Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1896-11-14

an affirmative in conversation by the
Malays), as if he thought he ought to
agree, although, rs a son Of the coun.
try, the exaspersting little insects mad
not the power to persecute him as they
did me.
I had taken a few days leave after
some weeEs of hard work, and had
started on journey of discovery
across some unknown jungle country,
hoping to bag some game en- route,
and fetch up at q friends bungalow,
whc was District Officer in the State
adjoining my own. We had trudged
far, and had made a fair bag, consist.
ing of some snipe, wild pigeon and
jungle fowl. In traversing fhe path
through which at times we h,d been
obliged to cut our way, we hal seen
tracks of deer and bigger game. but
the underground was too dense to
follow them. And now we had spread
our mattresses andset up our curtains,
intending to settle down to rest for
the night. I was so tired that I should
have slept, In spite OF high tempera-
ture, but for the incursions of these
worrying pests that had made their
way by some strategem under the
frame of my netting-hence the ex.
pletive which had escaped me and had
called forth reiteration from my fol.
lower, Mat. have slumbered
through heavy thunder storm and
an earthquake, and even the frantic
yells Of wakeful infant have failed to
disturb me when once I was safely in
the arms of Morpheus; but the ping
of persistent proboscis-armed mon.
ster has peculiarly rousing effect
upon my nerves, and insomnia reigns
supreme.
After a short wrestle with the two
invaders of my privacy and vain at
tempt at slaughter, sat up in spirit
of resignation and proceeded to fill
and light my pipe, at the same time
addressing space. or my faithful Mat,
if he happened to be awake.
II have always been taught, from
the years OF my earliest childhood,
that every creature on Gods earth
was created for some good and useful
purpose. Will any human being tell
me what's the use of a mosquito?"
TO which remark received an un.
expected reply. Mat crawled from un.
der his curtain and approached quite
near to where lay ;; then squatting he
said solemnlv in his native tongue:
~ have heard that question before,
Tuan (NIaster), AMI once found the
answer"
"Well, Mat, tell me. What's the
good OF them, thent"
"Its long story, but will tell
Tuan if he likes to hear"
"Tell on. Pm all attention"
And this is the tale that be told me.
had often seen the heroine Of it (his
wife) passing to and fro across the
back premises attached to my resi-
dence. She was pretty, young Malay
woman, aged about twenty years, witt
a particularly bright and pleasing
manner.
"Tuan knows my wife, Katijah; she
was widow when I married her.
When we were quite small we lived il
the same village near Malacca, and W.
played together, and was very fond
of her. Then we grew Up. and I wen
to be o servant to European, ant
her father married her when she wa
fourteen to a rich man, who was ,
cattle dealer and had plenty Of money
He was old, perhaps forty years o
age. 'Tijah could not care for him
He took her away to place on th'
coast, where he lived with his brothe
and sister-in-law, and 1 did not see he
again for many days and weeks. He
husband. Sleiman, used to go away YER.
often to Singapore on business, ant
every now and then came back hom
to 'Tijah, bringing the results Of hi
sales with him.
"At last one day, when he had beel
absent for about three weeks, 'Tilal
knew he would soon come again. He
heart was sad. for she always dreade
his coming, as she did not love him
He was ole and ugly, very ugly. II
had one long tooth which hung dow
over his under lip like q tusk, an
which gave him repulsive appear
arce. 'Tijah hated him. Well, sh
was sitting idly on the seashore, be
hind some rocks, looking out over tn
sea and wishing she could get into til
koleh (uative boat) which lay moore
close by. and row across the water t
her old ome where she had been 8
happy.
Suddenly she heard steps, and be
came aware Of voices conversinR in a
undertoue on the other side of th
rocks, which, projecting seward, cor
cealed her from view, and she recos
nized that The persons talking wei