FUitTHER EXPERIENCES OF MR, STALE. 
floor ; he stoops, and applies it to his nostrils, but it 
contained only oil and charcoal, for marking bags, which, 
left its mark on the point of his nose and upper lip. 
He now speaks to master, who looks np, and bursts 
out alaughing, in which merriment all the coolies 
joined. “Regularly screwed,” thinks, the visitor, “and all 
the coolies laughing at him. My dear fellow, come away 
home, and leave the kangani to measure in the coffee.” 
So he lugs him by the arm, out of the cherry loft, and 
across the barbecue, heedless of all remonstrances, each, 
supposing the other to be the worse of liquor. Of course 
the ludicrous mutual mistake was soon explained, and 
was a standing joke in the district for many a day 
but if that friend had not acted the part of a friend, 
had he done what most would had done in his position, 
gone away without acting a friendly part toward his friend, 
and told all his friends that Stiggihs ” was going 
all to the dogs, for when he went to pay him a 
visit, the boy told him he was drinking in the 
pulping house. These friends would tell others that, 
“ Stiggins ” had been seen drunk in the pulping house 
during the very time h© was trying to measure in 
the coffee, and there is no saying where the gossip 
would have ended or what it would all have eventually 
tended to, and the moral of this short anecdote is 
simply and briefly this : — When you hear any rumour 
especially if it comes through natives, before relating 
it to others first make yourself perfectly certain as 
to its being correct in every point of view, for re- 
collect, the boy and others of his tribe are not 
adepts at the English language, and a very slight error 
on their part may entail a very grave responsibility 
on you in repeating their tale. 
Some of our young friends may exclaim, “How 
he does rattle on.” Ay, but he has not much time 
left now to rattle long ; all my life is behind me,, 
and all your life before you, which makes a very 
great difference, as you will no doubt discover, after 
having rattled along life’s journey as long as your old 
friend. But you are coming on too, and don’t ever 
forget that it is far better to rattle on than to he 
rattled on. Others may exclaim “ Here ’s another 
rattle ended from that old riddled ” — “Stay, not so fast, 
not nearly riddled out yet!” “Well another rattle 
from the pen of 
P. D. Millie,” 
