254 EVERYDAY LIFE ON A 



his tea under difficulties, amongst the lizards 

 and the ruins. For my part, I think I never 

 tasted more refreshing tea nor sweeter cakes. 

 The novelty of our surroundings added a 

 piquancy to the flavour. One of our party 

 proceeded to sketch the temple whilst the rest 

 worked off their high spirits in running-about 

 games. Fancy playing touchwood with palms 

 for your base. 



The lengthening shadows warned us that it 

 was time to wend our way homewards, so 

 having given the caretaker a liberal santhosem, 

 we left the spot once more to the natives and 

 the bats, and so ended my first and lastCeylon 

 picnic, but the memory of the kind friends and 

 the lovely tropical scene, and the curious 

 mixture of East and West, will abide as long 

 as I live. 



One of the pleasantest results of my delight- 

 ful sojourn in the island is that I feel I have 

 laid up a stock of charming mental pictures, 

 with which to beguile the dark winter days, 

 when I sit lonely by my own fireside, listening 

 to the pattering rain and the raging wind of 

 our more northern clime. 



The March days, in spite of intense noonday 

 heat, passed all too quickly for my pleasure, 

 for it had been settled that on the 16th of the 

 month I must say good-bye to Ceylon, and 

 wend my way homeward in the good ship 



