .

Mrs. Romney and her husband, who was a clergyman of the Anglican Church, were in duced about two years after Eena's birth, to leave England for Australia on account of Mr. Romney's ill-health. His eldest daughter, who was then between five and six years of age, was also very delicate ; therefore it was deemed ex pedient for both to seek a warmer climate, and their resources being inadequate to support them in the comfort to which they had been accustomed, and which was almost necessary to the invalids in the south of France, they emi grated to this then called " Land of Plenty," of which there was comparatively little known at that time. After a tedious voyage of five months, they sighted land a few miles south of the Heads of Port Jackson, and how can I express the feeling of desolation that crept over them as they gazed at the iron-bound coast of their future home.

For what help might they hope if storm overtook them before they reached " the haven where they would be V Who could ascend those cliffs, perpendicular as a wall, upwards of two hundred feet in height ? and even if the ascent were accomplished, what was to be hoped for from the greenish brown scrub which now and then seemed to peep over the natural para pet, reminding one of sentinels on the ramparts of some fortified town. " And is this the much spoken of land that floweth with milk and honey, that land where we were told seed had but to be cast on the surface of the earth, and yet bring forth fruit plentifully " thought they, and hungry and thirsty as they were for the health and strength they had expected to find, their heart truly fainted within them. No word however passed between them relating to their disappointment, but Mr. Romney wound his arm round his wife as she stood beside him and drew her nearer to him, and illimitable love and trust beamed from her face as she raised it to his, murmuring a quiet " Bless you."

And so they stood there on the deck of the vessel, each longing to speak cheeringly to the other, yet not knowing what to say that would be apropos, and yet not sadden. It had been very sultry the greater part of the day, and now a cloud, as a great mantle of a deep violet hue, bordered with white down, rose over the cliffs ; it was very beautiful, but they knew not what its portent was ; and, lost in admiration and wonder at the almost incred ible speed with which it covered the heavens that but a few minutes before were cloudless, they were quite unprepared for the flash which seemed to rend it from the zenith to the horizon, and the almost instantaneous crash (it could not be called a peal) of thunder; another and another followed, each one nearer than the last ; the simultaneous flash and crash so dazzling and bewildering them, that they knew not which way to turn.

Ernest Romney drew his trembling wife still closer to him, saying " Do not be afraid my Mary, it is the Lord's doing, we are in His hands, why then should we fear % But let us try again, dearest, to make our way to the children, if they awake they may not like being alone during such a storm." As he spoke great drops of rain commenced falling, and from the constant play of lightning, each appeared to have its own internal light ; it was a perfect shower of brilliants. " Oh, how very beautiful !" exclaimed Mary, "who can for an instant doubt the power of the Almighty in the little affairs of this life, after viewing such an evidence of omnipotence as this ! therefore we will think no more of the unwelcoming aspect of those great rocks, dear husband, for He has promised not to leave or forsake those who put their trust in Him, and we trust, do we not 1" " May He help us to rely more on Him" said Ernest, " for I fear we murmured in our hearts, before this storm came on, but we will try in future ever to recollect that ' He reigneth,' that is if it seemeth right in His sight that we live through this storm."

Clinging to the banisters of the companion ladder they at length reached their cabin, where the children still slept the peaceful sleep of childhood. It is, I think a beautiful providence of our Almighty Creator that His storms seldom affright or waken the little ones of His flock. I have seen a baby in the lap of its awestruck trembling mother, trying to catch the lightning flashes with its tiny hands, and crowing with pleasure as the thunder pealed louder and louder. They had been sitting quietly talking for about half an hour, when Mary said " I think the thunder has ceased, but the vessel rolls more and more every minute." At that moment the steward put his head into the cabin, saying " The rain is over, Sir, and as we are just making the Heads, I thought perhaps you might like to come on deck a bit, though it's rather hard standing, Sir, for landfolk."

"It seems rougher than ever, steward," exclaimed Mary. " Yes, Marm," replied the steward, " it's generally a toughish bit in rough weather." " I shall be up in a minute, steward, said Ernest, " thank you for coming to tell me." " May not I go on deck too ! " exclaimed Mary, " I would rather we were together when we have the first view of our new home." True woman as she was, she knew that if that home were what they expected from the coast they had seen, it would comfort him to have her beside him. " So would I, by far," replied he, at the same time snatchingher cloak from its hook, and folding it tightly round her. They then essayed to mount the stairs, but it was no easy matter, for the ship lurched so much that Mary twice lost her footing, but the captain seeing them struggling, came to their assistance and landed them safely on the poop.

