him. My brother John left Myponga and came to town, and obtained
a clerkship in the South Australian Bank at 100 pounds a year. It was
whilst occupying a position in the bank that he had some slight connection
with the notorious Capt. Starlight, afterwards the hero of "Robbery
Under Arms," for through his hands much of the stolen money passed. In
1900, when Mrs. Young and I were leaving Melbourne on our visit to
Sydney, we were introduced to "Rolf Boldrewood," the author of that
well-known story. His grave face lit up with a smile when my friend
referred to the author of her son's hero. "Ah!" and he shook his head
slowly. "I'm not quite sure about the wisdom of making heroes of such
sorry stuff," he replied. I thought I could do better with a school. I
was 20, and my sister Mary nearly 16, and my mother could help. My
school opened in May, 1846, a month before my father's death, and he
thought that our difficulties were over. My younger brother, David
Wauchope, had been left behind for his education with the three maiden
aunts, but he came out about the end of that year, and began life in
the office of the Burra Mine at a small salary. My eldest brother
William, was not successful in the country, and went to Western
Australia for some years, and later to New Zealand, where he died in
his eightieth year, soon after the death of my brother John in his
seventy-ninth, leaving me the only survivor of eight born and of six
who grew to full age. My eldest sister Agnes died of consumption at the
age of 16; and, as my father's mother and four of his brothers and
sisters had died of this malady, it was supposed to be in the family.
The only time I was kept out of school during the nine years at Miss
Phin's was when I was 12 when I had a cough and suppuration of the
glands of the neck. As this was the way in which Agnes's illness had
begun, my parents were alarmed, though I had no idea of it. I was
leeched and blistered and drugged; I was put into flannel for the only
time in my life; I was sent away for change of air; but no one could