Poor Nelly had nothing. Her poverty was grim, but she had some
resource. She had no means of alleviating the suffering save those which
spendthrift Nature provided--the smooth oily leaf of the "Raroo." She
used these aromatic leaves, all that she had, with no little art and
tenderness. Warming them over the fire until the oil exuded, she would
apply them to the hairy jowl of the girl, and anon to her furry forehead
and cheeks.
While there is life there is hope is evidently Nelly's creed, and so she
crunched and warmed the pungently odorous leaves, and rubbed the hands
that had often smitten her in anger. Poor Nelly sighed piteously as she
continued her work, while Tom massaged the body of the girl, hoping to
expel the "debil-debil!" His theory was, and is, that some man whom
"Little Jinny" had known down about Hinchinbrook had died, and his
"debil-debil all the same like dead man," had "sat down" in "Little
Jinny's bingey,"--hence her distended condition.
His efforts to cast out this personal "debil" were futile, and as the
poor creature lapsed into unconsciousness he would blow gusty breaths
upon her big black eyes. It was his method of revivification.
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