do so, and no one thought of envying them
their humble, quiet happiness.

In this pleasant way a year rolled past. At
that time a vessel came into harbour, from
one of the Eastern islands, noted for its fine
plantations of nutmegs; a cultivation then
highly remunerative, but which the jealousy
of the Dutch Government rigidly "protected,"
by carefully reserving it to themselves. The
commander of this ship had brought up with
him, in a very careful manner, many hundreds
of young nutmeg plants, at the request, and for
the especial benefit, of the Receiver of Customs
at Point de Galle. These were brought on
shore in barrels of earth as ship's stores, and
left in charge of Janzs; who, shortly
afterwards received orders to despatch them to
the country-house of his superior. One
barrel was presented by the collector to the
chief clerk; who, well aware of the great
value of the nutmeg tree, conceived himself
to be at once on the high-road to fortune.

It would be difficult to paint the satisfaction
with which he knocked out the head of the
barrel, on its reaching the door of his little
bungalow, and feasted his own and Katrina's
eyes on the sight of a hundred young nutmeg
seedlings. It appeared to him as though a
hundred little guardian angels had suddenly
condescended to pay him a visit, to take up
their abode with him for the remainder of his
natural life. But what were they to do with
them? Plant them, of course. Yes, but
how, and where? Katrina was, for once in
her little life, most completely at fault on a
point of agriculture; and, it turned out on
inquiry, that old Lourenz knew about as
much of the proper treatment, agriculturally,
of the nutmeg tree as did Janzs, or any of his
office peons, or the old bald-headed Buddhist
priest who lived across the river.

Great was the satisfaction of the chief clerk
and his active wife to find that one of the
sailors of the vessel, which had brought up
the plants, understood the mode of culture,
and was willing to come out to their farm and
put them thoroughly in the way of rearing
fine nutmeg trees. Leave was obtained from
the skipper, and the sailor was soon installed
as hired cultivator under Katrina's own
inspection. When Janzs arrived home after
the first day's operations, he was astonished to
find a number of moderately sized pits dug
throughout his best ground, at regular and
distant intervals. He was with difficulty
persuaded that these gigantic holes were
necessary for the reception of the Lilliputian
plants. The sailor assured him that unless the
holes were made at least five feet deep, and as
wide as the outer branches of the future tree
were expected to cover, the plant would not
thrive. The roots were of the most delicate
texture; and, it was only by forming for their
reception a roomy bed of light generous
earth that they would be enabled to arrive at
the vigour necessary for the full nourishment
of the tree, and the perfection of abundant
crops of fruit. Janzs held up his hands in
pure astonishment; but he supposed it was
all right, when the two coolies flung basket
upon basket full of surface soil, and river mud,
and dead leaves and weeds, into these holes;
and when the sailor—gently as a nurse with a
young infant, placed two seedlings in each hole,
a few inches apart, filled in some more rich
loamy earth around them, pressed them softly
down, and then finished the ceremony by a
copious baptism of river-water from a cocoa-
nut shell—Janzs was so pleased with the
imposing appearance of the new plantation that
he did not heed the sailor's reason for placing
the little seedlings in pairs; it was to ensure
a sound, healthy plant, the strongest of the
couple being left, whilst the more delicate
plant was pulled out at the end of the first six
months.

This, however, was not all the care that
was needed for the young plants. A score of
contingencies had to be guarded against.
There might be too much sun, or too much
wet, or the wind might loosen them and
injure the roots. Cattle or wild animals might
get at them, and browse on their tender leaves,
which would be fatal to them. Insects might
prey upon the young shoot or the new bark.
So that although, as Katrina was assured,
when the trees did survive all these dangers
they would be certain to yield a lasting and
golden harvest, it would not be without a long
trial of watchfulness and care. But she was
not easily daunted; the prospect of the future
cheered on her little heart against all
misgivings. She made the sailor-planter show her
how they fenced in the nutmeg trees at
Penang and the Moluccas: how they sheltered
them from the scorching rays of the noonday
sun, and how they protected them from the
nocturnal attacks of porcupines and wild hogs,
by weaving prickly boughs around them on
the ground. Katrina felt quite sure that she
could manage the whole plantation, and bring
every tree to full bearing; and the sailor took
his leave, loaded with thanks and homely
gifts. Janzs thought himself the luckiest and
happiest of Custom-House clerks, to possess
such a wife, and such a garden of nutmeg
trees.

Years rolled on in Ceylon much as such
portions of time are in the habit of doing in
other places. They brought with them changes
in men and things at the little sturdy fort of
Galle, not less than elsewhere. Few changes,
perhaps, were more apparent than those
which were perceptible in the nutmeg
plantation I have described. The little
whitewashed bungalow had spread forth wings
on either side, and front and ends were
shadowed by jessamines and roses. Topes
of waving cocoa, and sago palms, and broad-
Ieaved bananas flung a graceful shade over
the lawn, and the sweet flower garden,
and the path to the river-side. The
Lilliputian seedlings were no longer there, but
in their places rose, proudly and gracefully