exhibit their drunken lunacy, to the disgust
and alarm of the respectable part of the
community.

The finale of such marriages was, very
frequently, the return of the husband, penniless,
to the diggings; and that of the wife, if
better than the average, to service. A lady,
who had taken as cook one of these Golden
Widows as we call them, was surprised at
finding her new servant on her knees, scouring
the stone floor of the kitchen, attired in a
rich purple satin dress, nearly new.

" Mary! what are you doing, with that
beautiful dress on to scour in, and not even
an apron?" exclaimed the astonished
mistress." Do get up directly, and put on an
old cotton gown."

"Laws alive! bless me, missis," responds
Mary, sitting calmly back upon her slip-shod
heels, and grasping brush and flannel in
either hand, "I haven't got no cotton gownds;
all my gownds is silk 'uns, this is the wust
out of nineteen."

Every kind of silk material was infinitely
dearer in proportion than any other fabric, and
all prices being nearly doubled by the golden
demand, the style of Mary's expenditure may
be imagined. A rich satin dress, of the palest
dove-colour, or pearl white, well and fashionably
made, was observed one day trailing its
delicate folds along a mean and dirty street in
Hobart; the wearer was without shawl or
bonnet, and carried before her a large tin
dish, full of baked mutton and potatoes, from
the oven.

Cost was the criterion—I verily believe the
sole criterion—by which these people judged
everything; neither comfort, fitness, nor the
becomings (which Sam Slick declares all
women study) seemed to enter their calculations.
I was one day in a shop in Hobart,
when a man and a woman came in to buy
a black silk mantle. Some were shown them
at four guineas each (one pound might
perhaps have been asked for them in England).
"Curse your trumpery!" exclaimed the
woman. "Show us some worth more than
that. I'm not a beggar."

"That's right, Poll" (in rather husky and
faltering tones) from the husband. More
mantles were brought—none better, some
worse than the first lot.

"All these are ten guineas each, sir;
beautiful articles, and quite the newest style,"
said the obsequious shopman.

"O! ay—that might do—Poll, turn to
and try 'em on."

What Poll's selection was, I did not remain
to see. Every one at that time could give
similar instances of the determination with
which the reckless creatures poured their
gold into the shopkeepers' pockets. A
young English lady, on her way here
touched both at Adelaide and Melbourne.
Whilst in a shop at the former place she
observed a mean-looking woman come
in, who desired to see some shawls. A
number were shown to her, the highest being
three pounds each. "These are not good
enough, show me some better than that."
The heap of shawls was swept away and
carried to another part of the shop, where a
few were picked quickly out, folded differently,
and then brought back at five pounds
each. "That'll do," remarked the customer,
scarcely noticing the shawls themselves, but
satisfied with having to pay a large sum for
them. "Wrap me four on 'em"—and laid
twenty sovereigns on the counter. From
the same friend I heard of a gold-digger in
Melbourne, who went into a shop where a
large doll was used to exhibit articles of
baby-clothing upon, and inquired, pointing
to the doll, "What's the price o' that
himage?" Although the doll was not
intended for sale, the shopman, knowing
the absurd purchases often made by the class to
which his customer belonged, pretended to
look at some mark, and then replied, "Thirty
guineas." The man paid down the money, and
carried off the doll.

Very few of these golden extravagances,
I imagine, were caused by ablutionary
tendencies; but one notable specimen of the
returned digger genus became possessed of
the eccentric fancy that his wife should have
a bath. What the condition of the dame in
question had become, before so desperate a
measure was determined upon is not pleasant
to speculate about; but, at any rate, she was
to have a bath. Water was not worthy to
be used on so remarkable an occasion.
The husband insisted that his wife's bath
should cost more nor ever any real lady's
bath cost; and, finally, fixed upon champagne
as the purifying medium. Another story is
of a party of lucky returned diggers, who
assembled at a good hotel, and ordered a
costly dinner; everything in the most expensive
style, desiring the waiter to bring them
"some of the wine that the swells drink."
Hock was accordingly presented to them at
dinner, but dismissed with no measured terms
of dislike. Champagne was allowed to be
better, but not as good as ginger-beer. Claret
was tried, and flung away with execrations.
The waiter, somewhat posed, awaited further
orders, which were: "Bring us a pint of rum
a-piece, and charge it the same as the swells' wine."

Port wine usually found most favour with
such customers. A man (formerly in our
service) who had come home with his gains,
and who was oppressed with the common
desire to dissipate them with all practicable
despatch, ordered three or four dozens of
port wine at every inn or public-house he
came to on the road, had all the corks drawn,
and called the passers-by, and the tap-room
guests, to drink it: public-house port wine
here, being usually a mysterious compound
of bad cape, burnt sugar, capsicum and spice.

These are not a tithe of the owre true