BEWARE OF « fiORNS.’’ 
ally become weaker, and at longer intervals, until 
they wore themselves out. The best way was to say 
nothing, but leave him alone. All attempt at consola- 
tion, sympathy, or even laughter at the “softness of 
the spoon,” Just makes matters worse : take no notice 
of him. The senior in an off-hand matter-of-fact sort 
of way says, ‘‘ I wish you would stay in this fore- 
noon, and copy off those accounts, give me your field- 
book. I am going out myself to look after the work.” 
He does not care a straw about the rain, he prefers 
it, it is nice and cool and much more healthy than 
walking about in the sun. 
On coming in to breakfast at ten o’ clock, he found 
Mr. Jimson with a bright cbuntt nance, he had Just 
finished the accounts and wriiing, and, on being com- 
plimented on the neatness and correctness of his work, 
he actually laughed and said he could do better than 
that, if he was in proper trim. Now, if he had been 
allowed to go out in the wet and rain in the humour 
he was in the morning, no saying how long the, fit 
might have lasted, it might have become chronic and 
eventually incapacitated him from progress in his calling. 
Respect should be bad for the great change of life 
to which young men newly arrived are subjected, and 
they should n T all of a sudden be urged to go in 
for the burden and heat of the day, unless as is very 
frequently the case they are urgent for it themselves. 
Only take care this respect is not carried too far, so as 
to induce habits of indolence and sloth; this may Just 
as easily he done, perhaps easier, as excess of discipline 
in the other direction, in making an assistant get up 
at five in the morning and go out in the wet rain 
to blow a born. 
Beware of horns ! Take care, when you are polishing 
up a horn in the verandah, that it does not subsequently 
become an unpleasant infliction. Take care when you 
polish off a horn under the same circumstances that it 
does not inflict itself upon you in the early morning. A 
very pleasant occupation or relaxation is polishing up 
or off' horns in the verandah. Whether in a hard or 
liquid state, beware of horns! 
In due course of time Mr. Jimson got through his 
troubles, and as he had promise of having the stuff 
of a good planter in him, he was promoted to the 
charge of a separate division. He had the gift of the 
gab. Before many months were os^er, he could talk 
away in Tamil like any cooly, this gift was some- 
times an annoyance to him, as he used to be con- 
siderably in requisition to act as interpreter. 
It was also bad in another way ; be became a great 
gossip. He talked with the coolies ; and knew every- 
thing that was going on on^ all the neighbouring 
