IN LOTUS LAND

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 200, 13 May 1918, Page 3

IN LOTUS LAND

EASY LIVING IN THE MALAY STATES

NO DISTRACTING SERVANT

TROUBLE

When one woman meets another, after a careful inquiry about each other's children, or the progress of their re* tpective socks, the next remark is genorally 6urp to be, "Cook's leaving me tomorrow, and I'm at my wit's end to know ■whero to gat another." And the reply comes baok, "Oh dear, those servants aro getting absolutely intolerable."

Imagino living in a country where there is no bother with servants (pictures a writer in the. Sydney "Sun."). If cook decides to leave , you for one reason or another he finds you a substitute before ho doparte. And ho never dreams of asking for a holiday without first obtaining somebody to take his place while he is a\yay. You don't have to hunt round, wasting time, temper, and energy, in a norvous endeavour to find somebody else to cook hubby's dinner. That is tho happy state of! affairs in the Federated Ifolay States, whpro life is so easy, that everybody tends to take tho line of least resistance. The servants wait oii you nand and foot, and the conditions absolutely spoil anyone for living in tho West. .

Nearly everybody employs a cook, a boy, and a tulcan-ayer. . This last is really a second boy, a water-carrier., who floes any of the odd jobs round tho place, and generally acts as scullery-maid. Tho salaries for a tukan-ayer range from 18 to 22 dollars a month, and the value or e dollar in Penang is only 2s. id. Chinese servants are tetter than the Indian coolies, and those working out>on the rubber estates are paid somewhat ligher than those iii the towns. Transport expenses aro always paid by the pmployor.

There is really no heavy work to do, as the floors of ths bungalows are all etained and polished. The rugs are easily taken up and shaken, anil tho, furniture is not oumbersome. Curtains are light and airy things, the heavy winter variety being practically unknown. In the towns the houses are fitted with electric light and fans throughout, but on the rubber estates there is neithen light nor wateiJnid on. That is where the tukan-ayei-£i.7O3 his valuable Services. These native servants are exceptionally clean, and the Chinese coolies are attentivo to physical oleanliness. They aro quite happy if they are near a river, and uuooucernedly have baths under pnmps on tho roadside. On tho estates there aru iilways big oemout wells, a«d tho coolies haul up buckets of water; two or three times a day and tip the contents over their heads. They have a bath, then commence to do their urashin;,'. The white man's—mid. woman's—wash-, ing is a cheap item in ihe Mates. You enter into a contract,. ■Oβ it were, pay from 8 to 12 dollars a month, and send as much washing a* you. like. The better clothos are generally sent to the convents, where the garments are washed beautifully. -JNearly everybody has a car in the Malay States. They; are a necessity, more than a luxury, ibr most people live a lone way out of town on the estates, end there aro no trains. Eunning is cheaper, not so muoh on account of the price of potrol, but because of the excellent roads. Tho F.M.S. have b:en described as the country of beautiful roads, and the thoroughfares we have hore aTO only a. tiideous pretence that scarcely deserve the' name cf ioad. The country is healthy; but tho climate is always tropical. Of course one can always go up to the hills, but even then the climate is not very much cooler. Children have that vdiite, washed-out appearance that always comes after livjn for any longrlb of time in the tropics, and there is always the'risk, of fever. .- Penan", and particularly the whole of the E.M.S., is a paradise for the lazy. Nobody thinks of wa'.kinj?. You go out in the morning, jump into a rickshaw, and do your shipping, i'or spinning you from ono pliace to f.nothor—and it Is only a woman who. v.'sils half a.dozen

different shops before buying a yard of ribbou—you will give your ;. uniau horse 5 to 10 cents. Or if you keep him all morning ho will probably Iμ richer by 50 cents or a dollar.

The food problem, which at ono time presented endless trouble, has now; been solved by 'cold storage. Previously ono lived on tinned foods, or chicken. After watching the chickens mid ducks growing in your backyard, and eating chicken aud duck week atttr week, you get so thoroughly sick and tired of. that dolioaoy that oven tinned foods aro a wcleomo treat.

The East ha-s customs that are always fascinating to the drab and humdrum West. Funeral customs, with their lavish colour 'and ceremonial, are among the most interesting spectacles that the Western visitor can witness. A Chinese funornl procession presents a most wonderful sight. Tlio mourners all carry qimiiit little dishes on which n-ay bo placed a few loaves, or some special Chinese dish, las an offering to the dead. Gorgeous hats and clothes arc worn, and hnagtti of gods—most of them hideously uglyare carried in tho procession. The Tamils carry their dead standing upright on stretchers. The body is covered up with flowers and i.vher things, and only the head is wsible. At all times, especially holidays and festivals, one may see rows of little red candles, and mourners swaying backwards and forwards before the lights. These littlo shrines—for such they are—are erected lin any place—by the roadside, in the j forest, outside the doorstep—and while I they sway the mourners intone a monotonous chant—rising and falling to every key—at the same time throwing the food to tho lights. Accompanying this performance- is a weird sounding of pompoms and other musical instruments, resembling nothing so much as Scotch bagpipes. The whole ceremonial represents a devoted worship of the dead. The many friends of Mrs. John Barry (relict of tne lute John Harry, of Blenheim) will regret to learn of her deutii, u-liicJi occurred at the residence, 8 Caroline Street, yesterday (Sunday) morning. The late Mrs. Barry was a native of Killorgliu, County Kerry, Ireland, arriving in New Zealand about fifty years ago, taking up her residence in Blenheim, where she resided for a- number of years, and of later years has been living in Wellington. Two children (a son aud daughter) survive the deceased lady. The interment is to take place in Blenheim to-morrow. In connection with the entertainment which the "Charley's Aunt" Club is giving in the Grand Upera House this evening for the Press Baby, there will bo a saie of .homo-made iweeU,. tnd as some export sweet makers have been at work some particularly desirable results may be looked for. Mowers also will bo sold, aa well as brown birch ami autumn foliage. Mrs. Darling arc! Mrs. K. Kirkcaldie- are the organisers, end will be assisted by a bevy of girls a3 vendors. The entertainment itself promisee to be excediugly good. SPECIAL TEEATMEKT AT MRS. EOLLESTON'S. '"- For falling hair, dandruff, or premature greyness, courses of tieatiuent, •including hand, vibro, and electrical massage, clipping and singeing and shampooing, ona,'guinea. For improving the colour and kstre of the haii-, H.enna Shampooing, Vet. 6d, i'or improving the (jiwth and preventing the hair falling, fihnmpjoing villi friction, 4s. Gd. • For thoroughly cleansing lie hair and scalp, shampooing, 2s. Gd. Henna staining and hair s':.iining from 10s. Bd. For improving the conipleito.i, romtving and preventing lvrinkljs, srsdisiiling blackheads, courses of U re treatuuet, one guinea. For the permanent removal of superfluous hair by cleotrolysis, 10s. per halfhour. Special preparations for hair and face, home treatments. Gombiugs made up, 2s. 6d. os. Switches, Transformations, Toupees, and every design in hairworl" nt English prices. MRS. EOLLESTON, 256 Lambton Quay, Wellington.—Advt.