At The End
Of Those Weeks A Travelling Chinese Carpenter Arrived At The Station With
Such Excellent Common-Sense Ideas Of What A Bush Homestead Should Be,
That He Had Been Engaged To Rebuild It.
His plans showed a wide-roofed building, built upon two-foot piles, with
two large centre rooms opening into
Each other and surrounded by a deep
verandah on every side; while two small rooms, a bathroom and an office,
were to nestle each under one of the eastern corners of this deep
twelve-foot verandah. Without a doubt excellent common-sense ideas; but,
unfortunately, much larger than the supply of timber. Rough-hewn posts
for the two-foot piles and verandah supports could be had for the
cutting, and therefore did not give out; but the man used joists and
uprights with such reckless extravagance, that by the time the skeleton
of the building was up, the completion of the contract was impossible.
With philosophical indifference, however, he finished one room
completely; left a second a mere outline of uprights and tye-beams;
apparently forgot all about the bathroom and office; covered the whole
roof, including verandahs, with corrugated iron; surveyed his work with a
certain amount of stolid satisfaction; then announcing that "wood bin
finissem," applied for his cheque and departed; and from that day nothing
further has been done to the House, which stood before us "mostly
verandahs and promises."
Although Mac's description of the House had been apt, he had sadly
underrated the furniture.
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