After Many Years

The Lappes had been on their selection twelve months when Ludwig met with an unfortunate accident. In felling some scrub, a tree trunk rolled on him and broke his left leg. He was taken to the hospital at Toowoomba, where the compound fracture was set, and his leg placed in plaster of Paris. The accident at this particular time was unfortunate. Though the corn and potatoes had been planted, the wallaby proof fence around the cultivation had not been completed. The scrub palings had been split, and the posts rammed into position, but the double wires at the top had not been run through the posts, or the palings twisted into position. Louisa had tried to finish the fencing herself, but the care of her two infant children--one a three months old baby--sorely hampered her in the farm work.

The second Saturday after the accident, she went to the hospital to see her husband. Though the fractured bone had been well set, and time was all that was necessary to ensure complete recovery, Louisa found her husband moody and morose. He chafed at the enforced idleness, as he was well aware that there was so much work to be done on the farm. Louisa mentioned that the young corn was coming up, but that it would probably be all eaten by the wallabies and bandicoots if the palings were not twisted through the wires and the cultivation made marsupial-proof. The question of hired labour was discussed; but as their savings had been eaten up in the building and furnishing of their homestead, there was no money to spare to pay the wages of hired men.