At this stage of the correspondence the father of the lady died, and upon an investigation of his affairs it was found that he was insolvent long before his death.  Creditors seized upon every thing, and the matter preyed upon the mother in such a manner that she, too, died within two months after her husband.  The poor girl was nearly distracted with grief, and for a long time knew not which way to turn, or whom to confide in; and during all her troubles another letter from Australia reached her, upbraiding her for her infidelity, because she had not written as often as Robert had desired, and because she had not joined him.  The poor girl hesitated no longer.  Only a portion of the money which she had received from the draft was left; but with this she paid for a steerage passage to Melbourne, arrived there safe, and with barely sufficient funds to pay her board for a week.  She made a number of inquiries for Robert, but received slight attention at the hands of those whom she interrogated, for at Melbourne steerage passengers are not looked upon with that degree of reverence and respect vouchsafed to those who arrive at our seaports.  Besides, there are too many women sent from the old country, for various misdemeanors, to inspire the Australians with much confidence that the stories which are told are all true.

After submitting to numerous insults, for the girl’s face was handsome, and her form was good, (who ever heard of a girl with a very plain face being insulted?) and after shedding more tears than a man’s neck is worth, the poor thing, to escape persecution and insult, resolved to disguise herself in boy’s clothes, cut off her long hair, and then make the best of her way to Ballarat, and see if she could not find the man who had cost her so many hardships.  She carried her design into effect, and then spent the last piece of coin that she possessed to pay her passage to Ballarat.

Undiscovered, unsuspected, the girl entered Ballarat at a late hour in the night, and was then told to seek for lodgings wherever she pleased; and, half-dead with fatigue, she strayed about the town, not daring to ask a question of the fierce-looking men whom she chanced to meet reeling towards their tents after a drinking bout at one of the numerous saloons with which Ballarat was cursed.

At length she became so completely exhausted that she could no longer stand, and thinking that a tent which she saw was unoccupied, she entered it and lay down in one corner.  Sleep speedily made her forget all of her miseries, and when she awoke she was arrested by the two miners, who had staggered home drunk during the night, and thrown themselves upon their beds not knowing that she was present.

While the ruffians were discussing what, punishment should be meted out to her, the girl eluded their vigilance and fled, not knowing or caring where her footsteps led her, as long as she escaped from their horrid threats and obscene jests.  The miners pursued with fierce oaths and bitter imprecations, and the road, luckily for Mary, led near our door, and as hundreds joined in pursuit, and all raised the yells which had awakened us, we were enabled to go to her rescue, and perhaps saved her from a life or death of shame.