Page 296 - Malay sketches
P. 296

MALAY SKETCHES

             out a  long day  to  guard  his chiefs dead  body,  with-
              out        of     or            determined that
                  thought  gain    praise, only
              none but  loving  hands  should be  laid  upon  the
              voiceless, pulseless clay  he once called master.
                Given a  glorious sunny day  and a  good cause,
             the idea of ending existence  suddenly  and  painlessly
             in the  pride  of life and in face of the foe has its

             attractions,  and robs the inevitable of its  sting.
                But who can  hope  that after his death there will
             be one other  being  whose love  is  great enough  to
             offer his own  life a  willing  sacrifice to  guard the
             thing  that was to-day  a friend and to-morrow will
             be  corruption  ?






















                                   280
   291   292   293   294   295   296   297   298   299   300   301