nity.

As thread, deer sinew is not so easily manipulated as you might
imagine; indeed, I should say it is distinctly uncontrollable. The
audience, in spite of its manifest efforts at politeness, is
nevertheless widely diverted. Who would have thought a white woman
could be so droll in the woods, and so very stupid?

Huh! Huh! she may be so stupid that even old Naka, who is a proper
woman with her needle, has to scrub the air with her arms and show her
yellow gums in laughter.

Their always wakeful curiosity leads the maidens to enquire as to what
might be inside a white woman's hand-bag, and that they may
sufficiently know about this matter, the white woman empties it upon
her knees. Immediately, the articles are passed around for appraisal
and approval. Bank cheques! ... _Oui_! _Oui_! The men who work on
the boats get these. The girls know how it is talking [Transcriber's
note: taking?] paper to get money.

My penknife, pencil, note-book, purse, and handkerchief are duly
examined and quietly commented upon, but a package of tablets packed in
a silver paper, and small tube of cold cream, cause no small flutter in
our circle. When I am through demonstrating their use, every one's
breath is laden with the odour of mint, and their hands with that of
roses. Um--m--m--mh!

The women feel my arms, try on my bracelet and rings, and ask me to
take off my hat that they may see my hair, which, alas! is devoid of
all waywardness and coquetry. I can see they are disappointed in this
and think me what Artemus Ward calls "a he-looking female."

In one shack to which the girls accompany me, an emaciated, coughing
boy is bed-ridden and near to death. Lili Abi has him in her arms, and
he may not go free.

Who this Lili Abi, or Lilith, is does not certainly appear, but,
according to the Rabbis who wrote of old time, she is the first wife of
Adam and queen of the succubi. Some there are who declare this to be
an ill-framed story, and a conceit of the fancy, but others hold it as
a creed that she lives by sucking the blood of children till they fade
away and die. It is from Lili Abi that we get our word lullaby. The
malific lullaby she sings has come nigh to breaking the heart of
humanity, but, one day, it shall happen that a sure and strong-handed
scientist will get a strangle hold on Lili Abi and pierce her to death
with his slender but omnipotent needle.

Amil, who is the lad's father, says, "I am mooch scare'