[Editor: This is a chapter from On the Track (1900) by Henry Lawson.] Mr. Smellingscheck I met him in a sixpenny restaurant — “All meals, 6d. — Good beds, 1s.” That was before sixpenny restaurants rose to a third-class position, and became possibly respectable places to … [Read more...] about Mr. Smellingscheck [short story, by Henry Lawson]
Henry Lawson (1867-1922) (author)
Two larrikins [short story, by Henry Lawson]
[Editor: This is a chapter from On the Track (1900) by Henry Lawson.] Two larrikins “Y’orter do something, Ernie. Yer know how I am. You don’t seem to care. Y’orter to do something.” Stowsher slouched at a greater angle to the greasy door-post, and scowled under his … [Read more...] about Two larrikins [short story, by Henry Lawson]
Meeting old mates [short story, by Henry Lawson]
[Editor: This is a chapter from On the Track (1900) by Henry Lawson. The chapter is comprised of two parts: 1) Tom Smith; 2) Jack Ellis.] Meeting old mates I. Tom Smith You are getting well on in the thirties, and haven’t left off being a fool yet. You have been … [Read more...] about Meeting old mates [short story, by Henry Lawson]
Bill the ventriloquial rooster [short story, by Henry Lawson]
[Editor: This is a chapter from On the Track (1900) by Henry Lawson.] Bill the ventriloquial rooster “When we were up country on the selection, we had a rooster at our place, named Bill,” said Mitchell; “a big mongrel of no particular breed, though the old lady said he … [Read more...] about Bill the ventriloquial rooster [short story, by Henry Lawson]
Mitchell’s jobs [short story, by Henry Lawson]
[Editor: This is a chapter from On the Track (1900) by Henry Lawson.] Mitchell’s jobs “I’m going to knock off work and try to make some money,” said Mitchell, as he jerked the tea-leaves out of his pannikin and reached for the billy. “It’s been the great mistake of my … [Read more...] about Mitchell’s jobs [short story, by Henry Lawson]
No place for a woman [short story, by Henry Lawson]
[Editor: This is a chapter from On the Track (1900) by Henry Lawson.] No place for a woman He had a selection on a long box-scrub siding of the ridges, about half a mile back and up from the coach road. There were no neighbours that I ever heard of, and the nearest “town” … [Read more...] about No place for a woman [short story, by Henry Lawson]
Mitchell on women [short story, by Henry Lawson]
[Editor: This is a chapter from On the Track (1900) by Henry Lawson.] Mitchell on women “All the same,” said Mitchell’s mate, continuing an argument by the camp-fire; “all the same, I think that a woman can stand cold water better than a man. Why, when I was staying in a … [Read more...] about Mitchell on women [short story, by Henry Lawson]
Mitchell on matrimony [short story, by Henry Lawson]
[Editor: This is a chapter from On the Track (1900) by Henry Lawson.] Mitchell on matrimony “I suppose your wife will be glad to see you,” said Mitchell to his mate in their camp by the dam at Hungerford. They were overhauling their swags, and throwing away the blankets, … [Read more...] about Mitchell on matrimony [short story, by Henry Lawson]
“Middleton’s Peter” [short story, by Henry Lawson]
[Editor: This is a chapter from On the Track (1900) by Henry Lawson. This chapter is comprised of three parts: 1) The first born; 2) The only hope; 3) Doc. Wild.] “Middleton’s Peter” I. The first born The struggling squatter is to be found in Australia as well as … [Read more...] about “Middleton’s Peter” [short story, by Henry Lawson]
The iron-bark chip [short story, by Henry Lawson]
[Editor: This is a chapter from On the Track (1900) by Henry Lawson.] The iron-bark chip Dave Regan and party — bush-fencers, tank-sinkers, rough carpenters, &c. — were finishing the third and last culvert of their contract on the last section of the new railway line, and … [Read more...] about The iron-bark chip [short story, by Henry Lawson]
Andy Page’s rival [short story, by Henry Lawson]
[Editor: This is a chapter from On the Track (1900) by Henry Lawson.] Andy Page’s rival Tall and freckled and sandy, Face of a country lout; That was the picture of Andy — Middleton’s rouseabout. On Middleton’s wide dominions Plied the stock-whip and shears; Hadn’t … [Read more...] about Andy Page’s rival [short story, by Henry Lawson]
A vision of Sandy Blight [short story, by Henry Lawson]
[Editor: This is a chapter from On the Track (1900) by Henry Lawson.] A vision of Sandy Blight I’d been humping my back, and crouching and groaning for an hour or so in the darkest corner of the travellers’ hut, tortured by the demon of sandy blight. It was too hot to … [Read more...] about A vision of Sandy Blight [short story, by Henry Lawson]
The songs they used to sing [short story, by Henry Lawson]
