NOT FOR "KEEPS."

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1366, 17 February 1912, Page 12

NOT FOR "KEEPS."

■The Slaharao's gift to the Queen, "which her Jlajssflf,'.-accordiajyr -to tlm eusttiil, inspected and thou 'returned to tho' donor,', reminded a correspondent of tho Manchester "Guardian" of an incident;' It happened in Ceylon a few vcai's- 'ago;' A European lady.whoso husband hod'eon* sidorablo local influence greatly desired., to know tho inner ■ lii'o■ of - tiie nativn people. -One afternoon she. was invitol to take (dim at tho home of a'Vealthy coconut planto:'. The-native, ladies welcomed her into the secluded part ol\their lioiise, and presen'ed her on a silver tray, tlieir costly jewellery and nianv raro precious-stones. After admiring them and selecting one of tho. stones as a token 'of nor high regard for tho ladies she should, , course, have returned Uiem. Instead' 01 . fnat she put then in-her handbag without hesitation, and thanked them l'nr their generous gifts. Tho'Native Indies,' strange as it may appear to their Western sisters; showed no sign of their disapproval. The European lady must liavo been ignorant of this sacred Eastern custom. Ou r correspondent does not know whether the innttcr was ever righted or whether thcro was nny sequel, except that tho lady left tho island shortly after, and the wealthy native ladies of that district were long very reluctant and limy' bo still—to lwcive European ladies into their homes. ' . ■