I Forbid the Banns! — page 157: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

ON THE ART OF SINGING. 147 bush song that, and it does bring back the wild life toa chap.” ‘““T can hardly doubt it,” said Julian. “Why, I taught it to Bertha when she wasn’t higher than that table,’’ continued the ex-overseer. ‘‘ She came up for a spell to our run with the poor old dad. Ah, we had a time of it, my girl! Bless me, how that song did bring it all back tome. It did me good; my eyes got a bit watery at times here and there.” Heturned away his head fora moment, and Julian saw the back of his arm moving to and fro on a level with his eyes. ‘It’s nothing to be ashamed of,’’continued Mr. Vicars, turning round once more, as if he had made up his mind to be aman. ‘I’m not ashamed, if my eyes did become moist.” “There is no reason to be so,” said Julian. ‘ No, not even if the moisture extended to your forehead, as it seems to have done.” “Poor Eric sings with all his heart; he has a large heart,’ remarked Bertha, smiling. “Who wouldn’t sing with one’s heart when you are join- ing in?” cried Eric. ‘It’s a real bush song that—the sound of the stock whip is in every line, I tell you. Bertha is the pretty daughter of the squatter, you see, mister, and I’m the overseer that’s in love with her on the sly.” Here he laughed loud and long and looked as sly as any man of the stalwart, frank, straightforward type could look. For a man with so large a heart he was wonderfully successful in simulating slyness. ‘The story of the song—that’s what I’m explaining, mind—only the story of the song. To be sure, Bertha was the pretty daughter of a squatter, and I did a little in the overseeing line—that doesn’t inter- fere with the story of the song—dear me, no! Let us try over the Coo-ee once more, Bertha. It comes in, mister, when the lover wants to signal to the girl that he’s waiting for her among the blue gums. Oh, it’s a real bush song CORNIELIOOLKS (E)