1 1 2 My New Zealand Garden 



cooking, washing, everything, with only some 

 help during harvest and shearing times. 



I once saw a woman, quite by herself, success- 

 fully operating upon a crop with reaper and 

 binder. Perhaps she and her husband had 

 agreed to change places, like a couple before 

 them ' You shall mind the baby, and I'll guide 

 the plough.' I wondered if he was getting on as 

 well in the house with his nursing and darning as 

 she was in the field. She seemed quite at home 

 with the machine, and was, no doubt, able to give 

 a good account of her day's work ; and let us 

 hope she had not all the housework to do on her 

 return ! Her costume was quite free from any- 

 thing that could catch in the machinery, and it 

 stands to reason that prevailing fashions must be 

 departed from for farm-work ; nor can they be 

 faithfully adhered to for gardening, especially as 

 regards skirts in wet weather. I had an ancient 

 friend who set a good example in the matter of 

 dress. During her long life she came into fashion 

 three times ; and she used to say that she watched 

 the fashions come in and go out, but she never 

 felt inclined to change to any of them. I remem- 

 ber her congratulating herself on her tight sleeves, 

 when her up-to-date friends were always upsetting 

 things on the table with their open, hanging shapes. 

 She had been a lady-in-waiting to Queen Charlotte, 



