212 EVERYDAY LIFE ON A 



them to the old home life and the home circle ; 

 strong enough to prevent their ever drifting 

 away, whatever betides them here. 



January 5th. — Even Ceylon planters are 

 not quite without their seasons of gaiety, and 

 the last week of the old year produced quite an 

 outbreak of festivity at Kandy. 



An afternoon reception at Government 

 House. Three dances, a concert, a tennis 

 tournament, and a gymkana, made quite a 

 whirl in the little world of the mountain capital, 

 and its surrounding districts, and gave food 

 for conversation and meditation for many a 

 a week. 



All the social events were voted a success, 

 but as far as the gymkana was concerned, viewed 

 from my unprejudiced standpoint, it could be 

 summed up in very few words. The prizes 

 were first rate, and the performances not quite 

 to match. Much too long an interval between 

 the events. As a spectacle it was all that could 

 be wished. The ground of the Kandy Sports' 

 Club is a wedge of flat turf running up between 

 wooded hills. On the lower slopes of these 

 the native spectators range themselves, their 

 white, and orange, and red garments looking 

 in the distance like a huge parterre of bright 

 coloured flowers. The meets are always held 

 in the late afternoon, and the brilliant tropical 

 sunset, and the pretty dresses of the ladies as 



