Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-03-09

and has the additional advantage Of
beirg always capable Of extension
when necessary And the need is Of
ten experienced. for this house is no
mans castle, but must be always at
the disposal of the owners oldest rel
atives and his relatives-in-law, besides
giving shelter to his own little brood,
which now numbers six.
A little questioning concerning his
children elicits the fact that seven
have died in infancy; this high rate of
mortality, which is so common here,
being a result of the rigorous treat
ment of neglect and ignorant abuse
which these children must undergo,
and which naturally results in the
survival of the fittest." For instance,
the new born babies of these noun
tain villages are subjected to plunge
bath in the cold mountain streams, q
process which is supposed to streng
then them, but which, as might be eX-
pected. is often fatal to children of
weak constitution.
During the rice season all members
of the family share in the work The
men prepare the soil-plowing, irrigat-
ing, wading waste-deep in the mud
and water with the tropical sun beat
ing down overhead. The woman's por-
ton Of labor is 10 assist in the plant
ing Of the rice, ana to cut the ripeno3
grain. During the lice-euttfng season
the terraced rice fields, SO beautiful to
look upon in their waving opulence,
but Q so disagreeably muddy and
Shiny for the worker, are dotted thick
~ with these women harvesters
Their costume is the coolest possible
consisting OF but two garments OF thin
material, with a large white kerehief
tied over the head The women work
rapidly, cutting the ripened heads enc
by one. with the little. sharp-curved
knife, which is strapped to the middle
finger of the right hand. working as
many hours day as the intense heat
will allow
The children, too, may not be idle.
Those who are old enough can help in
the rice field: those who are too young
for this are set TO work watching the
kerban-the huge unwieldly, gray
oxen. which are seen ambling in their
unsainly. elephantine. harmless fash
ion along the country roads and beside
the streams, adding the last touch of
indolent aimlessness to laZily pic
tureSque scene. Sometimes the care
of these animals is not a difficult task:
at other times the wee brown lads and
lassies have to wade through innnda-
ted rice fields or run over stones, stub
BILE and briers to collect herd scat
tered in stupid fright by the passing
of some energetic horseman. or driver.
Even those members of the family
hGlnlnGC uh ny eyfa ~ 4,
their apportionment of the daily work.
which is the care of the babies and
toddlers through the long. tedious dav.
And with all this work, this expen-
diture of energy, it would seem that
these toilers must have nourishing
food, and that in sufficient quantity.
And yet this family takes but one reg
ular meal a day-at the close of the
days work-a meal consisting of rice.
dried fish and several vegetable dishes
composed of the cheapest vegetables
procurable, but 50 combined as to give
variety. The fruits. which are so
plentiful in Java and so ridiculously
cheap. take the place of vegetables
and dried fish in poor seasons. while
in prosperous time they may have
two full meals day, or buy a bunch
OF fruit for cent or two, to Eat before
going to work.
The sole amusement and recreation
OF this class of natives, as, indeed. 1t
Is OF most classes, is to gather in front
of the houses when the days work is
done, to gossip about what has been
seen or done during the day. Never
anything of the outside world. any
thing to lift their thoughts from the
dull level Of mechanical work. neces-
sary eating, and the sleep of utter
WEAKNESS. Meanwhile the children
take the playtime that childhood de-
mands and scamper about in the dusk
splashine about in the water like
brown ducks, or flying their hard
earned kites with shouts of glee quite
as care-free and merry as though
their life were all one playtime.-
Christian Advocate.