he same consideration as the more fortunate individual who possesses
what he lacks. Only if he be a loafer, or dishonest, or otherwise
positively objectionable, will any man find himself under the ban of
colonial society. And this society is not a mere set of wealthy
exclusives banded together against the rest of the world; it comprehends
everybody.

One sees in the streets abundant evidence of these conditions of social
relationship. In the first place, costume goes for little or nothing.
Men--I am coming to your sex presently, ladies!--men wear just what they
please at all times and in all places, and without remark from others.
One sees men apparelled in all sorts of ways; and it would be impossible
to guess at a man's condition from his coat, hereaway.

In Queen Street once, I saw a well-dressed and thriving store-keeper
touch his hat to a ragged, disreputable-looking individual, who was
carrying a hod full of bricks, where some building operations were going
on. It was a sudden impulse of old habit, I suppose, which had wrung
that very uncolonial salute from the sometime valet to his former
master, in whose service he had originally come out. I knew of one case
where master and servant actually came to change places, and I may add,
to their mutual advantage eventually.

A man would not be likely to receive an invitation to the governor's
ball unless he had some pretensions to gentility, or was locally
important. Yet, I suppose that the recipient of such an invite might
turn up at Government House in a grey jumper and moleskins, if he were
so minded, and would pass unquestioned. In such a case it would only be
surmised that Mr. So-and-so was "not doing very well at present."

Women, as a rule, dress "to death;" and the more gorgeous the toilette
the more likely is it that the wearer is unmarried, and a worker of some
sort. The merest Irish slut can earn her ten shillings a week as a
domestic, besides being found in everything; and better-class girls get
proportionately more; so it is not surprising that they can clothe
themselves in fine raiment. But there is no rule to go by--the
expensively dressed woman may be either mistress or maid, and the plain
cotton gown may clothe either as well. Only one thing is certain, the
Auckland woman of any class will dress as well as she knows how, on her
own earnings or her husband's.

We new-chums observe one or two peculiarities of this kind as we stroll
about the city, an