AustLit

The Scottish McMurtries and the Catholic HAirlands are quarrelling neighbours, til Christie McMurtries falls in love with Stephen Hairlands, and Bell with George. Christie steals her father's deeds to land he had stolen from Stephen's father, but finds her lover only interested in revenge. She commits suicide and the revenge and death continues. (PB)

Misunderstanding with a parson arises from a dog named Guess. (PB)

A lonely child, Hester Fulton, is raised at Sandhurst and later on a station near Wentworth on the Murray River. She is better educated than her nearly illiterate family and is rescued from a forced marriage and nearly a rape by Walter Kent. They fall in love but on the eve of the wedding her former suitor's jealousy forges a letter which separates the betrothed for many months before they are reunited in Melbourne. Reasonably written, pace a little uneven and plot romantically improbable in parts. (PB)

Phonetic description of the various jobs associated with producing newspapers. (PB)

An American child is attracted from his doorstep by an organ-grinder and monkey, is robbed of his clothes and ends up at the police station before his father finds him. Adventure. (PB)

A country hunt introduces two gentlemen to the fair Anna Downing in her humble home. Rex Miller wins her heart and leaves. Six years later in Paris they meet again and he courts her after they retrun to the US but she finds she loves another, truer, man. Slight. (PB)

A parson subtly chastises those who interrupt his sermon. (PB)

A Scots officer who questions the decision of a former fellow-officer to turn actor is convinced when he hears his earnings. Anecdote. (PB)

A lieutenant gains his commission from the Duke of Clarence by attributing his baldness to those stepping over his head. Anecdote. (PB)

A rain storm near Mt Alexander in Victoria elicits a sharing of tales between those sheltering from the blast. A father and daughter, separated when she was stolen by Aborigines as a child, are reunited. Somewhat slow narrative of pioneers, landscape and sentiment. (PB)

Humorous description of a man's attempt to ply the needle in his wife's absence. (PB)

Anecdote of an Englishman's mistaken attempt to claim a hat during a church service in Rome. (PB)

In the US, a merchant's confidential clerk loses $30 000, then his reputation and fiancee before an advertisement in the paper uncovers the truth of the disappearance of the money. Competent mystery/romance. (PB)

The arrangements for and running of the bush races at Lushington on the Lachlan. Masculine bush narrative of mateship, drinking and horsemanship. More character than content. (Appears to be the first thoroughly bush/horse/drinking tale unsupported by adventure. Ex-convicts briefly mentioned.) (PB)

Two men about to be hanged are grateful not to be in the path of a wild bull. Anecdote. (PB)

An urchin begs enough money to go to the theatre - then goes to the neighbouring one. Anecdote of H. C Jarret (possibly an actor). (PB)

A visit to an English convict prison, the tales of inmates' deadly revenge on warders, and the tale of a hardened convict's dissipated life after being expelled from Oxford, including fighting in the Chinese army and turning London burglar. Basic narrative of prison degradation. (PB)

A bachelor uncle is forced by his nieces to tell of his youthful romance while at university. His proposal to her was interrupted by a wild carriage ride and her return to a mental asylum. Humorous romance. (PB)

A negro's resolution at his club meeting for an early spring for the country is thoroughly squashed as presumptious. Humour? (PB)