 section one of Dave brings home a wife this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Dave brings home a wife by Steel Rudd narrated by Beth Thomas dad Rudd Australian farmer patriarch of the Rudd clan read by son of the exiles mother Rudd wife of dad Rudd read by T.J. Burns Dave Rudd son of dad Rudd newly married read by Thomas Peter Sarah Rudd daughter of dad Rudd read by Linda Olson Phytac Lily newly married to Dave read by Devorah Allen Lily's mother Dave's mother-in-law read by Sonia Joe son of dad Rudd read by Neema Bill son of dad Rudd read by phone Barty son of dad Rudd read by Peter Musgrove Jimmy Regan neighbor to the Rudds red by Todd young Regan neighbor to the Rudds read by Zoe Trang Willie Wiley orphan boy adopted by one of dad's neighbors read by phone Mary Murphy daughter of one of dad's neighbors read by Lian Yao the person read by Larry Wilson Mrs Walker read by Sandra Schmidt building contractor read by Larry Wilson chapter 10 Dave brings home a wife all was joy and merriment at Ruddville there was no grumbling no dissension no dissatisfaction of any kind even dad took things cheerfully and became frisky and light-hearted as a fat lamb the longest days seemed short hours and home was simply heaven Dave was the cause of all the love and felicity Dave got married and brought his wife home to live with us a fine wife she was too a slim jolly girl with red hair Lily White was her name and we took a great liking to her so did Dave lots of young fellows down at prosperity had tried hard to win Lily but she rejected them all with contumely Dave thought all the more of her on that account the welcome we gave to Lily when she arrived seemed to add 20 years to Dave's life our display of affection quite overpowered him swelled his breast with gratitude and filled his eyes with tears as large as hailstones all of us except Bill and Tom and me met them at the gate and kissed Lily freely we hesitated when it came to hugging her but Sarah shoved us forward and said I ain't going to kiss Lily she's your sister now then we took courage and waited in though we wouldn't have hugged Sarah herself for a fortune unless it was on the solemn assurance that she was going far from home and would never return after us dad stepped forward well he said removing his hat to expedite the performance if she be your sister she be my daughter and he commenced vigorously where we had left off when dad finished with Lily Sarah took possession of her and hugged her again and put an arm around her waist and conducted her up the veranda steps into Dave's little room where she took her hat off for her and kissed her some more and showed her the newly papered walls papered for her special comfort and a new bed curtain and draping and a coloured pin cushion and a pair of flower vases and a wardrobe and other knickknacks and pieces of furniture which Sarah had robbed her own room of to surprise Lily with and make her happy and Lily was happy she sat on the bed and said so she spoke fondly of Dave too it was hard parting with mother she murmured but i don't mind when i know i have a good husband and tears came into her eyes and Sarah kissed them away and said no one knows it better than i do dear it was always my favourite brother which was a fib because Sarah always reckoned Dave a nuisance and never tired of wishing him married she seemed to think that her wife was the worst inflection she could wish on Dave then Sarah broke into tears and Lily kissed them away they're my sister she said and changed the subject she turned it onto Sarah's future and they became very confidential Sarah smiled happily at Lily and said that she couldn't say for certain when it was to be it might be at Easter 12 months or the following Christmas it all depended but Lily wasn't to mention it to a soul not even to Dave and when Lily had given her solemn word not to divulge the secret they kissed each other again and said we're sisters now forever then they returned to the veranda where mother and dad and the rest of us were trying to entertain Dave but Dave was a hard bridegroom to entertain he didn't hear a word we had to say to him thought you was lost he said eagerly grabbing Lily by the arm and leading her inside to sit on the sofa four weeks passed and home was merrier than ever and Lily and Dave were as happy looking as a garden Dave was proud of his Lily he rarely ever left her side Lily knew the run of the house too now and understood our ways and addressed us all by our christian names and called dad father Lily was never untidy either and always came to her meals in a neat dress and sat beside Dave with a buttercup in her hair and she would talk cheerfully all the time and point out resemblances between mother's eyes and Dave's or dad's nose and bills Lily was an observant young woman in the afternoons Sarah would take Lily for a walk often they would go down to the paddock and keep Dave company till nearly tea time on other occasions they would go visiting together and sometimes they would ride to the store or to the railway station and Sarah would give her side saddle to Lily and ride in a man's saddle herself Sarah was fond of Lily she couldn't do half enough for her and Lily loved Sarah mother said she never knew two young people to be so devoted to each other and dad reckoned it was fortunate for Dave that Sarah wasn't joe four more weeks elapsed Sarah and Lily were not so fond of each other now they didn't go anywhere together at all somehow they avoided one another and Lily would go down to the paddock alone and remain with Dave till he knocked off work mealtimes too lost all their cheerfulness all the good fellowship had gone from them there was scarcely any conversation carried on at the table and Sarah was nearly always absent from it while we were eating she would be working and banging things about in the kitchen sometimes dad would miss her and looking up at mother he would ask where's Sarah and mother would change colour and mumble a clumsy apology which would make Lily fidget and look along her nose and frequently Lily would refuse a second cup of tea which she was badly in the need of and leave the table before she had finished and with David her heels would retire to her room but dad was not a man to notice little things and sometimes he would add with a yell well why the devil doesn't she come and get a tea Dave and Lily isolated themselves spent a lot of time in their room and we wondered what was the matter we couldn't make it out and joe asked Sarah one night what it was all about Sarah who had her sleeves rolled up making bread dug her fists deep in the dough and said be sure the little cat then she turned the dough over and slapped it down hard on the table and punched it with her other fist joe chuckled and said he could never understand why women couldn't agree could you agree with anyone Sarah snapped who expects you to do all the cooking and washing and slaving and to run about and clean up after them while they sit down and up the lady that's nothing joe said flippantly joe enjoyed Sarah when she was angry oh isn't it nothing and Sarah leaned on the dough with both hands and glared at him after the manner of dad the letter do it if it isn't i'm not going to stay here and scrub and wash her dad for her anymore that's one thing anyway the least she might do is to clean out her own room and my own butt of a morning instead of titivating herself as soon as she gets up sending herself to and dolling her old red air to come out and sit down to breakfast as if she was lady muck or somebody and Sarah waited into the bread again joe grins some more and said you're jealous Sal jealous what of Sarah fired up of that cat with our red hair who if it was mine i'd get some lump luck and change its colour joe went away smiling and dave with a warlike look on his face entered the kitchen dave was looking for a fight Sarah didn't look at dave any matches here dave asked manoeuvring for an opening there's some there Sarah jerked out walloping the dough as though it were a carpet dave glanced around the room for a second or two then rested his eyes on Sarah what have you been doing to lily he drawled at last it says i've been doing anything to lily and Sarah flashed her big eyes on dave well i know you insulted her dave replied well if asking her to do her own dirty work is insulting her Sarah snorted facing dave with a big cake of dough in her hand then i did and i'll do it again and what's more you can tell us though you're very funny dave sneered and walked out dave was no match for Sarah in a row dave went across to the barn where the husking was being carried on by lamp light and confided his troubles to dad and in the interest of peace suggested building a house for himself love him alone dad said don't take any notice of him they're all the same i'll drive you mad if you do dad didn't look upon the idea of building another house with favour dad never approved of ideas that cost money and for the time being dave took his advice but one evening when loud screams issued from the house and we all stampeded from the milking yard and found Sarah mauling and clawing lily and trailing her about over the backs of chairs matters were brought to a head it's not a bit of good dave moaned to dad after peace was restored i must have a house for my own or else i'll clear out and look for work somewhere else well dad answered slowly i'll see if i can't get you a bit of timber somewhere and put your one up then realising to what length he had committed himself in the way of expenditure he exclaimed dash the women they're always fighting about something or other after tea dad sat on the veranda and called down and ruminated for a long time then he called dave and joe together and discussed the position with them there were a house down on that old farmer grogans dad said is that there yet some of it standing dave drawled and joe remarked with a chuckle that he was once narrowly putting it on the drain bringing it home for a calfpan not at all not at all dad said in disapproval that were a snug little place when gragan lived there first 45 year ago believe me 45 year ago from dave joe chuckled again yes dad said sententiously i don't think it's any older than that let me see he made a mental calculation in the dark yes no yes no it's not more than 42 just about time for the sap to dry joe sniggered well and it's pulled down and trimmed up a bit with the ads and put up again dad went on enthusiastically it'll look a different place it'll look just as well as this believe me but you want some new timber dave put