THE VISIT OF THE WASHEEMAH. 
how much money do you owe the washerman ?’* 
Without a moment’s hesitation, One pound” 
is the reply ; please pay, and charge against my 
account. ” This^ of course, is done, and the washer- 
man retires to the kitchen with the boy. Quite na- 
tural, the reader may say, just to come to a proper 
settlement, and give and take a receipt. But we must 
give quite a different, explanation upon this trans- 
action, because really, the boy did not owe the washer- 
man anything at all, who was the means of procur- 
ing the money for his friend, by telling a little harm- 
less lie, and, upon the successful result of the scheme, 
a discount, on rather premium, of a rupee to him- 
self. But high words are now heard proceeding, from 
the kitchen. The boy, having taken the money, offers 
the washerman a shilling, which is indignantly refused, 
and one rupee demanded. Master calls them both 
into the verandah, and asks what all this turmoil is 
about. The boy, with tears in his eyes, complains bit- 
terly of the washerman, who says he cannot bring 
his clean clothes for some days, after having re- 
ceived payment of one pound, and the washerman, in 
self-defence, asks, how he can be expected to bring 
the clothes when, the money, which has just been 
paid, must all go to buy soap and starch. Besides, 
master is the first consideration ; his clothes must be 
done first. They are ordered away, and told to make 
less noise in their disputes, but, whether they made 
less or more, and settled their quarrel or not, there was 
one point upon which they were thoroughly agreed, so 
thoroughly, that the one never for a moment feared 
that either of them would tell master the truth. But 
appearances must be kept up, in order that the trick may 
be kept up, with mutual advantage to both parties. 
So, the next day, the boy appears in a fine clean set 
of clothes, supplied for the occasion ; but it was only 
fora few days, after which they disappeared, and he be 
came dirtier than ever, and to all the questions put, as to 
where were his clothes, the sole reply was, * At dhobi’s.” 
Here, without doubt, the truth is spoken, for the, 
although not his, clothes were at the washerman’s, 
undergoing a second, perhaps third, washing, or more, 
before being presented to their rightful owner. For 
payment in the exercise of his calling was not the 
sole profit to the washerman : be rented out the 
clothes, entrusted to him for washing, on hire, at s« 
much per day, or for an occasion, and the owner, 
on receiving back his clean clothes, would he under 
happy ignorance of their having been worn by others, 
the delay in receiving them arising, of course, solely 
from the wet state of ihe weather, the want of soap, 
starch, &c., or, from his wife having run off, from 