" Haul away, my waxworks ! Now then my hearties," shouted the pilot who had come on board to take the vessel into port. "Ay ! Ay ! Sir," cried the men. Beams creaking, the boatswain's whistle screaming, and sails flapping ; mates storming ; men grumbling What a perfect Babel the deck was ! And how different to the solemn grandeur of the scene they had witnessed but one hour ago, was the lovely view gradually expanding before them. "Our Harbour ! " our beautiful harbour, with its numberless bays in which the fleets of the world might ride, ay, or even manœuvre with ease, was before them, and the prayer rose simultaneously from the hearts of both husband and wife, " Father forgive us that we even for a moment doubted that ' the Lord will provide.' ': Neither spoke, for there are scenes of so great loveliness that the heart feels it would be profanation to give utterance to its thoughts, and such a one was this.

The sky was of the deepest ultra-marine gradually subsiding into the orange of sunset, and seemed from its cloudlessness to disdain all connection with the late storm, which had so cleared the atmosphere that the very leaves of the trees were distinguishable as they passed. But no description of mine could do justice to our bay, when viewed as they viewed it, after one of those swift summer storms, by which we are occasionally visited, has swept over it, and the foliage, glistening with the tears it leaves, receives the tint (which is all that is required to make the landscape perfectly beautiful) from the golden light of the setting sun. " Ernest," said Mary at length, in a low reverential tone, "is it wrong to assimilate the former part of our voyage with hurricanes and storms, to the troubles and vexations of this life ; the passage of the Heads, to the valley of the shadow of death ; and this harbour, to the haven of peace and rest, where there is need of " neither sun nor moon, ' for the Lamb is the light thereof."

Chapter II

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven." — Matt, v., 16. " True happiness hath no localities ; No tours provincial, no peculiar garb ; Where duty goes, she goes ; -with justice goes ; And goes with meekness, charity, and love Where'er a tear is dried ; a wounded heart Bound up ; a bruised spirit with the dew Of sympathy anointed ; or a pang Of honest suffering soothed ; . . . There is a high and holy place, a spot Of sacred light, a most religious fane Where happiness descending, sits and smiles." — Pollok. I must pass over the wonder and delight of the passengers as the vessel glided to her anchorage in Man-of-War Bay. The deep shades of the Botanical Gardens, their tropical plants and innumerable tints of green, were within half-a-mile of them, and seemed a perfect elysium after their dreary voyage.

Govern ment House, and the Inner Domain too, lay before them, and had a share of admiration ; but the magnitude of the town (I should say, city) was the chief source of astonishment. They had expected to see it scarcely larger than a village at home, and found it with scores of streets and thousands of houses, so English too in appearance, that, but for the clearness of the atmosphere and the extreme beauty of the glorious sunset, they might have doubted its antipodal position. Three years glided by in peaceful, quiet happiness, bringing health and strength to Ernest and his little Marion ; years of hard " never ending, still beginning " work for Ernest, but he never tired, for it is easy to labour for those we love, and he dearly loved his Redeemer. A clergyman's life must indeed be a blessed one ; in all other vocations we labour for ourselves and our families, and there necessarily must be a certain degree of selfishness en gendered by the constant thought, " What will be best for me and mine ?

" but to work entirely for the Saviour with the knowledge of His having said, " In that ye have done it unto the least ot these, My people, ye have done it unto Me," with no anxiety about worldly affairs, for David tells us " Never yet saw I the righteous forsaken," and our Redeemer Himself, " Fear not little flock, your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things," But I am digressing. One stormy wintry evening they were sitting round the bright sparkling wood fire in their snug little drawing room ; Mrs. Romney in her rocking chair, watching her husband, who, in dressing-gown and slippers, which she had induced him to put on after coming in saturated with the storm, was leaning back in a large easy chair reading aloud from the " Book of Books," Marion sat on the hearthrug with a kitten in her lap, and her head resting on her father's knee, and little Eena upon an ottoman at her mother's feet, with eyes riveted on the reader's face, seemed trying to understand all he read.

