CHINA TEA 63 



couple of bangIo8, two or three rinj^H. nnd ft pretty pin 

 ornament in the hftir. Kftch haa a basket, wide at tho 

 bottom ftiid tajH-riiip up to a narrow neck, shin^ round 

 her waist with a girdle i>f plait<'d cane. Tlie child iH a 

 wco model of lier mother, who ha,s brought her into the 

 field so that nhe may keep an eye on the little one ; 

 alrea<ly this girl-baby's hair is !3<'ing trained in the 

 way it should go — the front has been cut fringe-wiBC, 

 and the back wisp has bet^n pinned up into a little knot. 

 The man is clad in loose breeches to the kn< < s. and a 

 short cotton coat which looks like the upjx-r garment «»f 

 a smart pyjama-suit. Three parts of the crown of his 

 head is clean-shaven ; in sharp contrast to this bald 

 effect appears a wealth of very dark hair, which is 

 tightly braided into a pigtail. You are surprised that 

 he is not showing off his pigtail to l)est advantage by 

 letting it hang down his back ? He has twisted it 

 around his head to prevent it from getting into his way, 

 and to keep it out of harm's way, whilst he is at work ; 

 just now he is setting out on a journey to yonder shed 

 with a big, drum-shajx-d basket, full of leaves which he 

 has collected from the pluckers. 



The sun has suddenly cf)m4' out from Ix-hind some 

 clouds — in a moment a mystery i.s solved. You have 

 been greatly puzzled as to what could possibly Ik? the 

 connection bet we<'n tea and certain tent-like erect ions of 

 compre*vsed-cone sha|x», roughly thatched with coarse 

 leaves ; dotted about the ground, they caught your 

 attention immediately you came into the field. As the 

 harvesters put them on their hea<ls, you now discover 

 that th«s«' curious artichs are hats— a quaint type of 

 in toiU COS. or sunshade and umbr<*lla combined. 



An hour or so later and we are in a cottage parlour. 



