A Burmese wonderland; a tale of travel in Lower and ... - Khamkoo

—
4 A BURMESE WONDERLAND.
have deliberately sought to undermine, has been proof
against the assault. As in the past, so now, there is
mutual respect—and sometimes afiection. We are here
amongst enUghtened, quick, generous folk — gay and
spendthrift to a fault. They have many weaknesses,
and these we will expose remorselessly in another place :
but here we will only confess that their wickedness, no
less than their virtue, often appeals to our own instinct.
And the children—how fascinating they are !
Little San Pe and San Kwa who plague me when I
write, remove my pencils, and frankly prefer tea with
me to dinner with their mother—well, it would be a
flinty old bosom that could resist San Kwa.
Last, but very far from least, there are the women,
so dainty, so dangerous. At least, I suppose they are
dangerous, though a determined bachelor like myself
cannot really know. Still, with that figure, those
manners, those bright eyes and flashing jewels : with a
scarf blowing about her shoulders in the breeze, and
sunshine beating amber through a paper parasol, she
must be dangerous. The Burmese themselves certainly
find her so, and have all been on the verge of suicide
at least once or twice. Oh Ma Bed a, were you really
80 very simple ?