in anxiously well yes maybe dad grunted but not much you'll find not much there's a lot of material in that house when you come to go over it all i remember it well then he said he would go with the dray in the morning and bring the building home and that night dave and lily went to bed in a happy mood and lay awake for hours evolving and discussing plans and specifications for their new home end of section one section two of dave brings home a wife this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org dave brings home a wife by steel Rudd chapter 11 dave's new house dad kept faith with dave and accompanied by bill and cranky jack went with the dray to remove the house that was on grogan's abandoned selection it was an easy house to knock down what was standing of it but it was tedious work gathering it all up and a lot of it was hard to find the building in its old age had become dislocated got away from itself and lay scattered here and there in the long grass like the bones of a dead beast the two doors and the window were missing altogether and their absence gave dad a lot of anxiety wonder what the devils become of them he said after searching the paddock for hours in vain i should be here somewhere but bill fancied there never were any he couldn't remember having seen them and he'd often been in the old house got wet under its roof many a time when seeking shelter in it from the rain rubbish dad snorted don't i recollect the place long before any of you was born 42 years ago i stayed in it a night with a gragan and there was two good doors to it then and a window in front made a sawn timber i remember them well they're not here now anyway bill answered concluding the argument and approaching the loaded dray if i could get the hinges dad murmured rooting up the remains of an ancient fire with the toe of his boot wouldn't matter so much and easily knock up a door or two dad had to abandon the search and start home with the dray dad made two trips to grogans and when he arrived with the second load dav who had just come in for dinner visited the scene of action to give a hand to unload well what do you think of it dad asked cheerfully as he arranged the timber on the ground according to the lengths pretty old some of it dav replied staring hard at the pile of rubbish old dad answered why bless my soul it's all the better for that it's your green timber that's the ruin of half the houses man i'd never dream of building the place out of green timber myself like a dailies place nearly every slab in it is tumbling out i've got that short you could put your head between some of them and when it was put up first i don't suppose there was a better fitted house in the country and it's all because the timber was green dav pointed to a corner post that was mostly eaten away out of the pulpy remains of which grass was growing luxuriously that only wants a bit of adsin dad said and you'll find it as sound as a bell dav was doubtful donna he drawled certain of it dad answered plucking some of the grass from the post just upend it and feel the weight but dav's eyes had wandered to several slabs with large holes mortised in them and slices burnt off the ends and edges of them and he stooped and turned one over well yes dad admitted reluctantly i've been knocked about a bit some fool of a traveler no doubt he went on in explanation has been letting his fire burn to near him but they'll come in handy you'll find they'll do very well for the partition with a bit of paper put over them holes no one will ever see them dad didn't believe in carting timber three or four miles just to throw it away next day dav suggested giving a hand to erect the house dav was anxious it should be built according to the plans and specifications he and lily had decided upon but dad wouldn't hear of it leave it to me he said and you get on with the plow i know exactly the sort of house she wants and i'll make a good job of it believe me then bill and dad searched for the crowbar and when they had given the axe and the ads a touch up on the grindstone the new house started to go up it went on going up and coming down for weeks dad used to come down with it too sometimes he came down along with a lot of it one day and lay under the ridgepole till bill stopped laughing and extricated him then dad cursed bill for not watch her not properly and they fell out and bill was ordered off the job bill went cheerfully and dad put barty on in his place but barty did not turn out a success barty had never been engaged on a building before and had no confidence in himself he had no confidence in dad either he was afraid of dad and became confused and did the wrong thing whenever dad shouted at him and barty was no good unless someone did shout at him and he hadn't been 20 minutes on the job when dad mounted on the wall said pointing the hammer hand me that button there were a dozen or so lying about barty was anxious to please dad and with rare alacrity handed him the wrong baton no no and dad wagged his head impatiently the other one behind you they were all behind barty barty dropped the baton he had in his hand and seized another and poked the end of it hurriedly at dad damn it dad yelled why can't you look where i'm pointing there you're standing on it barty's foot covered three or four batons dropping the second baton barty pointed to another this one then he whined yes that's the one dad roared it's big enough to see ain't it barty snatched up another no confounded no dad held the other one fat one and he let fly the hammer viciously at the baton he required and struck barty hard on the foot oof oof barty suddenly bellowed and danced round the heap of timber on one leg well why the devil didn't you keep your eyes open dad growled oof oof barty blubbered in a lower key placing the toe of the maimed foot lightly to the ground and breaking into a limp damn it from dad am i gonna have to stand here all day and me back that hammer and stop your open about oh and barty lifting the tool stood with it in his hand staring up in terror at dad and me fat hammer dad fairly yelled oof barty shuddered they are here from dad louder than ever you'll get me with it oof dad let out another howl and started to descend and barty forgetting his injured limb turned and fled he also forgot to leave the hammer dad followed in pursuit where is he he yelled stamping through our house we're the devil a good day best of ron it was the soft voice of the parson that spoke he had dropped in on his rounds and was enjoying a cup of tea along with mother and lily in the sitting room oh dad jerked out stopping abruptly that's you and the parson rose and warmly shook hands with dad and asked him if he was enjoying good health and mother taking advantage of the opportunity to calm dad asked him to have a cup of tea before dad could answer lily jumped to her feet to hand him the beverage and revealed the terrified form of barty crouching behind her chair you dog dad roared his eyes ablaze with anger but barty sprang behind the parson and clung to the tails of his long black coat and ducked from side to side sparring for a chance to make a dash for the open door the door was behind dad you tinker dad held grabbing round one side of the astonished cleric for a grip of barty and kicking out on the other side of him whenever barty dodged that way near me calm yourself calm yourself mr. red the parson exclaimed holding up his two hands in front of dad to implore peace while mother called father don't be foolish but dad was bent on securing some of barty at any cost and aimed another heavy circular kick at him and bruised the parson's shins the parson dropped his hands and screwed his face about and cried good gracious me i'll keep out of the way then dad foamed apologetically into the clergyman's ear or i can't help but yeah then the parson thought it wise to free himself of barty and made an effort to desert but barty kept a firm grip of his coat and used it as a lever to keep him in position at last dad's wrath overcame his judgment and in his haste he stumbled forward against the table and gave barty an opening barty flashed through the door like a wallaby and dad made a late kick at him and fell heavily on the floor and rattled the crockery in the kitchen dare oh dear oh dear the parson said angrily and dad roared you win my fellow and rose and hobbled after barty but he might just as well have remained on the floor next day joe joined dad and between them joe rattling the hammer on the roof of the new house and dad belting slabs into position with the back of the axe they kept up a great noise you'd think they were building the federal capital occasionally dad with the axe on his shoulder would stand some yards off from the building to take observations just as he would when making a haystack how does she look joe would ask and dad would answer capital it'll be a night little place when it's finished then he'd walk around it and add splinters from the walls and ram the loose earth tight against the foot of the slabs with the heel of his boot frequently the neighbors passing by would ride in through the gate and ask dad what it was he was putting up and dad would tell them and ask what they thought of it and invite them to look through it most of them smiled and thought at a very nice place at least that's what they told dad but young reagan rode in one day and sat on his horse and grinned disparagingly at the new house well dad said salkaly what the devil's the matter with you dad had no love for the regans i was just wondering young reagan answered if there was anything to mowl with you and if this is a private asylum you're putting up for yourself to get into when it's finished look yeah and dad rushed round in search of a baton but young reagan had gone before he could secure one from the pile david lily came along one evening and dad put down the axe and showed them over the place lily looked inside and stared at the grass on the ground floor and the large holes burned in the partition and said nothing most young wives go into raptures over their first new house exaggerate its beauty and do their best to make others believe it's a grander place than the architect meant it to be but lily wasn't one of those she hadn't much enthusiasm in her at all dad though discourse volubly about it a strong belt little place he said walking from one room to the other there were two rooms in the new house and every bit of it's well nailed all new nails too and it'll be a queer storm that ships it believe me these alls are nothing he went on putting his foot through one