She was very friendly, and often visited at the house of one of our missionaries who lived near her bamboo hut, and when Mrs. House started a school for children on her veranda Leang was invited to join them. Here she learned to sing, read, write and sew. In later years she joined the church, and was often in our family and much loved for her winning ways. When Leang was about seventeen years old her parents thought it time for the maiden to be married. In Siam when a man wants a wife he gets two or three elderly persons who are friends of the maiden’s parents to intercede for him and offer a certain sum of money for her, and often, whether she is willing or not, the daughter is married to the one who will pay the highest price. Leang’s parents received an offer from a wealthy Chinaman who had already two or more wives, but, attracted by her pretty face, wanted this young girl――not because he loved her, but to add a new ornament to his harem. He was a heathen, much older than herself, and the girl’s heart had long been in the keeping of a young Siamese Christian who had met her in the mission-house, where he also visited. Her parents scolded, took away her ornaments, beat her and threatened banishment from home, but Leang refused to marry the Chinaman. At length, after a long period of trial and waiting, which perhaps only strengthened their love, the young Siamese won the reluctant consent of her parents to marry their daughter. And now perhaps you think it is time to prepare for the wedding. No, not yet. The Siamese have a superstition that persons born in certain years are incompatible with each other. For instance, if one were born in the “year of the Dog” and another in the “year of the Rat,” or one in the “year of the Cow” and the other in the “year of the Tiger,” they would not live happily together. The matter is accordingly referred to some fortune-teller, who for a small fee generally pronounces no difficulty is in the way. The matter of birthdays being settled favorably, the elders make another call for a further discussion of the preliminaries. They say, “Since birthdays do not interfere, what shall be said about the usual stock for the young couple to commence life upon, and the money for the building of a house?” for, according to Siamese custom, the bridegroom puts up the house on the premises of the bride’s parents, and as near the old home as possible, so that it is almost one family. When a Siamese has several daughters married and gathered thus around the old homestead, there is quite a little family settlement. In reply to this inquiry of the elders the girl’s parents will probably answer, “We are not rich and not able to give our daughter much of a dowry. How is it with the parents of the young man? What will they do for their son?” The elders reply, “It depends upon yourselves.” The parents then suggest that a certain sum be appropriated for the building of the house, and name