In the year 1874 I became John Allen\'s wife. What has turned out so evil seemed to me as good. I thought all well lost for love, for it is so. He arranged it all; I left it to him. We were married very quietly at St. Paul\'s Church in the morning. Not a soul was to know, and there would be no fuss, or anything out of the way, but just our two selves. How all comes back to me, as I think of those simple details. I thought how happy I should make him; how hard I would try to be a good wife to him, for I loved him so. In a week or so my husband went to London and I was to work till he came back, which I hoped would be only a year afterwards. But he stopped away for three years.

Long before John went to England new buildings had been put up for business purposes only, but the firm still found provisions for the assistants. I could have stopped on there, only there was no convenience for me to sleep, so I found a situation in a gentleman\'s house, where I could sleep at night. My mistress was Mrs. Arthur Blyth, of St. Margaret\'s, Childers-street, North Adelaide. She wanted a cook, and I applied. They were satisfied with my reference and I got the place. There was only Mr., Mrs., and Miss Blyth. It was a well-appointed home, and I had no washing to do or ironing. I was beginning to be a fairly good cook and they were pleased with me. I had a comfortable home.

I knew I had married into poverty and I resolved to get as much as I could before John came back. I could put up with anything, as I hoped to have my rightful place with my husband some day. Mr. Blyth was knighted and soon after that they went to England, where Sir Arthur was Agent-General. Again for me were the shifting sands.

Speedily I got another home with Mrs. Murray, whose husband was a member of the firm of D. & W. Murray\'s. Their house was at the corner of Wakefield and Hutt streets. I had a lot more to do there than I had at Mrs. Blyth\'s. I[Pg 92] had all the washing and ironing to do. There was one other girl, a coachman, and myself. They kept a lot of company and they had only recently returned from London. Travel and voyages seemed to bring such a lot of visitors. It was a relief to be done. I used to get letters from my husband, but there was always delay after delay, and all this time I had not told anyone that I was John Allen\'s wife. Such was the beginning of my married life.

Does anyone love on purpose I wonder? I could not help doing so. It did not bring me happiness. It made the whole difference when I had to tell an admirer that I was a wife with no husband. Nothing could undo the past. After all, I am John Allen\'s wife. I had any amount of pity and blame, but cared for none of this, and I am now beyond caring.

But I must keep to that time. My brother was taken ill with rheumatism and he could not move. He had a furniture shop in Hindley-street. He had three little children, and, by the irony of fate, my sister-in-law met with an accident and was taken to the "hospital." I used to go from Hutt-street to Hindley-street, after attending a late dinner. There were no cars then in the streets and I had to walk. I would try to do something for those dear ones. And sometimes it would be nearly 11 o\'clock before I could start back for Hutt-street. I may have many faults, but I am no coward. I could face what awaited me, but truly dismay would come if I saw a "group" of men or youths standing in the street on my way to Hutt-street. I would run past. Only once a man I tried to get pass stretched out his arms and caught me. He let me go as quickly. I felt I was able to take care of myself so long as I was not caught hold of. I felt lonely. I would sit and cry as if tears would do anything. I cried and cried. The firm at 38, Rundle-street had another shop in Hindley-street. Some changes were made and one of the firm went to the shop in Hindley-street. He was my employer before, and I learned that he wanted someone in the same capacity as in Rundle-street. I told Mrs. Murray my distress at having to come so far so late at night. She was very much put out. Still I think she realised my situation when I explained that I was going back to my late employer.

All things considered, I had cause to be thankful. My quarters were not at all uncomfortable, and there were some of the young people from 38 there to work and to live on the premises. Hutt-street was a more pleasing-looking place to live, but how I dreaded to walk down there in the night-time. When I see the cars now travelling to that part of the city those dark and lone way-marks all come back. I was glad when my sister-in-law got to her home again.

So the time went on. It certainly had a bright side, for I had more time, and could go and see my friends at favorable times[Pg 93] and on the Sundays. The only drawback was some queer-looking old houses I had to pass at the back, as I came out and in, for I saw some vicious-looking people, which made me feel slightly nervous. I was often there all by myself on the holiday time; no one else being in the whole place. I have heard those people quarrelling at all hours of the night and making darkness horrible. There was only a small fence with a right-of-way to separate it from us. The shop was a drapery, clothing, and millinery establishment, and the proprietor of the shop was responsible for the rents of the old houses at the back. No one could have complained of the place as dull in the daytime. From early morning till closing time I was amused by some eventful excitement in what was taking place. The shop was opposite to what is now the Skating Rink, or Ice Palace. At that time there could be seen at the shop doors and on every available place the goods put out in rolls for show and they had price-tickets on. One Saturday afternoon I was looking out of the back window, when I saw a woman who lived in one of the old houses going into her house with a roll of tweed tartan over her shoulder and a ticket dangling loose to tell how............