What a picture of happiness, comfort, and contentment they formed ! Would that all homes were like that one ! The seventeenth chapter of St. John was the Gospel lesson for the day, and Mr. Romney, having finished reading, gently, reverentially (as that Book should be handled) closed the volume, and sat for a few minutes silently gazing into the fire. " Mary," said he at length, " of all the chapters in the Bible there is not one I love as that one. Well may we say after reading our beloved Redeemer's prayer for us and ofthe deep love with which that prayer is imbued, ' Whom have we in heaven but Thee ? and there is none on earth that we desire in comparison with Thee.' " " Did you notice, dear children," said he, turning to Marion and Eena, " when our Saviour prays for us, He says, ' / will that they may be with Me where I am,' but when He prayed for Himself in His great agony in the Garden before His death, He said, ' Not My will, but Thine be done.' Oh, how utterly unworthy we are of such love ! surely what ever troubles may befall us, we ought to be able to say without one murmur ' Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him.' " " Papa," said Marion, " is not it strange that the Saviour should pray to our Father, if as you tell us, they are both one ?

I cannot understand it." " Marion," replied Mr. Romney, "if we could understand the mysteries of the Gospel, what need would there be for that ' faith, without which (we are told) no man shall see the Lord.' " " Papa," asked Eena, " what is faith ? " " Do you believe me, darling," asked her father, " when I tell you that while we seem quietly sitting here by the fire, the earth is whirling round at the rate of seventeen miles in a minute % " " Yes, Papa." " You feel quite sure and certain that it is so?" " Quite, Papa," said Eena, laughing at the idea of doubting what Papa had told her. " Why do you feel so, Eena ? " " Oh ! Papa, because you say so I know it must be just as well as if I saw it twirling away like my humming-top." " Then, my precious one, you believe what you cannot understand, therefore you have faith in me ; and you must have faith in our beloved Redeemer, my Eena, and believe without question or doubt all that He tells you in this book, the Bible, then you will love Him (as you ought) far better than anyone."

With a bound Eena left her seat and placed herself on her father's lap, exclaiming " Oh ! no, my own Papa, no one so well as you and Mamma." " But you must, my darling, for He gave you Mamma and Papa, and keeps you alive, and were it not for His mercy you might not be able to see, or hear, or move ; but you cannot comprehend yet the innumerable bless ings you have to love and thank Him for." " But, Papa, I love you all this much," said Eena, stretching her little fat arms to the utmost she possibly could. " Oh ! if you measure your love in that way, though it's rather a novel idea, and perhaps not sufficiently reverential for so serious a topic, you must love ' Our Father ' all this much," throwing out his arms in a manner similar to hers. " If you do not, Eena," said Marion, looking as dignified a reproval at her little sister as was possible from her ?m-dignified position, " If you do not, you will never go to heaven."

" Well, who wants ? " replied Eena, " I'm sure I don't, so long as I may stay with Papa and Mamma." " Eena ! Eena, my child," exclaimed Mr. Romney, " you must not speak that way, you know not what you are saying." " Papa ! oh ! Papa, that was a knock at the door," exclaimed Eena, springing down to allow of his rising. " I wonder what poor creature it can possibly be out in such a fearful night as this," said Mrs. Romney, giving the fire a stir to make the room look even more cheery than it did already, and drawing another chair towards the warmth. Her kind heart was not kept long in sus pense, for her husband, bringing in a boy of about ten years of age, said, "lam going out, dearest ; this poor child's father is very ill indeed, and wishes to see me that he may receive the sacrament." Then turning again to the boy, " do not go too near the fire, my child, or you will feel the cold more when we leave the house."

" Oh ! please Sir," interrupted the boy, " please, Sir, make haste, the doctor said he might not live an hour " " I will not be three minutes," replied Mr. Romney, leaving him. " Poor little boy," exclaimed Eena, who, with a gentle pitying look on her innocent face, had crept to his side, and was stroking his trembling brown hand with her own little dimpled white one, having the idea that doing so would warm and comfort him. Meanwhile, Mrs. Romney, having made two cups of hot coffee, carried one to her husband that he might (to save time) drink it while dressing, the other to the poor lad in the drawing-room, who took it evidently because obedience had become part of his nature, but seemed perfectly insensible from his over whelming, flood -like sorrow, to aught that was passing around him, until Mrs. Romney, bend ing over him, parted his black curls and printed EENA ROMNEY, a kiss so full of motherly sympathy on his brow, that after a vain struggle to keep them back his tears flowed freely and calmed him, but she still stood beside him, passing her hand gently through his forest of hair, murmuring the "word in season."