in the partition and looking at lily paced a bit of paper over and more his enthusiasm increased yeah i can put the safe there and no one will ever see him you'll never know there there yourself after a while and dad smiled in admiration of his own originality but won't there be any floorboards at all lily murmured with a sickly look at dave who was standing gloomily beside her dave looked at dad it'll all be done in good time dad said encouragingly but you can't do everything at once all the best houses around the district had ground floors in them when they were first put up and he added tramping the floor hard with both feet this is very solid air firm as a rock and when the grass comes off and there's a little sand and cow dung put on i'll mix a bucketful to show you how it's done it'll be as good as any boards every bit and better lily made an effort to say something but a lump seemed to stick in her throat am i fine slabs dad rattled on drawing dave's attention to the walls there's no timber to be gotten the country like that nowadays must be 18 inches wide them slabs proceeding to span one with his big hand fully that he concluded if not more dave didn't say anything dad didn't give him an opportunity now then dad continued turning to the end of the building what about a fireplace you're gonna have one or will we put up a place outside in front for you to cook under and he looked hard at lily oh lily wind feebly clutching dave by the shirt sleeve we must have a fireplace well dad said advisingly well not always an advantage you know in summer they make a room that there's no living in a place where there's one and when the westerly winds are blowing in the winter the smoke from some of them would drive a man cranky i'd never have one in a house me self if i were building the game oh what would be the good of it without a fireplace lily wind again appealing to dave very well then very well then dad put in so you're gonna have to put up with it not me i think it would be better dave drawled supporting lily's idea all right all right dad said frowning oh look what timber there is and if there's enough we'll see about it dad did look some days after but there wasn't enough timber after walking around the outside of the house in silence lily and dave turned away from it as if it were a morgue they had been inspecting and left in silence when about 50 yards off they turned and took another look at it i thought it was to be a different place to that lily moaned and no veranda on it either then she started to cry and said she would be ashamed to take anyone to such an ugly den dave began to wake up well if you don't think you will like it lil he said finding some courage i'll go back and tell him to knock it down i ain't afraid to say so no no lily answered wiping her eyes hurriedly i don't mind now i don't care a bit it'll do but we'll get a better one soon won't we ah you can't get out of it dave drawled oh he's weird for it lily was satisfied and clung lovingly to dave's arm and walked on smiling but lily didn't know dad then she knows him a lot better now at last the house was finished and dad gathered up the tools one evening and said yeah i can go into it now as soon as they like then dave and lily pulled down their bed and collected all the miscellaneous pieces of furniture and pots and pans and things about the place which mother said she didn't want and a good many things she didn't say anything at all about and left us and took possession of their new home end of section two section three of dave brings home a wife this is a libravox recording all libravox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit libravox dot org dave brings home a wife by steel rudd chapter 12 dave and lily start housekeeping dave and lily when they shifted into their new house didn't give a ball or a party of any kind to commemorate the occasion they didn't believe in wasting money they went straight to work and put up the bed and arranged the odd pieces of furniture they had gathered in annex from our place then they sat down and wiped the perspiration off themselves and looked at one another across the table and silently contemplated their new surroundings we've no rations in yet lily said after a while or i'd put a fire on and make you a cup of tea then dave strolled down to mother it was nearly a quarter of a mile from dave's house to ours and procured some tea and sugar and a bottle of melon jam and a supply of bread and meat which he carried back in a flower sack and dumped down on the table there you are he said make your tea and we'll have a feed hardly a day passed but what dave made several trips to our place in quest of something or other if it wasn't meat or a jug of milk or the loan of a dish for lily to bake something in that he came for it would be for a few potatoes or a clothes prop or the axe to cut a bit of wood with in fact every article for use or consumption that they required dave came to us for the loan of even to bill's bridal and joe's saddle until there was scarcely anything to be found at our place at all come down the fellow dad used to break out when he'd find the hammer or the axe was missing why the devil doesn't he bring the things back then he would yell for barty and barty would trudge up to dave's place and ask dave if he had the axe yes dave would draw from the sofa where he'd be employed studying an australian song book it's out there ain't it near the wood heap barty would carefully search for the wood heap first then for the axe and finally call out came anywhere here he's not here at all then dave would answer with calm indifference and proceed to spell over more songs but lily who had a good memory would recollect having seen it over near the tree the tree was about a hundred yards off and in loud shrill tones would inform barty of its whereabouts dave would then remember where it was too yes he would call out that's where it is but bring it back when you've done with it i want it again he wants it again party would murmur when delivering the axe to dad and dad would snort damn him that i'd juice with him what him got on ax of his own often lily would require a few things for the house and she'd come along herself and borrow them from mother frequently it was a needle she would require the one she had was broke or perhaps it would be a bit of black cotton to patch dave's dark trousers with she always had a good supply of white cotton sometimes she had two reels of it ours and her own and whenever lily would come sarah would never show out but when she was gone again sarah would emerge from one of the rooms and say to mother what in the name of goodness is she after now that's a third time this morning just a little black thread that's all mother would answer kindly she's meant in davey's dark tweets then sarah would snigger and isn't it nearly time a's been going about with the big tear in those trousers i'm sure for the last fortnight a thing he never can say how to do when he was here i never noticed it mother would put in seeking to excuse lily and he was here with him on only yesterday no of course you didn't and sarah would grin wickedly sarah had a good eye for seeing things but it was humping water that kept dave more in touch with our place than anything else dave was always coming for water when he wasn't coming for a bucket of water he was marching off with one the bucket was rarely out of dave's hand but he might have saved himself a good many trips though if he had had a method but there was never anything methodical about dave the wonder is dave ever twice a day when coming in for dinner and after knocking off at night he would walk right through our place to get a drink at the tank and after gulping two or three pints he'd proceed leisurely home then come back for a bucketful for lily rarely did we ever sit down to a meal without hearing someone at the tap and we always knew it was dave getting a bucket of water dad used to wonder what dave wanted so much water for confounded he'd sometimes growl he'll have the tank empty soon why the juice doesn't he go to the well the well was only about a mile and a half away too but dave never went near it somehow he'd rather draw on us for the last drop of our water than make one trip to the well now and again lily would give dave a spell at humping water and come herself with a new small billy can but she only came on washing days she washed on the same day that mother and sarah did but never at the same hour she always started later she used to have to wait till they were finished with the tub and always when she came with the billy she would inquire when the tub would be available and tell mother to give it to dave when he'll be passing through for dinner mother always forgot to give the tub to dave and he would stroll home empty handed and run back for it when lily asked him where it was the tub was a humbug to dave and he always had to put his head and whiskers inside it to carry it he couldn't manage it any other way because he always took two buckets of water with him as well those were the only occasions when dave showed any ingenuity and a beautiful figure he cut to hobbling along the track under the tub people passing down the road used to shout derisively to him but dave would never look around joe witnessed dave's departure one day and armed himself with a lot of old potatoes to give him a send-off and when dave started to stagger away joe struck the tub with a potato at which barty gafford dave stopped and swung steadily around like a large vessel turning in a river and swore inside the tub dad came round the corner of the house and saw dave and laughed dad was in a good humour that day he had just received a check for 240 pounds from the sale of some bullocks dad rumbled and on the strength of dad's merriment joe aimed another potato at dave and struck the front of the tub then dad changed his manner we never knew anyone to change his manner so rapidly and completely as dad used damn it he roared at joe what the devil are you wasting good potatoes for confound it go away man and do something and dave said by heavens if any of them hits me some of you we'll remember it and he swung round again and plowed up the track irrigating both sides of it with spray from the buckets as he wobbled along and during washing days sara though she wasn't speaking to lily kept a close eye on the latter's clothesline and when lily would be hanging out her things sara from the back veranda would take stock of them then go inside and say to mother tow shirts or dives a quilt a handkerchief and two or three