or next Sunday. Ayah is walking up and down with Mildred,
and Louis Koch is running about, making her laugh. I must tell
you how we spend the day. Papa gets up at five, and takes a ride
on his pony. I make the tea at six, and cut bread and butter for
Ayah and Julia, and Samchoon, one of the boys who has had fever
and wants feeding up. The bell calls us to church at seven, but
I don't go till the afternoon. The gardener brings me a tray of
flowers, and I make the nosegays for the day. Then I go
downstairs and see the butter made. The boy brings in a great
jar of milk, with which he mixes some warm water; into this he
puts a long piece of bamboo, with cross pieces fixed in it like
the spokes of a wheel. This he twirls round and round in the jar
till the butter comes. Then he takes it out with his black
hands, and I carry it off and wash and salt it. We only get five
ounces now at a time, though there are six cows in milk; but the
calves are such miserable little things they have to be helped
first, and fed with rice-gruel also. The butter finished, I go
up to the sewing-class, who are very busy making their Easter
clothes, both boys and girls; and I help them with my
sewing-machine until half-past ten, only running away
twice--once to see what the school cook has brought for their
breakfast, and then to order our own. Then we all bathe and
breakfast, and Ayah goes away for two hours for her breakfast
and midday nap; and I take care of Mildred, which is, I own, the
hardest part of my day's work, for the little restless thing
will never let me sit down, and is up to all sorts of mischief.
At two o'clock Ayah comes and sings Mildred to sleep, with the
same old tune of "Doo doo baby" which you used to sing to your
dolls. I think in the next box I have from home you might send
your old friends Sarah and Fanny a doll each, and dress them
yourself. Our Malay Tuan Ku was here the other day and asked
after you; he remembered your Malay fairy tales.

* * * * *

MY BELOVED CHILD,

Our letters were very welcome last Sunday, _Easter Sunday_,
telling us good news of you all. Our church was very gay with
flowers and moss ferns; and the font was filled with large pink
water-lilies, whose beautiful round green leaves, a foot wide at
least, looked quite lo