ASSISTANTS. 
■I, 
ag those who went to Kandy did, thirty years ago. 
The fnndamental principle was the same, a relief, aW' 
outburst, from the monotony of ‘^bush’’ or jungle’^' 
life. Depend upon it, a proprietor never suffers in 
pocket by makiog his superintendent and assistant’ 
comfortable in house accommodation. It is no nse^ 
•ayiog he can’t afford it, he may just as well say he 
can^t afford to. weed, prune,, and otherwise carry on' 
the necessary works of the estate ; because proper house 
accommodation for the superiotendent is just part and 
parcel of weeding,, pruning, and other works That th# 
“workman is worthy of his> hire is m old as the 
Scriptures. And^. if he is worthy of his hire, sO' 
likewise is he worthy of a comfortable residence, after 
the burden and heat of the- day, or for that part of 
it even during the heat of the day,, for it is not alwayi' 
going out to work that constitutes working. 
There was once an* assistant who was generally 
understood to be a very hard-working man — no one 
need prick their ears, and speculate whodt could have 
been, or who it was — he is not now in- Ceylon. Of 
eourse, however, if the cap fits any, in the recollection 
of any, it may be clappe l on his> head, and for that 
part of it over his ears too, for I daresay there were 
a good many of similar ha'ntSj. long ago, but not 
now so.. None of the present genercition need' raise a 
howl. This assistant was always up and out at the 
mustering ground before a single cooly appeared, and 
he might be seen walking up and down the drying 
ground waiting for the men ; h© had his check-roili 
under his arm^ bis field b *ok and pencil in the other 
hand, and by the time he had finished his first pipe' 
probably haif-a-dozen men would begin to pop on to 
the mustering ground. He went out behind the coolies 
to tbe working places, returned todhe- bungalow about 
half past ten, or eleven, to breakfast, allowed himgelf 
only half an hour for that, meal. If the appu' was 
under any delay in s-rving breakfast, he kicked up' 
no end' of a. row ; his time was,’ limited,,, he was under' 
different circumstances from-- you, you lazy rascal,, 
that have nothing to do aft«r breakfast, but lie down, 
in the- cook-house and gO' to sleep, &Co.- He started^ 
immediately after breakfast, rarely allowing- Ihimself’ 
time to^ smoke he lighted hiS" pipe and went out 
smoking, no- matter what the weather was sunshine - 
nr cloudy g. rain or fair,, or even a damp drizzling day... 
The periya durai took it into his head to go into’ 
some figures and accounts.; he was puzzled about some-- 
thing or another,, and wanted the assistant to clear it' 
up.. So he’ takes his. coat and umbrella and f allies 
forth in search of' .him. After numerous futile enquiries- 
party of weedei-i. pointed to a huge domba tte©’" 
