WITHOUT A SURYANT. 
warned to keep it so, but it was not in him, it was- 
not that he would not, he really could not understand 
what neatness was, or what was its use.. 
Another thing Peri v a Karuppen could never he made 
to comprehend was how to make a bed. He woidd 
always place the bed-cover over the mattress, then 
the blanket and sheets on the top over all, one pillow 
at the foot, and the other in the centre, or at the 
tack of the bed. Before turning in, we would call 
him and say it was all wrong,, and teach him personally 
and practically how to make a bed, but he coidd not 
be taught, he could not understand it. At last we 
lost all patience, when, one night on preparing tO' turn 
in, we found the blankets and sheets placed under the 
mattress, which had nothing but the covt on the top,, 
and the pillows placed ah the foot. He w.as promptly 
called to explain what he meant,, and his meaning was 
this: “It was a cold night, and the mattress would' 
keep master warm.” In return for this explanation 
he got something to w'arm his ears on this cold nik’ht,. 
and the final result of all these unpleasant proceedings, 
was, Periya Karuppen went back to the lines, and told 
his kangani he would not. stop at the bungalow any 
longer. He woidd not be master’s servant, and if it 
was insisted upon he would run away— he would. 
That night we made a light dinner, not from choice 
but from necessity, as there was nobody to cook any- 
thing, no, not so much as a plate of boiled rice. The 
dinner was a plateful of hard biscuits, and the last 
remains of a pot of jam, a few of which had been 
stowed away in the corner of a trunk by some of our 
relatives on leaving home. Our drink was water, 
which we personally brought from the spout behind 
the kitchen, in an old cracked bowl. About half-past 
six, it got very dark, and what was to be done for 
a lamp ? There was no wick, no cotton, and, even if 
there was, nobody to trim it. We sat down on a chair, 
leaned forward, with elbows on knees, and our head 
resting on the palms of the hands, but we were not 
“ greeting ” (like Jimson) : there never was anythiT)g 
of tliis sort about us, whatever sort of stuff our brains 
might be made of, there was one thing certain, very 
certain, in any case of great difficulty or energy, they 
never dissolved into tears ! On the contrary, the dif- 
ficulty created rather a pleasing action in the brain, 
which inspired confidence that they were there, and 
working! Having- been seated as described for a few 
minutes, we got up, and went out for a light : it was 
no use going into the kitchen : everything there was 
black out. So we b'oiiuht a fire-stiek from the nearest 
lines, put it down on the mud flour with a few dry 
r:Hpa of wo 'd. It Wtis soon fanned into a gentle 
