Part 15 (1/2)

I'd sooner trust soot into the hands of a wo, and served his tiive him another chance”

”And what about woman's influence?” I asked

”Oh, I suppose there'd have to be a woet a woman with a past, one that hadn't been any better than she should have been, they're generally the most kind-hearted in the end Say an actress who'd coer who'd lost her voice but could still sing a little A woirl to keep her coins or half-castes to help her I'd get hold of soirl who'd been deceived and deserted: and a baby or touldn't be an objection--the kids would amuse the chaps and help hueress fell in love with the doctor?” I asked

”Well, I couldn't provide against love,” said Mitchell ”I fell in love myself more than once--and I don't suppose I'd have been any worse off if I'd have stayed in love Ah, well! But suppose she did fall in love with the doctor and marry him, or suppose she fell in love with hiirl fell in love with the secretary? There wouldn't be any harm done; it would only make them more contented with the home and bind them to it They'd be a happy family, and the Lost Souls' Hotel would bethey all fell in love with each other and cleared out,” I said

”I don't see what they'd have to clear out for,” said Mitchell ”But suppose they did There's more than one medical wreck in Australia, and more than one woman with a past, andand was found out, and who steadied down in jail, and there's irl that's been deceived I could easily replace 'e uppeople with pasts the chance of another future, so to speak”

”I suppose you'd have music and books and pictures?” I said

”Oh, yes,” said Mitchell ”But I wouldn't have any bitter or sex-probleood Problems have been the curse of the world ever since it started I think one noble, kindly, cheerful character in a book does ood than all the clever villains or roet rid of his maudlin sentiment in private, or when he's drunk It's a pity that every writer couldn't put all his bitterness into one book and then burn it

”No; I'd have good cheerful books of the best and brightest sides of human nature--Charles dickens, and Mark Twain, and Bret Harte, and those htest and best side of Australian life And I'd have all Australian songs

I wouldn't have `Swannie Ribber,' or `Hos sung at the Lost Souls'

Hotel--they're the cause of more heartbreaks and drink and suicide in the bush than anything else And if a jackaroo got up to sing, `Just before the battle, mother,' or, `Mother bit me in ht He'd have to go out and sleep in the scrub, where theants would bite hi about his h his nose, because, as a rule, he never cared a rap for his old mother, nor for anyone else, except his own paltry, selfish little self

”I'd have intellectual and elevating conversation for those that----”

”Who'd take charge of that department?” I inquired hurriedly

”Well,” reflected Mitchell, ”I did have an idea of taking it on myself for a while anyway; but, come to think of it, the doctor or the woman with the past would have more experience; and I could look after that part of the business at a pinch Of course you're not in a position to judge as to my ability in the intellectual line; you see, I've had no one to practise on since I've been with you But no matter---- There'd be intellectual conversation for the benefit of black-sheep new chuet up a play if they liked--it would brighten up things and help elevate the bullock-drivers and sundowners I'd have a stage fixed up and a bit of scenery I'd do all I could to attract shearers to the place after shearing, and keep the to the next shanty with their cheques, or down to Sydney, to be cleaned out by barmaids

”And I'd have the hero squashed in the last act for a selfish sneak, and irl to the villain--he'd be more likely to make her happy in the end”

”And what about the farricultural college to et soe of the vegetation Only, the worst of it is,” he reflected, ”if you take a selector who has bullocked all his life to raise crops on dusty, stony patches in the scrubs, and put him on land where there's plenty of water and round and then light his pipe and watch it grow, he's apt to get disheartened But that's human nature

”And, of course, I'd have to have a `character' about the place--a sort of identity and joker to brighten up things I wouldn't get a et hold of soed him till she died, and who'd been sold offhis sorrows, and who started as an undertaker and failed at that, and finally got a job pottering round--gardener, or gatekeeper, or soet him He'd most likely be a humorist and a philosopher, and he'd help cheer up the Lost Souls' Hotel I reckon the lost souls would get very fond of him”

”And would you have drink at Lost Souls'?” I asked

”Yes,” said Mitchell ”I'd have the best beer and spirits and wine to be had After tea I'd let every h to ood and clever, and innocent and honest as any otherin the horrors, with every inch of hi-nosed bunyips chasing hihts, and nurse hiatives, and keep giving hiood whisky, and, above all, we'd sympathize with him, and tell him that orse than he was many a time We wouldn't tell him what a weak, selfish man he was, or harp on his ruined life We'd try to ood deal better morally than he really was It's remorse that hurries most men to hell--especially in the Bush When a man firmly believes he is a hopeless case, then there's no hope for him: but let him have doubts and there's a chance Make him believe that there are far worse cases than his We wouldn't preach the sin of dissipation to him, no--but we'd try to show hiht to be able to preach that, God knows

”And, above all, we'd try to drive out of his head the cursed old popular idea that it's hard to reforet away from drink--pity drunkards can't believe how easy it is And we'd put it to hiht whether his few hours'

enjoyment orth the days he had to suffer hell for it”

”And, likely as not,” I said, ”when you'd put him on his feet he'd take the nearest track to the next shanty, and go on a howling spree, and co aid worse than ever What would you do then?”

”We'd take hiain, and build him up some oing right on with a thing once I take it in hand And if he didn't turn up after the last spree we'd look for hi him in and let him die on a bed, and make his death as coround, and found one dead in the bush We'd bury hium and put `Sacred to the Memory of a Man who Died (Let hiraveyard, with guinal epitaphs--I proratitude would you expect to get out of the Lost Souls'

Hotel?” I asked