enforce the necessary discipline seemed to depend upon the manner in which he had been educated to the work, each several animal having his own especial method of persuasion from which he never departed.
Of the gentleness which is necessary in minding sheep another lady once gave me a good illustration. She was asked, she said, to look after the sheep in a home paddock for part of a day, during the absence of a servant, and wishing to do her best, was so very energetic in following them up and down, that the sheep, becoming suspicious of her motives, commenced running about, and two unlucky ones, more scared than the others, jumped the fence, and diving into the bush were never again heard of by their owner.
As to the care of pigs, and the anxiety which they cause to the young lads who are usually appointed to that office, I remember another incident which occurred under my own observation. A warder's wife in Barladong was desirous of obtaining employment in the immediate neighbourhood for one of her children, a grave taciturn boy of nine years old, and small for his age. She thought herself fortunate in hearing of a situation as "pig-boy" at a settler's about three miles distant, and at once made application for it on behalf of her son. Terms were agreed upon, and a stipulation was made that the boy should come home for the night every Saturday evening. The week passed over slowly to the anxious woman, and when the much-desired Saturday evening was arrived the lad returned to his happy mother, looking fat and well and quite satisfied with his new master. When bed-time came and the boy retired to his usual couch his mother
