THE VISIT OF THE WASHERMAN, 
CHAPTER XLVII. 
VANNAN VANDARADU ” — “ TO WHAT BASE USES MAY WE 
come” — OBTAINING MONEY UNDER FALSE PRETENCES — 
THE boy’s raiment — LETTING OUT CLOTHES — A RUN- 
AWAY WIFE — A DUENNA AND HER CHARGE — A KIND- 
HEARTED PLANTER — VERY LIKELY — A PRYING SERVANT 
—ONE IN THE EYE — THE RULING PASSION — A TRAP — 
A CATASTROPHE — VIRTUE’S REWARD — A GOOD MASTER — 
COCONUT OIL — MISSING CLOTHES — THE TAPPAL-RUNNER 
— A BAD COUGH — TRADING ON HER OWN ACCOUNT — 
the flowered VEST. 
^^Vannan vandaradu'^ (the washerman has come), was 
the exclamation of the boy as he walked smartly into 
the bedroom, with a small memorandum book, very dirty 
on its covers, in the one hand, and a pencil in the 
other, followed by the washerman himself, who carried 
a large bundle of clothes, resting upon his breast, to 
which it was clasped tight by both his arms. 
“No more than need,” master joyfully exclaims, 
“ for such a whole lot of dirty, disgustingly filthy 
rags, as the house is filled with, I never did see. ” 
Why, just the other day, when a great row was 
raised about that abominable tablecloth, which must 
have been on active service twice a day, for the last 
two months, to his agreeable surprise, dinner was 
served that evening, upon, although not a clean, yet 
certainly, a very much cleaner one. Being hungry, 
no time was taken to ask where it was got, so, after 
the appetite was appeased, feeling then some curiosity 
on the subject, the tablecloth was examined, and had 
very much the appearance of a suspiciously dirty sheet. 
The boy, on being called and questioned, most dis- 
tinctly said, that he had taken it off the bed. But, 
master don’t be angry. Master just take good care 
and not spill any curry on it and I will take care, so 
that no crumbs, or grains of rice, stick to it, and 
put it back upon the bed again, before master goes 
to sleep. No, no, never think any sorryj master never 
know any difference.” But master’s wrath was now 
on the ascending scale. “ What I ” says he, taking 
up the table napkin between his fore-finger and thumb, 
letting it fall loosely out, clear of the tablecloth, 
“what have you been doing with this ? Do you con- 
sider this fit to wipe my mouth and fingers with ? 
“Master forget,” was the iprompt reply 5 “ master^ 
know very well ” (for master is always supposed to 
know everything very well, except what is intended 
he should not know) this morning, when I ask for 
a kitchen towel, master did not give. ” Upon giving 
