1938-09-02 — Page 11

CHINA MAIL FRIDAY SUPPLI

BER 2, 1988

THE LAMP

דיני

(Continued from Page 1)

*seemed determined not to go out.

It came from the rope of twisted hair in the hollowed stone.

On hands and knees he crept up to examine more closely this phenomenon. He touched the stone. It was still hot and his

.

exclamation caused his neigh- bour to stir uneasily. Clutching a pièce of unburned wood, he gently drew the stone towards him; still the greasy hair burned on, and sheltered from the draught by his body the flame- grew steadier. Gingerly he touch- ed the stone until he found a projection cool enough to grasp; carefully he lifted it up, throw- ing a faint light here and there into dancing shadows, as he moved it about.

Sleep had gone from him now; he was the Inventor, and his curiosity was urging him on to the ultimate end of his dis- covery. Rising to his feet, he warily picked his way through the ring of sleepers. As he went, the powers of darkness seemed to recede before him. He had no thought of fear; somehow or other the little grease flame gave him courage to wander into the back of the cave, where he squat- ted for a time, watching the re- flection of the light in the water.

A sudden draught caused the fame to waver and to throw dancing shadows on the walls of the cave. This was a new in- terest. The boy blew gently on to the flame, this way and that, and chuckled to see his power over the imps that danced round him.

Sometimes he felt a bit afraid of them, but they seemed to be harmless enough. Real fear was at bay so long as his little light burned, but crept in on him at length when, in the excitement of his new game, he blew hard and the flame went out. Fearfully then, grasping his precious stone in one hand, he felt his way along with the other back to the realm protected by the glimmer of the hearth fire.

Carefully he felt for the niche in the rock where he kept such little treasures as he was able to secrete from the prying eyes of his relations, and then curled himself up to sleep, smiling as he-dreamed of wonderful things illumined by his little light as his wandering spirit carried it- into a new world of discovery and imagination.

A wintry sun was peering through the floating mists when he awoke in the morning. Pale as it was, he laughed as he saw it; he was in the mood for laughter. The arduous day ahead did not ́ worry him now that he had the xcitement of the evening before him

meless, the hours dragged. nd he was allim- the end of the hunt- evening's homegoing.

ing and

Aunt Redhair flung a stone at him across the fire at the even-

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ing meal. She had nearly choked herself with a small bone, and thought he was grinning at her mishap, all unknowing that his thoughts were well away from the family circle-except, of course, that the girl was in them.

The evening otherwise follow- ed its usual course. The old men argued, the women chattered, the children played with the fire and burned their fingers, quarrelled and played, the younger men fashioned new tools, and the younger women ogled and watch- ed. The boy longed to show the girl his new discovery and to dispel the shadows for her or, rather, for both of them-but he dared not go to his hiding-place while others could see. At length, one by one, the voices quietened, but some of the young ones gig- gled and chattered till he longed to knock their heads together with all the wrath of rising im- patience.

Only on the far side of the cave was there wakefulness now. Soft- ly, with all the wiles of the hun- ter who is sometimes the hunt- ed, he crept to the cave wall and thrust his hand down the long hole which was his. A groping of the fingers, a sigh-the stone was still there. He drew it out carefully so as not to waste the little fat remaining, and added a lump of fresh fat he had secret- ed. A portion of the wick still re- mained unburned.

*

*

:

He tiptoed to the girl's recum- bent body and gently stroked her cheek. She stirred uneasily at first, then raised herself. on her elbow. Beckoning to her, he took a burning twig from the fire and led the way towards the back of the cave, holding his precious stone before him. She would not follow at first, but a gesture of emphasis brought her timidly after him. He seated himself in a little alcove, and held the burn- ing twig to the wick; at first it would not light, and he wonder- ed, but just as he was above to give way to despair it burned. feebly at first, and then morės

A family group favour the "Mail" photographer during their beach-outing at Castle Peak last Sunday.

brightly. Wide-eyed, the girl sat down beside him. The shadows danced, but the demons kept their distance.

One day the family would have to know of the discovery, and be the boy's invention would given to his little world. In the meantime, this was their private

A

light a glimmering circle of protection for them alone, away from communal inquisitors.

He had invented a lamp.

BE TACTFUL

"It is beneficial to yawn when. you feel like it," says a doctor. But NOT when your rich uncle is telling you one of his un-funniest stories.

"Perhaps I'm hard to please

When I was younger

I didn't much care what I ate or drank or smoked. But nowadays I take my pleas- ures, not sadly but seriously. I suppose you would call me faddy. I hate to be put off with second- best, no matter what it is. I won't eat a peach unless it is English. If I order caviare it must be Beluga.

You see what I mean about whisky.. While I can obtain a whisky as soft and smooth as a fine liqueur, why on earth should I

put off with anything less

than White Horse i

admit that perhaps I am hard to please - but take

it from me, it pays.".

WHITE HORSE

WHISKY

You can tell it blindfold !

Sole Agents for South China : Jardine Matheson & Co. Ltd.