FEMALE IN MALE ATTIRE.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3149, 22 March 1879, Page 1

FEMALE IN MALE ATTIRE.

A curious and interesting discovery^ was made on board the Nautical School-, ship Vernon, at' Sydney, 'on Saturday' morning, the 22nd, February. It. was that of the assumption of male disguise by a. girl, who had worn it for eight years, with as complete security from discovery as was erer the ease- with -the Spanish Nun, or Moll Flanders, or any others ©f the women "whose adVentures in masculine attire hare beeni published. The girl had;%eh; acreijted at Lambing Flat as a vagrant,, and ; on conriction was consigned to the Vernqn for a term of years. The name she bore was James Gould, and under this> she was, while on her way* to serve her sentence, lodged on Friday night in the Water Police lock up. Next morn, ing she was sent on board the Vernon, and handed orer to the boatswain for the usual routine of; bathing, iiatr*

cutting, and general purification. Here a sßene occurred. "James Gould," aged 15, refused to strip, blushing and crying, to the amusement of the boys around, who would have doffed every stitch- of clothing at the word of command. The puzzled boatswain appealed to the captain, and "James Gould," conducted to the cabin, was reasoned with upon his silly conduct. The disguised girl remained adamant upon the undressing question, and it was only when Captain Neitenstein ordered her to be stripped for punishment that, with a storm of sobs and tears, the secret of her sex was faltered out. Her mother had died at Lambing Flat when she herielf wai only seven years old, and at the deathbed of that mother she had sworn to always wear boy's clothes and pasa.herself off as one of the sterner sex. This she had done, picking up a precarious livelihood about the diggings until she was. arrested for vagrancy. The girl, who knows no name but ••Jem") Gould, is of an interesting; pleasant appearance, and her out-of-door life, though it has tanned her, has made her strong of limb. She seems through all her strange career to have preserved a purity of mind wonderful to think of; and the captain of the Vernon, and indeed all who have met her, describe her as an innocent, interesting girl. On the discovery of her sex, she was sent to Biloela, the industrial school for girls on Cockatoo Island, where Mrs Walker will take charge of her until Sir Henry Parkes's decision upon her case has been forwarded.

■ Politeness is the spontaneous movement of a good heart and an observing mind. Benevolence will teach us temperance towards the,feelings of others, and habit* of observation will enable us to judge promptly and easily What those feelings are.

A Serious Warning.—One reason why more people did not go into the Ark is, that Noah neglected to advertise in the daily papers. There is a great moral lesson contained in this fact.

Switchy.—A schoolboy remarks that when his teacher undertakes to " show him what is what," he only finds out which is switch.