CURDS AND CREAM. 
^‘What’s your wish sir ?” You would repeat the order, 
she would slowly rerire, and after a time probably bring 
in the porridge boiled in milk instead of water. But 
eay “porridge and milk” and there is neper any doubt 
about that. “Bread and butter”: you must acknow- 
ledge butter is to the bread just ]3recisely in a similar 
point of view what curry is to the rice, and yet 
whoever hears of any one with any pretension to any 
education at all talking of “ butter and bread” : in fact 
this latter expression is only in use enough the most 
illiterate and vulgar of our population, if it is n iw in 
use at all. “ Sira wherries and cream”; another ex- 
pression explained in the same waj^ as “porridge and 
milk.” None ever heard one talk of cream and straw- 
berries.” ‘‘ Curds and cream,” just on the same reason- 
ing. You would not say “ cream and curds.” And so 
on: we might write to any extent in proof of the ar- 
o-ument, that is to say if any one novp will argue 
the x^oint. Let him argue away, he merely argues for 
the sake of argument and downright obstinacy. Go 
your way, curry and rice, and I will joursue mine, rice 
and curry. We will never forget you, and thus 
will add you as a fourth to the three things which 
we have already declared a man never forgets. He 
may — he might (for it is wonderful how hardened 
and unfeeling some do become) forget his first sweet- 
heart, his first pound note, and his first servant, but 
without food, all these, however you may jprize them 
when you have food, are only secondary considerations 
when you are starving ; and thus it happens that he 
never can and never will forget his first rice and 
curry cooked by “Beriya Karuppen.” 
The shadow's and shades of many a long bygone 
year are lengthening in the distance ; our rising and 
struggling sun, obscured in thick darkness and mist, 
was°then sustained and suiD^Dorted by rice and curry, 
and, thus supported, many a storm has been come 
through, many a rough gale weathered. It was then 
served uj) in a blue willow pattern rice dish, and the 
boiled rice was seen projecting through. The dish 
containing the curry was cracked and its cover com- 
pletely broken, gone, so that, for a cover, an inverted 
soup plate had to be supplied. These two dishes were 
placed on a very dirty Batticaloa tablecloth — so dirty, 
so very dirty, that we had frequently to order it away 
and eat out rice and curry off the bare boards. As 
our sun struggled up from and out of darkness, mist 
and obscurity, all this passed away, and in the hey- 
day of middle life, the noon, when the sun was at 
its meridian, we still ate rice and curry served up in 
beautiful white dishes with gold edging, placed onjthe 
whitest and cleanest of tablecloths. It was the best 
