in the olden time she would get it, but if she coupled again, the dead would be so far respected that the new husband's n a m e should go up on the signboard instead of the old one. That interesting and far from u n c o m m o n specimen of humanity, vulgarly denominated a "grass," but more properly termed a grace widow, would, during the voluntary or compelled absence of her worse half, vainly seek the distinction of a Licensed Victuallers, for she would have no chance of it. N o bachelor or spinster could obtain a license, and I was present on occasions in the Police Court when such applications were postponed to afford parties (male or female) an opportunity of tying the nuptial knot. After a week, a fortnight, or longer, had elapsed the adjourned hearing would be resumed, and, on the Bench receiving satisfactory assurance of the performance of the marriage contract, the license would be granted. N o husband or wife living apart would have the slightest chance of being publicans, and no married m a n would be allowed to hold a license and engage in any other established business or calling, leaving his wife to conduct the hotel. At the present°time (1882) in this colony individuals are in the Commission of the Peace-sleeping partners in taverns of which their wives are licensees ; and one of these hostesses has recently been convicted of Sunday trading, in which the J.P. Benedict so misbehaved as to compel his withdrawal from the Magistracy. Such a scandal under the old system was reduced to an impossibility. Furthermore, no person could hold a license for more than one hotel, and the public-house " farming," n o w " run " by brewers and wholesale spirit sellers, which tends so m u c h to demoralize the modern retail liquor traffic, would not be tolerated. T h e early merchants and proprietors of breweries frequently assisted a person into a public-house, and might own (in freehold) an hotel or two, but their tenants were bond-fide, and very different from the class of impecunious subordinate helps w h o n o w work scores of groggeries of which they are as little the principals as the beer-engine they manipulate—nay, m u c h less—for that is afixture,whilst the so called tenant is an animated chattel that could be pitched into the street at any moment. In the primitive days, and indeed for several years after, the public-house business was the most thriving of the retail callings in the colony, and I hardly ever knew an instance of failure where the landlord was sober, the drinkables reasonably good, the place kept tolerably clean, and the attendance ordinarily civil. O n e or two writers on those bygone times have waxed very funny over the way business used to be done in the old Melbourne taverns, but m u c h of their pleasantry is either gross exaggeration or pure invention. In a sketch of this kind I cannot well ignore altogether the romancing in question ; but, whilst embodying the substance of what are wholly or partly canards, I shall add corrections based both upon ocular evidence and information obtained from persons engaged in public business in Melbourne at the time when the marvels related are stated to have occurred. THE "STICKING PLASTERS."
For several years the publicans' harvest consisted chiefly in fleecing (or " lambing down," as it was technically termed) the stockmen, bullock-drivers, shepherds, and shearers w h o m a d e periodical trips to Melbourne for a "spree," or to "knock down their money." These fellows worked harder than horses in the bush, and spent their money like asses in town. W h e n their six or twelve months' engagement was up they left the station where they were employed in great glee, with orders for their wages upon some commercial house in town, and, unless stuck up and robbed at some of the unlicensed pot-houses on the way, they flew at once to their favourite drinking places in Melbourne, and deposited their orders with the landlord, who drew upon his casks and bottles as long as the amount of the " bit o' writin'" would " run it." These orders came to be known as " Sticking Plasters," but I never could see the applicability of the phrase. O n e of the writers referred to explains it, because "they used to be stuck up in the bar until the amount was said to be drunk out." This I believe to be incorrect, for I have more than once seen h o w the orders were operated upon. They were not " Sticking Plasters," though they infused fresh blood into the landlord's takings. A s far as the bushmen were concerned, they might certainly be styled "blisters," for they " burned " their pockets while they had them. T h e landlord no sooner clutched the " plaster " than he had it changed for cash. T h e customer was then credited with the amount, the " shouting " commenced, and the spree continued until about half-a-crown balance remained, which was handed to the bushman after his burst with which " to absquatulate" to the country, and c o m m e n c e upon the compounding of another