little things of her own is all she put through i declare and she's been all the evening doing that much and when mother wouldn't encourage further disparagement of lily's labours sara would return to the veranda and view the line again in soliloquies when you had me do it for you milady you could put up big enough washing so you could sara had all the qualifications of a generous woman dave and lily became accustomed to their new house and forgot all about its size and shapelessness dave began to take a pride in the establishment too and in his spare moments dug up some ground in front of the door to make a flower garden but no flowers ever grew in dave's garden they never got any encouragement to grow dave never put any in and people going in and out of the house paid no respect to the ground that was dug up they always tramped across it as if it were a grass paddock till it got flattened down and became harder than it was before dave cultivated it then dave thought it wasn't good enough and decided to let it slide it's no use thinking about it he said should i get some pailings put round it and keep the people off dad put in an appearance one sunday morning at dave's place while dave was away watering cows at the windmill well dad said to lily how do you like the new house now it's all right father lily answered contentedly except that the door gets jammed a little somehow lately it won't shut like it used to ah dad said taking hold of the elegant door he had manufactured from some light slabs and hung with green hide hinges and he shoved it shut with his two hands and violently dragged it open again then he got down his knees and scratched some of the ground floor away and blew into the excavation with his mouth and examined the bottom hinge with both his eyes bless me soul he exclaimed no wonder someone's taken the nails out of the hide lily bent down and peered over dad's shoulder at the hinge no one took them out father she said meekly they must have worked out themselves tart tart dad snarled these nails would never work out woman i'll drive them in me self they must have their father lily persisted humbly now how the devil could they dad yelled jumping to his feet and facing his daughter with murder in his eye lily was startled and tottered back against the table and clutched the edge of it and stared at dad that was the first real taste lily got of dad how could they dad repeated if they could then why the devil haven't all of them that i put in the slabs and the rafters and the shingles worked out dad glaring at lily paused for an explanation i don't know she vaulted no you don't dad shouted and i'll tell you because they couldn't for one thing and because no one has ever touched them for another lily stared in silence and confusion at the floor and wished dav would come worked out dad growled contemptuously turning round to the action of the door again rubbish then after a pause have you got a hammer here turning the whites of his eyes up at lily yes i think lily paused and looked nervously about the room no it isn't she jerked out faintly you have it at your own place that's the first time it's been there then dad growled if i were down there and wanted it a hundred times to be up here and pulling open the door again he went off to procure the hammer but dad never returned to fix the door he found gray waiting for him when he reached his own house and took him around to show him some young pigs end of section three section four of dave brings home a wife this is a libravox recording all libravox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit libravox.org dave brings home a wife by steel rudd chapter 13 lily's mother arrives lily came one morning and borrowed our pen and ink and wrote a letter to her mother dear mother it ran i've been expecting to hear from some of yous every day and i've not got a letter yet it's just five months tomorrow dear mother since we got married and it only seems like a week when are you coming to see us make up your mind when you come and stay a month and sissy could come and stay another month after you go back i'm sure she will enjoy it herself it would be a change for her and we would be glad to have her with us this is a real nice place we've got our own house now dear mother which is ever so much nicer than being in someone else's where you never felt you could do what you liked though they were all very kind and all that except sara who is dave's sister and is getting to be an old maid but dave said for me not to take any notice of her and i never do now dear mother i have not much news to tell you and i have dave's dinner to get he is chaff cutting today and will soon be coming dear mother there are some very nice people here and we often have them for company a mrs pills whose husband knows father lost her baby yesterday and it is to be buried today the day before it took sick there was nothing whatever the matter with it but it took convulsions and before mr pills could get enough hot water to put it in the poor little thing was dead it was mrs pills first baby too and everyone about is so sorry over it ps dave is here now and he has brought some eggs in a young kitten with love to all at home i remain dear mother your affectionate daughter lily rudd and in due course lily's mother sent an answer saying she hoped it would find lily and dave quite well and in good health and spirits as it left her at present thank god and accepted the invitation to stay a month and named the day on which she would arrive at the railway station and hoped dave would meet her when the day came around lily was all impatience and excitement she rose a couple of hours earlier than usual and began making preparations decorated the place nailed bags and newspaper pictures and things all over the inside of it she came to mother during the morning too for some baking soda and went back and made a dish full of burnt scones all together she came to mother about 16 times during the morning for one thing and another and every time told her how pleased she was that mother was coming and discussed about her parents age and the colour of her hair before it turned gray and the length of it and the good teeth she had and promised to bring her down some evening to see mother lily didn't tell sarah anything about her parent though sarah was never present when lily was about but sarah was interested in the old lady's visit for all that sarah used to listen to everything lily said and when the latter had left would drop in with a broom in her hand and sweep vigorously round mother where there was no dirt or dust after putting in a few useless strokes with the broom sarah would toss her loose hair back and leaning on the handle remark a wonderful thing isn't it our mother coming you'd think no one else ever had a mother but mother wouldn't encourage sarah to ridicule her sister mother had been young herself once and understood the peculiarities of women and women's peculiarities are many and varied especially young women at midday dave left off the chaff cutting and yoked a horse in the spring cart to go to the railway station for his mother-in-law dad on a round of inspection entered the yard oh what's up now he asked staring in astonishment at dave perched in the cart when he should have been employed cutting chaff going to the railway from mother dave said peru dad yelled mother dave repeated she's common today didn't you know dad swung his two hands about as if you were engaged in a hammer throwing competition and hobbling around the cart looked up hard at dave from the other side i am mad fella he roared why bless me soul ain't your mother in the house and dad tried to force a grin oh i don't mean her dave's niggard me of a mother lails our woman for a second or two dad just stared at dave with all his eyes and mouth then well if you've got so many damned mothers that you've got to waste a whole day running about their tails with a horse and cart the sooner you go and work with some of them all together the better dave was hurt in his dignity by cripes then he growled if you're not careful i will and he drove off dave had to drive to the yard gate then wheel round and come down along the fence to reach the road dad cut across to intercept him and hanging over the wires yelled i know it's going to look after me chaff while you're running about the damned country you can dave shouted you're so bigger and smart and he rattled onto the road leaving nothing but dust and wheel tracks behind for dad to swear at while dave was away at the railway station lilies swept up the ground in front of the new house and gathered the loose chips and bones and empty tins that were lying about and stacked them in a heap then she sat back near the door and hummed tunes and watched the road for signs of the cart's return towards sundown dave with a sinewy talkative little woman beside him in the cart came trotting up to the big white gate is this the place the little woman who was dave's mother-in-law asked fixing her small brown eyes in an admiring kind of way on our place with all the fruit trees and barn and outbuildings and yards and haystacks about it no dave said cheerfully that's the old chips ours is a new place further up and he swung the whip round his head indicating pretty well every part of the compass dave's place sitting among the grass was plain enough for mrs white to see as they drove up but the fact didn't occur to her that it was a dwelling and she looked over the top of it straining her eyes at gray's big house the roof of which was just visible in the dim distance but when dave suddenly cried wow and pulled up in front of his door and lily rushed to the wheel to greet her mrs white noticed it was a residence and her countenance took a turn it changed suddenly the look of joyous lively expectation it had worn all the way from the railway station left it and she seemed inclined to remain in the cart as if the drive hadn't lasted half long enough for her dave with the air of an advance agent for a circus hopped out as nimble and light-footed as a goat you'd think it was the queen or melba or a gold escort he was in charge of not his mother in law at all get as old of your mother he said extending his big hairy hand to the amaze-looking passenger and i'll help you out and she looked as if she wanted helping out some too and without uttering a word without even taking her eyes off the house mrs white scrambled to the ground then lily pounced on her and hugged her hard and repeatedly and told her how pleased she was to see her again and dave said like out for yourselves