A SUPERINTENDENT OF THE OLDEN DATS. 
kele, by some natiye pa&sers-by, lying in the ditclij, 
at the roadside, and his pony quietly grazing on the 
bank. He was given in charge to a policeman, who took 
him into Kandy, and doposited him at the hotel. The 
next morning he was at the liquor again, went 
into the Police Court, where he made a rambling state- 
ment — that he had been attacked on his way out to 
Peradeniya, pulled off his pony, robbed of everything 
he had, and nearly murdered. He said he had not 
recovered from the effect of the assault yet, as he was 
so stupid, he scarcely knew where he was, or what he 
was saying. So we perceive, ” said the presiding magis- 
trate, “ that is quite evident,. no doubt about that. But, 
in the absence of any other proof, I very much doubt 
the correctness of your other statements. Policeman, 
take him away and lock him up, until he gets sober,,, 
and after that we will pay attention to his complaints.’’ 
So Mr Kenneth was locked up, brought up again next 
morning, and questioned as to his statement of 
yesterday or any other complaints, but he remem- 
bered nothing at all about anything, and was discharged. 
What a narrow escape I have made,” says the neigh- 
bour ; and he told how Kenneth was to have brought 
out his money, but would not wait until the order came» 
Says he, “ It came two days after he left, and I have just 
been grumbling sadly at him, for it just involves a 
trip to Kandy for myself. But instead of grumbl- 
ing, how thankful I am now ; why, the order is 
for ;£200, wdiich he would have been sure to have 
lost, and nothing could have been got out of him, 
for he has not two hundred pence.” And thus it some- 
times eventually results, that what one grumbles sadly 
at, thinks a very great hardship and misfortune, is 
the very best thing that could have happened. “Ex- 
actly so,” says his friend, “Kenneth’s not waiting for 
your remittance, which you considered a great griev- 
ance, and a very unkind action on his part, you may 
now consider as having put £200 in your 
pocket. For after you received the money, you 
were responsible for it : it would he no excuse for 
you that you entrusted it to Kenneth, and he lost it. 
You would have been made — legally made — to make it 
good.” The very thought of his narrow escape quite 
overcame the neighbour. “£200 ! Only fancy my having 
to pay £200 ! Why, it would take eight or ten years 
before I could possibly save it on my present pay!” A few 
days after this Mr Kenneth arrived, and his neigh- 
bour went over to see him, and get his watch. He 
then heard all the story of having been attacked and 
robbed, and the great hardship to which he had been sub- 
jected in nobody believing his statement. It now turned 
out however that he had iDeen robbed, probably when 