[Editor: This is a chapter from On the Track (1900) by Henry Lawson.] The songs they used to sing On the diggings up to twenty odd years ago — and as far back as I can remember — on Lambing Flat, the Pipe Clays, Gulgong, Home Rule, and so through the roaring list; in bark … [Read more...] about The songs they used to sing [short story, by Henry Lawson]
Preface [to On the Track, by Henry Lawson]
[Editor: This is the preface from On the Track (1900) by Henry Lawson.] Preface Of the stories in this volume many have already appeared in the columns of the Bulletin, Town and Country Journal, Freeman’s Journal, and Australian Star (Sydney), and the West Australian and … [Read more...] about Preface [to On the Track, by Henry Lawson]
On the Track [by Henry Lawson, 1900]
[Editor: This book of short stories by Henry Lawson was published in 1900.] On the Track by Henry Lawson Author of “While the Billy Boils,” and “When the World Was Wide” CONTENTS [Preface] The Songs They used to Sing A Vision of Sandy Blight Andy … [Read more...] about On the Track [by Henry Lawson, 1900]
Auld Lang Syne [short story by Henry Lawson]
[Editor: This story by Henry Lawson was published in While the Billy Boils (1896).] Auld Lang Syne There were ten of us there on the wharf when our first mate left for Maoriland, he having been forced to leave Sydney because he could not get anything like regular graft, … [Read more...] about Auld Lang Syne [short story by Henry Lawson]
Baldy Thompson [short story by Henry Lawson]
[Editor: This story by Henry Lawson was published in While the Billy Boils (1896).] Baldy Thompson Rough, squarish face, curly auburn wig, bushy grey eyebrows and moustache, and grizzly stubble — eyes that reminded one of Dampier the actor. He was a squatter of the old … [Read more...] about Baldy Thompson [short story by Henry Lawson]
The geological spieler [short story by Henry Lawson]
[Editor: This story by Henry Lawson was published in While the Billy Boils (1896).] The geological spieler There’s nothing so interesting as Geology, even to common and ignorant people, especially when you have a bank or the side of a cutting, studded with fossil fish and … [Read more...] about The geological spieler [short story by Henry Lawson]
She wouldn’t speak [short story by Henry Lawson]
[Editor: This story by Henry Lawson was published in While the Billy Boils (1896).] She wouldn’t speak Well, we reached the pub about dinner time, dropped our swags outside, had a drink, and then went into the dinin’-room. There was a lot of jackeroo swells, that had been … [Read more...] about She wouldn’t speak [short story by Henry Lawson]
Bogg of Geebung [short story by Henry Lawson]
[Editor: This story by Henry Lawson was published in While the Billy Boils (1896).] Bogg of Geebung At the local police court, where the subject of this sketch turned up periodically amongst the drunks, he had ‘James’ prefixed to his name for the sake of convenience and … [Read more...] about Bogg of Geebung [short story by Henry Lawson]
‘Brummy Usen’ [short story by Henry Lawson]
[Editor: This story by Henry Lawson was published in While the Billy Boils (1896).] ‘Brummy Usen’ We caught up with an old swagman crossing the plain, and tramped along with him till we came to good shade to have a smoke in. We had got yarning about men getting lost in … [Read more...] about ‘Brummy Usen’ [short story by Henry Lawson]
Jones’s Alley [short story by Henry Lawson]
[Editor: This story by Henry Lawson was published in While the Billy Boils (1896).] Jones’s Alley She lived in Jones’s Alley. She cleaned offices, washed, and nursed from daylight until any time after dark, and filled in her spare time cleaning her own place (which she … [Read more...] about Jones’s Alley [short story by Henry Lawson]
Two dogs and a fence [short story by Henry Lawson]
[Editor: This story by Henry Lawson was published in While the Billy Boils (1896).] Two dogs and a fence ‘Nothing makes a dog madder,’ said Mitchell, ‘than to have another dog come outside his fence and sniff and bark at him through the cracks when he can’t get out. The … [Read more...] about Two dogs and a fence [short story by Henry Lawson]
The story of Malachi [short story by Henry Lawson]
[Editor: This story by Henry Lawson was published in While the Billy Boils (1896).] The story of Malachi Malachi was very tall, very thin, and very round-shouldered, and the sandiness of his hair also cried aloud for an adjective. All the boys considered Malachi the … [Read more...] about The story of Malachi [short story by Henry Lawson]
Coming across — A study in the steerage [short story by Henry Lawson]
[Editor: This story by Henry Lawson was published in While the Billy Boils (1896).] Coming across — A study in the steerage We were delayed for an hour or so inside Sydney Heads, taking passengers from the Oroya, which had just arrived from England and anchored off … [Read more...] about Coming across — A study in the steerage [short story by Henry Lawson]