there and started the horse again and drove to the stable to take the brute out of the cart and left his mother-in-law's handbag in it you don't mean to tell me girl mrs white said when lily took her inside that this is the place you're living in and she stared all around with misery and tears in her eyes well it is lily answered apologetically but you know mother we couldn't get on very well together in the other house and this was put up in a great hurry when they were all so busy but it's only for a while mr red means to have a real good house built for us soon mrs white wrinkled her brow and stared disparagingly at the inoffensive looking furniture it's no place for a man to bring his wife to she said warmly and i'm sure you're not happy in it girl i'd soon i see you camping under a drace so i would but it's not for long mother lily said with an effort to appear cheerful we might be out of it any time now but lily's mother though weedy looking in gray was a stubborn little person and had some deep rooted convictions as to what a comfortable dwelling should be like even if it had been put up well enough she snapped gazing at the coalition roof a mixture of decayed shingle and kerosene tin flattened out with a hammer it's not big enough for a pigeon box then after lowering her eyes and making further discoveries oh dear oh dear why there isn't a board on the floor well i wanted them to put lily it's a shame mrs white squealed interrupting her daughter and if they can't afford the better house for you to live in then this then you must come back home i never saw such a place it's worse than a lock up i'd sooner be in a lock up it's a pig's die to take you away from your good home too and dump you here in such a kennel oh dear dear what a sin lifting her voice to a shriek it's a crime and if you catch your death of cold in it my girl it will be murder and i'll tell him as soon as he comes in and mrs white would have walked up and down too she was so angry but there wasn't any room for exercising in dave's house dave's house wasn't built for a gymnasium now mother lily pleaded the tears running down her cheeks don't don't do that don't say anything to dave about it it's not his fault he has done all he can do it's all mr ruds then i'll tell him what i think of the house he has put you into and what i think of him too mrs white screeched shaking her head angrily how would he like to see his own daughter here lily heard dave coming along whistling up the track and silencing her mother hurried to lay the table for supper well mother dave said bowling in with a broad grin on his bearded face what do you think of our castle the blood rushed to mrs white's cheeks but she kept down her emotions pretty well and with a fair amount of composure said well i hope you don't intend to live in it all your life that's all about jav now dave answered with glad assurance i knew five ring place soon out of the next barley the old man was talking about it only this morning well i know what old men are and i'd keep him to it mrs white said with another shake of her head and she said it in a disagreeably pleasant way too mrs white had a lot of intuition about she had never seen dad in her life yet she seemed to know the kind of man he was just by studying dave's house well come on dave said changing the subject and we'll have something to eat and we get the ground and sat at supper and the meal passed off almost in silence dave never a brilliant conversationalist was too hungry to talk and lily was kept too busy pouring out tea for him to say much while the odd scraps of furniture and the poverty-stricken appearance of the walls and the patched roof with the moon and stars peeping through at her absorbed most of mrs white's troubled thoughts now and then she would glance uneasily from the little broken down couch on which she sat to the entrance to the bedroom which was screened by a dangling sack as though the solution of some serious problem was agitating her mind whether she was to seek repose for the night on the couch or under dave's bed or on top of the house but she didn't reveal her thoughts dave finished eating and broke in on the silence he said you ought to know the two hundred and fifty paying check for bullocks this morning lou and lean back as if he were jimmy tyson the millionaire goodness lily answered opening her eyes in astonishment another two hundred and fifty pounds that's five hundred pounds the last fortnight yes dave drawled stooping down and handing the cat a plug of meat on the end of a fork then turning slowly to mrs white that's a good price they got mother five hundred pounds for sixty three year old bollocks and i'll have more ready in a month dave's mother-in-law's countenance underwent another change her eyes lit up and she stared at her son-in-law as though she had suddenly discovered he was an unpretentious millionaire and who's is all that money she asked to make certain her surmise was correct house dave said more colonial and helped the cat to more meat then mrs white stared harder than ever at dave and looked around again at the miserable wretched furniture and smiled an incredulous smile until lily thought it proper to make an explanation at least we don't get all that money dave lily said looking at her husband oh no dave drawled addressing his mother-in-law the old man gets it but we all make it you know it belongs to the lord of us when we want anything he went on for her general information we get it don't matter what it is a horse or a cart trip to town beat orations a few bob anything it's always there lil gets what she wants to just the same turning to lil with a grin i'm going down in the morning to ask the old man for a quid wonder what he'll say and your father has everything then mrs white said this time with a pained puzzled expression oh yes dave answered everything except lil and then he grinned but mrs white didn't join in dave's joke she scowled and sat considering hard and after a while she looked compassionately at lily and said well i don't know where you're going to put me child but i feel quite done up and must go to bed somewhere or other lily explained that dave would sleep on the floor in the front room and that her mother could take his place in her bed then apologizing to dave for leaving him in the dark she took the lamp and showed her mother the way in dave with his boots off and his feet resting on the table sat planning the program for the morrow's work after a while lily called out did you take a bag of mothers out of the cart dave dave reflected no he said i never well it must be in it yet lily answered anxiously coming out of the room and she wants it her nightgown is in it oh dave grunted wish i hadn't known before pulling off my boots those cows have had the cart out since too getting green stuff for the pigs then dragging his blue chazon again he trudged off to the shed dave struck a match and searched the cart but no bag was there flaring lights and a lot of noise and rioting going on in the barn attracted him he went to the door and looked in joe was there careering around in the nightdress and swinging the handbag about while bill and tom and barty laughed and husked cobs and threw them at him here dave said indignantly stepping in and approaching joe i'm looking for that why couldn't you leave it where it was oh oh joe chuckled dragging the garment over his hat it's yours is it is that what you wear when you get married the huskers laughed do all married coves have to wear them more mirth never mind dave answered seriously snatching the long white robe from joe and marching off with it over his arm like a coat and carrying the bag in his hand and as he went out a cob of corn struck the side of the door in close proximity to his head scattering grains all around like a chart of shot one of which stung dave in the ear dave jumped round now who the deuce was that he said running his eye over the others bill and tom dropped their heads between their knees and gilded and husked vigorously joe standing in the middle of the floor gave a short laugh and barty with a guilty look on his face rose to his feet and began looking for openings in the wall yo crawler dave said rushing at barty and flogging him round the barn with the ornamental end of the nightdress unable to escape barty turned in a corner and stood at bay fling another your cobs at me willy dave hissed slashing again at him barty showed his teeth and seized hold of the garment and clung to it dave gave a fierce wrench to release it and all the frills came away with a rip and a tear and remained with barty my heavens you're Tory dave said alarmed looking and he paused to examine the damage then barty left the corner with a bound and bolted for the door loud boisterous laughter rang after him and the north and south ends of him were hit hard with cobs and small pumpkins as he dived through into the darkness did you get it lily asked as dave strode in with the habiliment in his hand yes i got it all right dave said tossing the garment to her lily stared goodness me you needn't have opened it she said oh i didn't open it dave answered starting to pull off his boots again and lily turned and went into her mother what on earth has happened to it mrs white exclaimed it was rolled in brown paper in my bag i do declare the dogs or something have been added tow layered dogs dave drawled planting his big stocking feet on the table again and leaning back contentedly and as he reflected on the episode the humour of it all seemed to strike him and lifting his voice he added it was jack the jet he had it on when i went down and a low rumbling noise intended for a laugh came from him headed on mrs white shrieked from the bedroom my nightgown who why what oh the savages take it away lily i wouldn't have it near me take it away child and give me my petticoat my gracious me what kind of barbarians are you amongst at all are you in dave a harsh voice called from outside dave recognizing it shouted come on in jimmy we're all year after and jimmy reagan the wild harem scarum of the district groped his way in at the door find a seat somewhere there jimmy dave said hospitably lord will be here directly won't stay long jimmy rejoined speaking in a loud voice and leaning against the wall gotta go around to all gray yet to see if he'll stop out the couple of days he owes me brother for thrashing but what i've come for is the loan of a nag can you lend us one to go to town on tomorrow dave dave required some time to consider and jimmy rattled on saw you flying along the railway this evening dave