" Come, Hubert, my boy " said Mr. Romney, appearing at the door, ready equipped for his walk, " come Hubert " and seizing Mrs. Romney's hand the boy laid his cheek against it for a moment, then darted away to open the front door, while Mrs. Romney received her husband's fervent kiss, and " Heaven bless you, my wifie." The rain beat in Mrs. Romney's face, but she felt it not, as she gazed after them down the street : how she gloried in and loved that tall dark figure as it went plunging and splashing through the mud and dirt on its errand of love, without one murmur at being called out on such a night ; perhaps the most prominent feeling was one of great thankfulness that he was allowed to be the means of carrying comfort to any one of his Saviour's flock : and how she thanked her heavenly Father for that greatest of earthly blessings, a husband who loved her far far beyond all else here, but whose love for his Redeemer was so incalculably greater.

Gently, for her heart was full, she closed the door and went upstairs to her children, and, not allowing them to hurry over their prayers by themselves, as the usual custom of the present time is, she knelt and prayed with them herself, (and who can tell how blessed were those regular morning and evening prayings to their young hearts, or how beneficial the remembrance of them in their after life ?) then lingered about their room, arranging their clothes, putting on a button here and a tape there, as they were required ; drawing the curtains a little one way, then a little back again, until the sound of soft breathing assured her they slept, when after a long loving look at them, and a silent heartfelt prayer and thanksgiving for them, she glided back to the sitting-room to await the return of her absent one.

Again where the slippers placed near the fire ; and you might have read the depth of love she bore the owner of that dressing-gown by the manner in which she carried it ; both arms were wound round it, and her face laid against it ; and in the length of time it took her to arrange it on the back of a chair to warm. Half past ten ! It was growing late, and still he did not come. She opened the window to look out ; the storm had ceased and the moon struggling with the clouds, like the light of truth and religion breaking through the darkness of wickedness and sin, came off triumphant, and shone forth in all its pure bright loveliness. Presently, there was a knock at the door, but not her husband's gentle characteristic rat tat-tat-tat " even as the tenor of his way." No ! it was a youthful joyous rat-tattat-tattat-tat such an one as the heart bounds to answer.

EENA ROMNEY, A very different face, but the same figure that left the house two hours before with her husband, presented itself when she opened the door. How different ! ! who could have traced the late anguish of that young heart in the erect head, and the dancing joyous eye of the noble looking boy, who (though very poorly clad and bespattered all over with mud) now stood before her, undeniably an English gentle man. His joy seemed too great for words, for after two or three ineffectual efforts to speak, he gave Mrs. Romney a little note from her husband, looking up at the same time with such unmistakeable happiness expressed in his face, that she understood at once, and always being ready "to rejoice with them that do rejoice," exclaimed fervently " Thank Providence ! your father will live, is it not so, my dear boy ?

Have you thanked your heavenly Father, Hubert, for this great mercy to you % " A burst of tears was his only answer, so saying gently " Do so now, my child " she left him to himself while she read her husband's note. Mine own, The crisis is past and poor Gordon will live if it please Providence to grant him strength, but the fever has left him so thoroughly exhausted that the doctor thinks his recovery is still doubtful. He recommends port wine as the most likely thing to do him good, and dearest, unless we give him our bottle, I know not how to procure any for him, for he seems penniless; will you send it, my Mary? and any money you can find in my escritoire. 1 do not think I shall be able to return to-night, so may heaven bless thee, my beloved. Good night. E. R. That bottle of port wine which even in sick ness he would not touch himself, because they had put it by for their next Christmas dinner, her heart rebelled a little, might she not keep one glassful for him % it would be good for him after his long vigil, but she knew not why the thought of Ananias and Sapphira would come into her mind, and the text " Ask and you shall receive," and with it the remembrance of many a granted request, and should she withhold aught from the beloved Redeemer who had always heard her ? even if it were for her husband.

"Besides" she thought, "perhaps it will be better for Ernest to have his breakfast very early ; what was I thinking of ? he could not take wine in a morning." So, lest it should be shaken in the crushed bottle by Hubert's running, she decanted it into a fresh one ; then wrapping half a dozen new eggs in some cotton wool, she laid them in a little basket with a clean pillowcase, and taking her own feather pillow, thinking only " I must put something else to raise my head to the usualheight, or Ernest will miss it, and insist onjmy having his," and all the money she could find (except a sovereign folded in paper on which was written " Edgar Andover,") helped Hubert to load himself with them all and receiving his earnest " Oh ! thank you very very much " sent him on his way rejoicing.