HOME OF A PROSPEROUS CONTRACTOR.
"It was further provided that the government would advance to the contractor, at the beginning of every season, the money necessary to produce his crop; and this advance was to be repaid out of the crop when it was gathered. There were many details of the plan which would require too much space to describe, and they were varied from time to time in order to make them as practicable as possible. Besides—"
"Stop a moment," said Frank, when they had reached this point. "Don't you think we are making this part of our story a little too heavy? I am afraid Mary and Miss Effie, and the rest of the young folks in our families, may not enjoy it."
"Perhaps not," replied Fred; "but then, you know, the whole family is to read our letters, and I am sure the subject will be very interesting to my father, and to yours too. And I think you will find the younger folks will like it, because it will teach them something of what is called political economy. Every intelligent boy and girl in America wants to know about the science of government; the history of the colonial government of Java is very interesting to both of us, and I believe we had better assume that it will be equally so to persons of our age at home. So go ahead, if you please, and if anybody doesn't want to read what we have written, he may skip it."
Work was resumed without further discussion.
COFFEE-PLANTATION IN THE MOUNTAINS.
"Down to the time we are considering the chief product of the soil tilled by the Javanese peasants was rice. General Van den Bosch proposed to have them cultivate coffee, sugar, and other articles that commanded a ready sale in Europe; and, as the government would buy the crop at a certain fixed price on the spot, the peasant would have a market at his door, and feel certain that he would not be robbed by middle-men and commission merchants, as is too often the case in other countries besides Java. The price paid by government was sufficient to make a fair return for the labor employed in making the crop, and at the same time low enough to allow a handsome profit when it was sold in Holland."