but you were too high up to look my way who was the old girl with all the ribbons and things on that you was bucket up to in the car dave shuffled his feet uneasily the thinnest harmful i ever see dave tried to shove the table down to make a noise but it was built into the ground by heaven she were a freak and the way she but jimmy was suddenly interrupted what is that brood saying lily came in shrill tones from the interior of the bedroom dave didn't wait to hear any more he sprang to his feet and kicked over a gin case which hardly made any noise either and groped in the dark for jimmy and said quietly come out here jimmy followed dave and they walked a short distance from the house what the devil's the matter jimmy asked standing and staring into dave's face she heard you dave answered in low cautious tones dashy she heard everything you said but that weren't the wife's voice jimmy replied more mystified than ever nah from dave it's my mother-in-law there didn't you know it was her i was bringing in the cart jimmy jumped in the air jimmy was enlightened oi he exclaimed stepping back a pace and looking more concerned than ever eat i put me foot in it why didn't you give us a hint then dave in his own agreeable fashion excused jimmy told him it didn't matter and added that he could have the loan of a horse in the morning if he came up for it before the old man was up heavens jimmy chuckled at the sound of mrs white's voice again she's rearing yet and turned to go away he said i wouldn't go in there again dave without a gun for the best horse you've gotten the paddock and a billet all the year round dave grinned in the dark and without any gun went inside and faced the music for nothing end of section four section five of dave brings home a wife this is a libra vox recording all libra vox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit libra vox dot org dave brings home a wife by steel rudd chapter 14 lily's mother meets dad tired and all as mrs white was and notwithstanding she shared the best bed in the house she hardly slept a wink that night and blamed dave for her bad night's rest i never heard such a man to snore she said complainingly to lily in the morning oh the whole blessed night is simply raw than groaned it was hideous i don't know how on earth you stand it girl ah yes but he's always so tired mother after his hard day's work lily answered putting on her clothes and see how early he goes to the yard he has always to dress himself by lamp light but i never notice him snoring much now he's not nearly so bad as he used to be and she went out to prepare the breakfast oh dear mrs white sighed and turned over in the bed a glorious early autumn morning the air clear and crisp all was life and stir at ruddville families of cockatoos clambered and chattered up in the gully small birds chirped and tweaked from the trees in the fence tops a stock whip cracked at intervals in the big grass paddock the horses came galloping and careering in a mob of cows of every color gathered at the yard and a hundred calves were bellowing in the pens mrs white rose and went out into the fresh air and stood studying the scene at intervals she would turn from the picture that our place with the green trees and rows of great haystacks about it presented to dave's grotesque little house the grim ludicrous aspect of which was accentuated by the light of day and shake her gray head and murmur plaintively dear dear dear a number of cows that had been milked and released in the yard wandered up and surrounded dave's place sniffing and licking the ground where lily had thrown the salt dishwater all sleek well-bred cows too with roomy fleshless udders and mrs white was admiring them when dave staggered up the track carrying a jug of milk for the breakfast in one hand a bucket of water in the other a leg rope that he was to mend over one arm a half coil of wire to make a clothesline out of around his neck a billy of ripe tomatoes which mother brought to the yard for him to give to lily in his teeth and a large crown pumpkin on his head morning mother dave said through his nose them's good milk is and he staggered inside breathing noisily and unloaded himself dave poured some of the water into a dish and sluiced himself with it then he joined mrs white and rubbing his face and beard hard with the towel to dry himself said looking at the cattle you don't often see cows like their mother that's a little milker pointing to a red beast if you had a thousand like her you'd be worth something twenty five quarts a day she's been given for the last eleven months and i'll got her for ten pounds wow beauty poor little beauty approaching the brute and rubbing and scratching her back affectionately that's the sort of cow mother can milk her anywhere now anything about a cow mother dave stepped back from the cow and grinned a learned sort of grin tanged everyone does the old man's been among cow all his life and they can't tell one yet running his eye through the cattle you think that one there'd give a good lot of milk wouldn't she pointing out a strawberry with a low dragging udder mrs white thought the cow would wow she don't give enough to keep a kid dave chuckled see that little cow there mrs white did wow he wouldn't think that that big brindle bullock just coming up here was a son of theirs and dave grinned an admiring kind of grin breakfast lily called from the house and dave giving his hairy arms a final scrub with the towel started to lead the way in that's the queen he said shooing an old warrior out of the way as he approached the door she's a cow that poke mother i was nearly shooting her too for it the old devil they sat down to breakfast and dave piled sufficient salt junk and fried potatoes under his mother-in-law's plate to satisfy several men dave was not a mean man with that's a good bit of meat mother dave said munching ravenously himself a great little bullock that came off of mrs white merely nodded kill all our own beef mother dave went on with pride in his eye then spudges all our own grown too i suppose you don't see many spuds like them down your way hey mother mrs white remarked that the potatoes they got at prosperity were very good indeed ah but though dave enthused you want to see the ones we are in the bottom pity they are whoppers turning to his wife with hunger still lurking in his eye any old melon jam left lily lily produced a pickle bottle half full this is all our own making mother dave continued upending the bottle and raking the contents onto his plate with a table knife mrs white stared at dave's plate then at the empty bottle but didn't say anything she didn't help herself to any jam either well dave yawned contentedly rising from the table and stretching out his arms which reached from one wall to the other then goll go down now and tackle the old chap for that pound lill there's no hurry for it his wife answered carelessly i won't be wanting it for a day or two yet marl is well get it and be done with it though well i think of it dave replied and putting on his hat went off whistling that old man must be making piles of money mrs white said reflectively standing at the door when dave had departed and gazing again over rudville you've no idea how much he's getting mother lily said her cheeks starting to glow with the pride of relationship to dad ninety pounds a month dave says he gets for milk i forget what the check was he got this year for wheat whether it was four hundred or five there was five hundred pounds i know for bullocks and sixty or eighty for pigs then look at all the chaff and other things he sells and he has ever so much land i don't know how many thousand acres and yet mrs white sighed with a gloomy shake of her head with all that money this is the kind of place he puts up for his son to live in what a mean miserable old vagabond he must be and she turned her head and cast another sickly glance at the interior of dave's castle lily turned crimson her enthusiasm suddenly left her and she plunged into the breakfast things to clear them away in half an hour dave returned but he wasn't whistling he was pale as a ghost and in a violent temper cripes he said dropping on the couch and striking the table hard with his old felt hat he's an old dog by christopher what on earth has happened lily asked alarmed looking happened by cripes a good job for him he's not someone else's father or something would have happened by the wall surely to goodness you haven't been quarreling over that blessed pound lily put in apprehensively if he often made 10 pounds i wouldn't take it now dave yelled striking the table again with his hat by heavens he's a thankless old rich by cripes i wouldn't take any notice of him dave i just ah he's an old devil but i wouldn't have asked him for anything this morning dave if he was in attempt by cripes he would be a long time before i ask him for anything again by holy then dave put on his hat and walked round the house several times muttering by cripes by holy and when the torrent of his wrath subsided took the coil of wire and went off to erect the clothesline an hour later dad appeared he approached the spot where dave was struggling with the clothesline and roared how much more time are you gonna waste up here that's old mr. red lily terrified looking whispered to her mother on hearing dad's voice where's my hat mrs. white cried glancing hurriedly about the room with fire flashing from her eyes i wouldn't go out mother i wouldn't he's in a fearful temper lily pleaded now don't but mrs. white snatched up the hat nearest to her an old one of lilies and out she stepped dad stopped short and glared round on hearing the voice of a female beside him you're mr. red mrs. white said with a tremor in her voice squaring herself in front of dad and looking up into his angry face dad glowered down at mrs. white in the way that a bulldog in the act of worrying something might turn to contemplate the unexpected presence of a cat i'm lilies mother throwing a swift glance back at the house in the open door of which the lily with her hands clasped before her well dad growled what if you are then i want to ask you if you think that a humpy like that mrs. white pointed her lean finger contemptuously at dave's house it's a fit place for a woman to live in dad was astounded he opened his mouth and eyes and for a moment or two glared in astonishment then why won't the devil of you got to know with it he bellowed bending down and poking his beard right into mrs. white's face a great deal a great deal i have everything to do with it mrs. white screeched stamping her