
A headstrong young sailor, barely out of his teens, impulsively marries Lily, a shy, impoverished girl who has been eking out a living as a housemaid. He sees her exhaustion and decides she deserves rest, whisking her away from the cramped boarding house and promising a modest but hopeful future together. Their early days are a whirlwind of brief, stolen moments between voyages, filled with tender affection and the nervous excitement of a new marriage.
When Guthrie finally returns, he discovers that Lily has given birth to a delicate infant, and the couple must quickly turn their fleeting happiness into a stable home. With the help of loyal friends and a caring landlady, they prepare a modest house, complete with a celebratory supper and a launch to carry Lily and her baby across the bay. The scene captures the fragile joy of a young family stepping into domestic life, hopeful that love and perseverance will guide them through the uncertainties ahead.
Language
en
Duration
~8 hours (500K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Col Choat. HTML version by Al Haines.
Release date
2003-07-01
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1844–1926
An English-born writer who made colonial Australia vividly real in novels, poems, and memoirs, she became one of the best-known literary voices of her time. Her work often brings everyday domestic life, faith, love, and the Australian landscape into sharp, human focus.
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