“HALCYON LAYS.” 
147 
attend to small ailments of some. This man has an 
ulcer, that a stomach-ache, another complains of a 
cough, more often the maladies suddenly assumed are 
of a less tangible character, like the neuralgia of civi¬ 
lization. “ A pain here, sir, oh ! so bad. I’m afraid 
I can’t work to-day.” “ Oh, nonsense ! you ate too 
much yesterday. Go and chop some firewood, that’ll 
do you more good than medicine.” And so all are 
finally told off to their tasks—two to attend to the 
gardens, one to get firewood, one to herd the goats, 
sheep, and cow, another to look after the fowls, five 
to build the big house or cut the roads, as the case 
\/ 
maybe. Faraji and Cephas of course attend to the 
cooking, and nothing else. 
Now I am a free man, and may go for a stroll in 
the fresh morning 
air before breakfast 
is served, walk¬ 
ing along the path 
that fringes the 
crest of the narrow¬ 
ing hill-spur on 
which the settle¬ 
ment is placed, 
gazing, perhaps, at 
the majestic snow- 
peak of Kibo which 
rises sharp and 
clear above the 
morning mists, or 
gathering wild 
flowers to deck my 
breakfast - table. 
Here grow gorgeous dissotises, large-petalled mauve - 
L 2 