little foot and clenching her bony fists and just don't you think you can frighten me and don't you use your low language on me either i am that girl's mother and if you think any old pigsty of a place that doesn't cost you anything to put up is good enough to throw her into then i tell you it's like your impudence is it your place dad shouted oh it isn't my place and i wouldn't have and dad threw up his arms to wave her away it is my business and i won't be off not a single inch mrs. white shrieked stamping her foot again when i see the wretched shed that you ask my daughter to live in it's my business to tell you that you ought to be well ashamed of yourself so you ought look at it pointing her finger again dave's house look at it look at the hold you ask her to live in not a chimney not even a veranda nothing but a pile of dirty old slugs and shingles that would never keep out a drop of rain they're not even nailed on properly get away with your insolence woman dad broke out violently come found you it isn't fit to house calves in there are hundreds of calfpans pettices in comparison with it dammit dad yelled clear off with you or i'll go and pull the whole thing down and well you might mrs. white hissed and well you might it wouldn't be hard it wouldn't want much pulling to fetch it down the wonder is it hasn't fallen down on the heads long ago the pile of rubbish that it is dad held with indignation and murder in his eye do you know whose property this is your standard on woman i know whose property it wouldn't be if everyone had their own if your son had his due for all that he has done for you it would be his you're a liar woman it would mrs. white shouted it would and you know it but he hasn't he hasn't anything you give him nothing you take everything out of him and grind and grind him down and drive him and use him and starve him as if he was nothing more than a working block to you and when he dares to ask you for a party pound you blag at him and you abuse him you do so you what dad yelled jumping into the air what you're not a man mrs. white rattled on there's nothing of the man about you and you're not a christian you're a mean selfish old screw so you are you are you are stamping her foot after every are to the devil out of this to the devil with your screaming here you runt of a woman you you tomcat dad held placing his big hands on mrs. white's shoulders and shoving her from him out of here or i'll throw you into the road keep your hands off mrs. white shrieked keep your hands off of me dare you strike a woman and she turned and lifted a huge gum stick that was lying at her feet and struck at dad and hissed and cowered at every stroke dad foamed and moved backwards for a while receiving the blows manfully on his uplifted arm he said at last and turned from his assailant with his back humped then mrs. white brought the stick down hard on his shoulders squealing in accompaniment brood would you curse a respectable woman then dad started to run and mrs. white ran too she pursued him for 20 yards or more then gave up and heaved the stick after him squealing cow it cow it cow it dad didn't stop or make any attempt to retire gracefully or undercover a fire dad made straight for his own house dad had met his waterloo and dave who through all the combat had stood open mouthed and with awe on his face expecting every moment to witness a tragic end to his mother-in-law regarded the result of the encounter with the liveliest satisfaction he dropped in the grass and wriggled and chuckled and scratched and kicked up earth at dad's ludicrous retreat mrs. white pale and perspiring her fragile frame trembling with excitement and anger returned to lily get me some water child she gasped oh my gracious and she flopped down in a heap on the couch holding her two hands over her heart it'll kill me child i'll drop i'll drop oh that brute of a man to upset me so lily rushed in with a cup of water and her mother eagerly swallowed it all up then lay back on the couch moaning it'll kill me oh it'll kill me dad reached the garden in safety and slammed the handgate behind him with violence he swore at the top of his voice too with the dog and kicked at the brute when it bounded up to him and whimpered affectionately as if congratulating him on his escape dad hurried up the steps and tripped against a rocking chair and turned and used violent language to it and booted it along the veranda and when it didn't go to pieces lifted it in his hand and heaved it into the top of a peach tree whatever is the matter mother said coming on the scene don't come near me don't come near me woman dad yelled oh man a terrible temper and away he hobbled to his room mother followed puzzled looking but dad closed the door and locked himself in and for an hour or more nothing but blasphemy mingled with heavy groans came from dad's room dad was a bad loser end of section five section six of dave brings home a wife this is a libra vox recording all libra vox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit libra vox.org dave brings home a wife by steel rudd chapter 15 dad holds a post mortem while dad was sulking in his room a valuable jersey cow that had cost us 15 pounds tried to jump into the lucerne near the house and got caught in the wires and hung by the legs straining and kicking and tearing strips of flesh from every limb in her frantic efforts to get free mother ran to dad's door and called out excitedly dad bellowed back oh dear dear mother murmured joining sarah who with the ax in her hand approached the troubled beast she'll kill herself she will and that one of the boys about sarah hacked at the fence until she severed the wire then the cow struggled onto her feet and ran on the lucerne and began eating ravenously then dad appeared on the veranda what the devil do you want destroy on the fence for he yelled what else could we do sarah answered angrily you could have undone it dad yelled louder undone it sarah sneered why didn't you come then and undo it yourself oh i see if you give me any importance here dad with a determined stride moved towards the steps as though he meant to descend and swallow sarah ax and all but when halfway down he stopped and waving his hand roared sarah ran round the cow and drove her out and proceeded to barricade the gap in the fence with some sticks that were lying about then dad growling to himself returned to his room and locked himself in again half an hour later willy wily mcdonald's orphan boy rushed onto the veranda in a state of excitement where's mr. rodd he said to mother the wants him at walkers sam walker has hung herself with a leg group hung himself mother and sarah exclaimed in the same yes hung herself willy gasped just now this morning oh his poor wave mother moaned and they're not even three months married sarah sighed the wants mr. rodd to come quick willy added because he's hanging yet oh gracious me and mother hurried to dad's room again what has it to do with me what do i want with him dad held let him hang the devil take him pity there wasn't some mooring and with him mother pleaded through the keyhole with dad and reminded him that he was a justice of the peace to the devil with the justice of the peace dad shouted i don't know what i know it's come over the man mother groaned returning to the veranda then she sent sarah down the paddock to summon one of the boys who was it wanted me dad growled coming from his room at last they want you over at walkers mother explained quietly the poor man has hanged himself with a rope the best thing could happen to him dad grunted descending the steps slowly the best thing at the garden gate he looted a while then glancing along the lucerne paddock fence called out that panel fixed up mother said that sarah had seen to it slendered dad shouted those bits of sticks wouldn't keep a hint out tell some of those fellas when they come in demanded properly very well very well mother answered and dad directed his steps towards walkers he had hardly covered 10 yards of the way when his restless eyes settled on the new spring cart standing in the glaring hot sun damn it all he muttered snapping his fingers couldn't found it look at that and he hurried back to the garden fence oh that juice left a card out there he roared mother hadn't the slightest idea although i'm to put it in or i'll put a stop to them touching it at all mother said she would dad grunting turned away again and tripped over a long handled shovel lying in the grass i just take those devils up their eyes who left this here he howl mother looked puzzled then dad lifted the implement and heaved it savagely into the garden and broke the handle against a peach tree if they had to do their work without implements at all he grumbled they know how to look after things better than they and again he headed for walkers as he passed out the big white gate little mary murphy barefooted and picking her way tenderly through the prickly tufts of dead bathast burr strewn over the hard road charlie accosted him please mr. wud mary said glancing up timidly from beneath a large calico bonnet me mother says would you oblige father with a lend of the spring cart to go to town and tomorrow no i won't i'll lend no spring cart damn the spring cart dad blurted out i didn't buy it to lend around the country then he went on again leaving mary standing on the road with her head down and her finger in her mouth when about 50 yards from the gate a thin voice screeched after dad keep your dirty old cart dad jumped round and saw mary regardless of bare feet and bathast burr running for dear life when dad arrived at walkers farm quite a crowd of sad helpless looking spectators had gathered in sympathy there what's up dad asked abruptly pushing his way through them like a policeman sam's thrown a sponge up young reagan answered pointing to the body dangling in the doorway of the shed that served as the dairy slipped as wind the others grinned mournfully at reagan dad contemplated the grim spectacle in silence for a moment or two just as he might have regarded a sheep on the gamble then made a nice picture himself he growled and taking off his hat poked his head in between the hanging body and the doorpost to survey the interior of the dairy dad was more interested in milk dishes than he was in suicides well i got him down young reagan asked advancing to the hanging form with an open pocket knife in his hand ought to be nearly time now not at all dad yelled authoritatively leave him worry billions of employees come unless you want to be suspected of having a hand in it supposing the