"What kind of a place is Sydney?" asked Fergus.
"It is a fine city, my boy, and very different from what it was when Botany Bay was peopled with felons."
"What are felons?" asked Jean.
"Felons are people who have done wrong and must be kept in prison for punishment in the hope that they will learn to do right," answered Mr. Hume. "Botany Bay was named by the botanist Joseph Banks who was with Cook when he made his first voyage in 1770. It is an inlet near Sydney and the English sent their criminals there until 1840. Such men as behaved well when they reached the colony were allowed to leave the penal settlement upon tickets, and were called 'ticket of leave men.' They could be followed up and brought back if they misbehaved in any way. Many of them were good men who had been led into wrongdoing and were glad to have a chance to be good again. They went out into the 'bush,' cleared farms or sheep stations, and many of them grew rich. Quite a number of the good citizens of Australia to-day, could, if they would, trace their descent back to 'ticket of leave' men."
"I shouldn't think they would like to do that," said Fergus. "I wouldn't like any one to know that my people had done wrong."
"Everybody does wrong," said Jean sagely.
"Yes, but every one isn't found out," her brother answered. "When they are, it hurts."
"But if it's found out that they're sorry and are going to do good for ever and ever," the little girl looked puzzled, "then does it matter?"
"Dear little childish point of view," said her mother, with a smile, and her father added,