f the shanty floor, which is raised on the
piles, so the edge of the flooring forms a bench to sit on in front of
the fire. The fire used simply to be built up on the stones, in the
middle of this chimney-place; but, after a year or two, we imported an
American stove, with its useful appliances, from Auckland.

Our shanty is the habitation of some half-dozen of us, year out and year
in. There are in the district a good many settlers of the
middle-classes. Men of some education, who would be entitled to the
designation of "gentleman" in Europe. Of such sort are we. Some of us
are landowners, and some have no capital, being simply labourers. Which
is which does not matter. I shall not particularize, as each and all
have the same work to do, and live in exactly the same style. There is
brotherhood and equality among us, which is even extended to some who
would _not_ be called by that old-world title just alluded to, anywhere
at all. We do not recognize class distinctions here much. We take a man
as we find him; and if he is a good, hearty, honest fellow, that is
enough for us.

A good many of us come from the classes in England among whom manual
labour is considered low and degrading. That is, unless it is undertaken
solely for amusement. Out here we are navvies, day-labourers, mechanics,
artisans, anything. At home, we should have to uphold the family
position by grinding as clerks on a miserable pittance, or by toiling in
some equally sedentary and dull routine of life. If we attempted to
work there as we work here, we should be scouted and cut by all our
friends.

Out here we have our hardships, to be sure; we have got to learn what
roughing it really means. It is no child's play, that is certain. But
here, an industrious man is always getting nearer and nearer to a home
and a competence, won by his toil. Can every one in the old country, no
matter how industrious, say that of himself? Is it not too often the
poor-house, or the charity of friends, that is the only goal of
labouring-class and middle-class alike, in overcrowded Britain? Does
patient industry invariably lead to a better fortune for the declining
years in England? We know that it does here.

This is enough for one digression, though. Be it understood, then, that
we are not horny-handed sons of toil by birth. We were once called
gentlemen, according to the prevailing notions of that caste at home.
Here, the very air has dissolved all those ancient prejud