I 
THE SUPEitHSTTENDENT’S WIFE. 
etcloudy day was a great iaducement for a long walk^ 
and a thorough investigation into matters in general. 
t She would say : “ Don t go i^way and leave me all alone. 
I am so dull, no one to speait to, and then these 
.dreadful servants, they don’t; care a bit for anything 
I say; indeed, I rat ler su pect, they laugh at me, of 
course behind my back. , I am sure they are ‘ taking 
me off,’ but you know I don’t understand a ward 
they say.” 
ISTow, what reason had proprietors to think all this, 
and a great deal more ? Was it that they had coma 
through the same experiences themselves, or was it 
that they thought a gre der number of coolies were ne- 
^ ces;sary to go out and in to Kandy for supplies, to 
>un about with letters and notes, and what not? The 
great secret perhaps was, tiiat any sort of house ac- 
commodation and furniture would do for a bachelor n 
not so for a married man. The general opinion, now, 
is completely changed in favour of married superin- 
^^tendents. It is considered, and quite corre<;tly, that 
.one wdth a wife and family is much more likely to 
, attach more importance to his appointment, if a suit- 
,able one, than a single man, consequently is more in- 
dent in rendering his services acceptable to his em- 
ployers. The lady, if she is a sensible woman, — as of 
course all married ladies must be, or they would not 
occupy that very important position — important, not 
so much for themselves as for their husbands, who have 
jipade such a very excellent choice, and been so highly 
favoured, and cornplimented in naving their choice 
accepted. She would take good care that the em- 
ployer’s interest was not sacrificed to meet any of hep 
ideas of domestic comfort. On the contrary, if the, 
day was hot, she would siy : “You have snored quite 
enough ; it is time for you to go out. If ere is your 
hat and umbrella.” If the day was wet, no donbt she 
would lovingly bring out his waterproof, and with her 
.own hands place it over his shoulders. What man 
could resist this loving appeal to attend to his duties. 
Then see the welcome he will rec .dve on coming back 
from the work : dry clothes all laid out and ready, 
,a bl izing stick fire in the chimney corner ; hot tea 
or coffee, all ready. She had been watching for him 
coming down the clearing, so that there was no need 
for calling out, bachelor-fashion : “ Boy j” possibly to 
have no reply, for the boy, boy-fashion, was asleep. 
No fear of her telling the “ boys” to go to sleep, 
and thus it happened that she was no favourite at all 
with the “boys.” They sighed over the good old 
times before she came, when they had all their own 
way in the kitchen, when the master dried his own 
clothes, and drank brandy and beer, when he came 