chap ain't dead but reagan persisted well suppose any eight dad answered won't make any difference he'll have to hang there just the same it's the law the law i don't see much sense in them the other sneered closing his knife with a look of disappointment no of course you don't dad replied you wouldn't see any sense and be in range yourself if you killed a man would you then dad grinned triumphantly on the crowd all of whom grinned in turn at reagan's discomforture reagan said rot and slunk away then dad seeing mrs. walker grieving beside the water cask approached her dad didn't put his arms around mrs. walker he didn't condol with her either or offer her any words of encouragement at all dad was present in his official capacity what put it into his head to play the fool like that he asked pointing to the corpse mrs. walker couldn't offer any reason for the deed at all sure you wasn't nagging at him dad said sternly like all you know the woman sobbed my husband was fond of me he always said he loved me so much yes dad mumbled turning away from her it looks like a dozen then giving final injunctions to all present not to interfere with the body or anything about the place till the police arrived dad said he'd send a wire and retraced his steps home end of section six section seven of dave brings home a wife this is libra vox recording all libra vox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit libra vox.org dave brings home a wife by steel rud chapter 16 dad relents for two days after his encounter with mrs. white dad was unapproachable he moped on the veranda sulking and brooding like a bear with a bad head if you went near him or ventured to ask him anything he'd break into violent language and roar at you to clear the devil but one evening he went for a short walk and after returning cooled down and took mother into his confidence they talked about dave's house well it's not a good enough one for them father mother said persuasively not nearly not when we have so much money and you can so well afford to pay for a better one very well then very well dad said oh you know whatever they like makes no difference to me the carpenter's at graze will be finished up there in a day or so and i'll see what they'll put one up for a four-roomed house mother suggested with a veranda all around would be good enough whatever they like dad answered whatever they like they can have a ten roomed one for all i care mother smiled at dad and said and what you should also do father is allow dave now that he is married something a week and let him keep his wife and his own house out of it it would be more satisfactory for them dad conceded cheerfully to mother's suggestion if he'd rather have it that way certainly why not he got about it long ago if he'd ask so would have been all the same to me then after reflecting what do we give him dad's generosity was running away with him thirty shelling's a week or two pounds would be enough mother suggested give him two pounds or two pounds too dad answered mother smiled again i'll smug it two pounds too and dad rose and was walking up and down the veranda when suddenly he gave a loud roar confounded he exclaimed coming to a standstill done found it whatever is the matter mother said staring after dad bless my soul and dad started walking fast what on earth is wrong man mother followed dad along the veranda with an alarm look on her face the devil tiger stopping and swinging his clenched fist about the devil tiger that wire and dad snapped his fingers and looked at mother but to mother dad was unintelligible are you going crazy man she asked i forgot to send it woman to send it to the place mother understood oh dear dear she moaned the poor woman oh my and all this time and mother looked reproachfully at dad tom tom dad bellowed through the house then turning to mother on the falls i suppose i've left him hanging there all this time bill bill to mother again they wouldn't have since enough to cut him down i suppose tom buddy but there was no response to dad's yells wow the devil they got to it all he raved bill tom joe with a tired walk strolled in from the paddock where he had been plowing all day why the juice ain't some of your belt when you wanted dad yelled to him joe stared wonderingly at dad then broke into a smile don't stand there grinning like a wild cat dad roared get a horse pillow and go to the railway and send a telegram for the police at once police joe answered puzzled looking what the deuce do you want with the police confound it get the horse and dad threw out his two arms and stamped his foot at joe joe continued to smile you idiot will you stand there all day that poor man mother put in for joe's information is still hanging and there was a pale piteous look in mother's face joe gave a short snigger he said we buried him days ago and he turned away what dad yelled breaking into a fresh fit of frenzy and hobbling after joe what who told you to hang it i did me self joe snapped turning and facing dad again you did you meddled with the law you idiot you you do you know look here joe said interrupting dad i think you'd better send a wire for a water that's what you want then he left dad and went off to feed the horses end of section seven section eight of dave brings home a wife this is a libra vox recording all libra vox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit libra vox dot org dave brings home a wife by steel rudd chapter 17 dad forgets the past i think you're a good deal to blame yourselves mrs white said when lily and dave told her of dad's generosity i do indeed and i really believe you'd have had a good house from the very beginning if you had only had the courage to stick out for it it takes you to talk to your mother dave drawled in cheerful admiration of his mother-in-law and so could you talk to him so could anyone if they had a bit of go in them mrs white snapped after all i believe your father's the best man of the lot of you he's only what you've all made him dave grinned a hard senseless sort of grin and mumbled well i don't know but i do know his mother-in-law retorted anyone with half an a would know well it doesn't matter now lily put it in pleasantly weird to get a good house and an allowance and that's everything mother yes that's the main thing dave said and went off for a bucket of water sara was the only one who disapproved of dad building another house for dave and lily i don't know what they want with a place like she said when dad at dinner one day was boasting of having let the contract for 300 pounds the one they're living in ought to be quite good enough for them mother made an effort to console sara but sara was a hard girl to silence when she felt she had a grievance i don't know she sneered tossing the spoons recklessly into the cups and making a lot of unnecessary noise with them some people seem to be able to get anything they want or others can't get anything at all no matter what they do for it what's up with you what the juice do you want now dad said savagely there's a great many things i want but i don't seem to be able to get any of them and sara flashed her eyes on dad well what in the devil are they plenty here sara broke into tears i've not added sobbing decent dress that i could go out in but i don't know when god bless my soul dad rod what the juice do i know about your dress don't be silly girl mother said soothingly to sara and the saddle i've got a ride in go look at it go and get yourself a better one then dad bellowed come found it do you think i carry everything about in me pocket with me again mother pleaded with sara i was gonna get hoses sara and the mischief with you dad yelled desperately and jumped up and bolted from the table in less than a week the carpenters had the timber on the ground and once more a new house was going up for dave dad used to leave the yard or the paddock or wherever he happened to be about 20 times a day and stroll up to see how the building was getting along and he'd yarn and stare about and examine nails and putty and things lying around and get in the way of the men and keep them back i used to do a bit of carpenton myself once dad said boastingly to the contractor one evening and the contractor a quiet man with hard immovable features said yes i saw you putting up that place there and he pointed with a chisel to dave's little gun yeah well yes yes quite so quite so dad answered coloring a little but i only meant that one to stand or this one went up well i think it'll do that the contractor said quietly unless the wind happens to rise within the next few weeks then dad cleared his throat and went away to attend to the cows dave's humpy was a subject which dad didn't care to discuss much with strangers well how you enjoying yourself dad said cheerfully saluting mrs white who was standing in dave's doorway one afternoon mrs white nearly fell down with surprise and before she could recover control of her feelings dad had invited her to come and look at the new building come on he said come on i want to show it to you mrs white in her haste to secure a hat fouled lily and knocked a dish of cream out of her hand and forgot to apologize or pick any of it up i think you'll like it dad said proudly as they stepped across the grass tears came into mrs white's eyes and her breath seemed to leave dad's magnanimity was too much for her where you are he said indicating the framework with a sweep of his hand there's the bedroom and this here is where they'll eat it'll be lovely mrs white said gazing round and i'm sure they should be grateful to you mr rod so long as they are satisfied dad said in an offhanded sort of way i am well it matter a straw to me then taking up the plans he explained the architecture of the building in detail and in the interests of convenience mrs white suggested several alterations all of which dad though he didn't exactly see the sense of them readily accepted and he instructed the contractor to carry them out and raised consultations and angry discussions amongst the men when you're going away dad inquired on taking leave of mrs white mrs white thought she wouldn't be going home for a few days not till saturday well dad said come to the racist with us tomorrow and on saturday morning i'll drive you to the railway station in the buggy and that night while mrs white at tea eulogized dad to davin lily and said he was a fine old man dad at our table spoke of no one but mrs white a splendid woman he said a woman of the world a woman where the business had believed me end of section eight end of dave brings home a wife by steel red