106 SELLING CALICO. 



I sabe," with much emphasis. On arriving at his 

 house he handed the calico to his wife, who was as 

 much pleased with it as an American child would be 

 with a toy. Her spouse proceeded up stairs to pro- 

 cure the money, and whilst he was gone I had leisure 

 to observe the inmates of the room. The wife, a 

 young woman, apparently about twent}' years of age, 

 had the most perfect set of features I ever beheld, 

 and hair, which, if loosed, Avould flow almost to the 

 ground, of the glossiest black; her complexion was 

 about as dark as that of our Indian squaws ; her 

 eyes, black and piercing — lips red as a cherry; her 

 form full of grace, and straight as an arrow. She 

 reminded me of the pictures I had seen of oriental 

 princesses ; and, certainly, a more graceful or prettier 

 queen never wielded sceptre. The other occupants 

 were an old woman and several children. By the 

 time I had finished my scrutiny mine host returned, 

 and presented me with a quantity of Chinese coin, 

 which I found fell one hundred pice short of the price 

 agreed upon. I informed him of his mistake, but as 

 all I received for answer was "I sabe," I demanded 

 the restitution of the calico. For this purpose he ad- 

 vanced to his wife to obtain it, and when she, who 

 had been watching us closelj^, discovered my inten- 

 tion of depriving her of her prize, her pretty features 

 contracted into a malignant frown, her eyes shone 

 like diamonds, so fierce were their expression, whilst 

 she stamped her little bare foot indignantly at the 

 aftront she deemed imposed upon her. In considera- 

 tion of the lady's disappointment, and from the fact 

 of my being separated some half a mile from my 

 comrades, in the midst of a village containing hun- 



