In what grand style everything was kept up. The footmen, with their powdered hair, knee breeches, and silk stockings, were a sight to see when they went out in the beautiful carriage with the splendid horses, and all were brought out from the old home. It was a lasting benefit to me going there. I felt a little nervous amongst so many other servants, for they looked a splendid lot of men and women, who did not think service derogatory to them. They seemed happy and dignified, and went to work accordingly. Each had his or her own work. They were not all from the same country, but were different in tongue and manner as well. There was no false pride, nor did they think that any kind of work in a house was lowering, or that there was anything degrading in menial labor.
My task was to help in the still-room. I might make a slight allusion to this still-room. It is a miniature "kitchen," where the housekeeper can make all the preserves and so on. The housekeeper's room is always close by, and there the linen and such like articles are kept. The still-room at Government House was an important place then.
There were great preparations being made in view of the coming of the Prince, who was expected to arrive at any time. Then such a lot of things would have to be done in the still-room. Much of the fine cooking for breakfast was done there, and the dessert dishes were garnished there, and many of the ornamental biscuits and cakes for dessert were made in the still-room. Sir James Fergusson had all his own household silver and linen, as well as the dessert-stands. Some that seemed the most important were twelve in number; they had to be taken to the butler every night and locked up. Each one was in its own velvet casket, and was carefully put away. They had been given to Sir James as a presentation, and were said to be pure gold. One of the things I had to do when they were in use was to see that they were in safety.
There was plenty of novelty in my surroundings at Government House. I was sent here and there. The housekeeper became ill in the wearisome days and nights, although there seemed nothing but pleasure to the favorites of fate. They got some responsible-looking person to fill her place, but she was not so clever as Miss Anderson. She was the wife of one of the orderlies who was in attendance on Colonel Hamley. For we had a regiment of soldiers here then, and Colonel Hamley was the commander. There was a row of little cottages on the banks of the Torrens, where they lived, but they have been all pulled down long ago.