THE LILIES OF THE MAHAWELI

THE MATRONS OF ST ANTHONY’S COLLEGE KANDY, AND THOSE WHO SERVED

PROLOGUE. 

 In my Autograph Book there is a page with a verse written by one of my school mates a boarder, which, when read after nearly sixty years, is poignant in the extreme; He wrote :

 "Schooldays not forever last - our present joys will soon depart. Our lives apart our happiness in  vain  -  But sweet remembrance still remains....."

 How right he was ! Today, in these days of being confined to confinement, we are living at a time when there is a dramatic twist in the constitution of the universe due to an insidious virus which has the capability to destabilize our social life and lock down an entire planet to an extent unimaginable a short time ago. I hope this article about the Matrons and others who served at St.Anthony's will help to keep the happy memories aglow . The worst part of holding on to memories is not the pain but the loneliness of it, because memories need to be shared......memories of a time when we walked in strawberry fields seemingly forever, and delighted in the sunlit uplands of our schooldays at St.Anthony's College, Kandy.

 We are often caught up in the destination sometimes forgetting the journey, specially the goodness of  people we meet along the way. Coming together is a beginning. Staying together is progress, and working together is success. The "Lilies of the Mahaweli"  - the matrons who graced the hallowed halls of that great college by the river embodied all these values. I have to give this article some historical context and hark back to the period during the second world war when the college was relocated to the Weerakoon Gardens  -  During this period Miss.Sweeney was in charge of the sickroom. After college moved back to its present site, Miss.Mabel Perera was the second lily of the Mahaweli to join the team.

The next fragrant flower to grace the place to assist Miss.Sweeney and Miss.Mabel Perera was Miss.Ridge. Miss.Sweeney flew away in 1948 and was replaced by Miss.De La Harpe. As a matter of interest the first sickroom manned by Miss.Sweeney was on the hill above the "Mansion". It was in this year that a lady joined the staff and her name even today is a legend among an older generation of Anthonians  - Mrs. Nancy Byrde. She was placed in charge of the kitchen, while a Miss.Doris patrolled the refectory. More about Mrs.Byrde further down the line.......

And this is where paraphrasing a cliched phrase, "A Star was Born", a lily like no other made her entrance on the Anthonian stage and made a tremendous impact on life at college as we knew it. Welcome Mrs.Glen Cora Mulholland who started working for Saint Anthony's in 1953 as Sick Room/Infirmary Matron. Two years after performing a sterling job in the Sickroom, she was transferred in 1955 as the Matron in charge of Food for the college boardings. This appointment was made by the Principal Father Angelo Rosati in dramatic fashion.

Delving further into Mrs. Mulhollands working background he was surprised to learn from the Mayor of Kandy and Dr. Vicky Anthonisz two of his close associates, that Mrs. Mulholland HAD BEEN IN CHARGE, AND HEAD OF FOOD AND CATERING AT THE  KANDY GENERAL HOSPITAL IN THE EARLY 1950's ! Realizing that he had a worker of the highest calibre, he gave her a free hand to discharge her duties, and she accordingly hit the bowling to all parts of the ground ! When she assumed duty taking on responsibility for food and catering, she implemented changes to menus for all meals, and ensured that the upper school and Rainbow Cottage  refectories were well laid out with clean crockery and cutlery for meals. Our Master Chef Jamis was the head of the kitchen. Mrs.Mulholland took an instant liking to this genial soul and they became a formidable team. Her guidance and influence resulted in good meals being served for both the senior school and  Rainbow cottage boardings.  She also worked with Jamis in setting out the daily menus, and apart from the boarders, varied the menus for priests and teachers who lived in the college, and the minor staff. Master Chef Jamis to his credit ensured that the cooks under his supervision always delivered the goods, thanks to his methods of training. With Jamis there was no trial by error  -  on the contrary it was more like " trial by fire " !!!.

Mrs.Mulholland  with the able assistance of Jamis ruled the catering minor staff with an iron fist. She  also had strict control of the senior boarders during mealtimes, disciplining them to use the cutlery laid down. She smoked a packet of cigarettes a day and did not hold back when speaking her mind ! There is a famous story often told about the day when Fr. Tonini then Warden of Hostels came round on a visit to the senior refectory. He could not have timed it better ! Mrs. Mulholland was giving a piece of her mind to some senior boarders who were misbehaving, with some spicy language thrown in for effect !! When Father Tonini asked her what the problem was, she replied "Father, these buggers are using Slang !!!" at which  a very red faced Fr. Tonini smiled and walked away not daring to engage Mrs. Mulholland in further dialogue.

Sadly, personal reasons compelled her resignation in December 1957 as she was needed by her youngest daughter Mrs. Yvonne Saravanamuttu (Swinnie’s elder sister) to look after her young family of 5 children as her son in law Mr. Saravanamuttu passed away in July 1957. Mrs. Mulholland tendered her resignation to the Principal who succeeded Father Rosati, Father Hillarion Rudolph. He informed her that  along with the other college priests and staff, her resignation was accepted with heavy hearts since he was aware of the high work ethic she initiated as an administrator of the college catering.

Mrs. Mulholland migrated to Melbourne in 1970 lived with her son Jeffrey and family in Coburg, (Victoria) then left for the U.K. in early January 1980 to visit her youngest son Swinnie and his family in London, and also her daughter Dalrene Haller in Birmingham whom she had not seen since 1945. Dalrene married a British servicemen during World War 2 in 1944 and they left Ceylon in 1945 to reside in England. Sadly on this holiday in the U.K. she contracted pneumonia and passed away in early April 1980 at 88 years of age. Her ashes were brought to Melbourne in May 1980 for burial at the Fawkner cemetery where she was laid to rest. To the world she was just one person. But she was the world to us despite her tough exterior, because she was the lady with a healing hand and a gentle heart. Somewhere along the road of life, perhaps in her training for her career before joining the Kandy hospital, she had learned that everyday you will touch a life, or a life will touch yours. She certainly touched ours.

Mrs.Mulholland was succeeded by Mrs.McGill in the sickroom. She had a son Arthur who visited her riding a state of the art motorcycle  - akin to a Harley-Davidson  -. He was a six footer of excellent physique and we thought that the bike and he were like something out of a movie.

MRS.DON.

Mrs.Don was in charge of "The Nest" in 1952. This little enclave of the boarding was located opposite "The Villa" and later became the music room. Boarders in "The Nest" had to share the toilets with their brothers in "The Villa" much to the annoyance of the latter.  Mrs.Don used to form a queue in pairs and walk the boarders of "The Nest" to the refectory for meals. There was no "Journey's End" at the time. The title of a Russian classic by author Mikhail Sholokov amply illustrates Mrs.Don leaving St. Anthony's. Like the title of the book "And quietly flows the Don", she  took her leave and like the Don river, quietly flowed away to distant horizons. She was a kindly lady who had a son Baron who was with us in the boarding. He too disappeared into some Bermuda Triangle, and a few years ago I made inquiries regarding his whereabouts without any success. 

MISS.TISSA WEERASINGHE.

When I joined college in 1951,Miss.Tissa Weerasinghe was the matron in charge of Dorm 1 in "The Rainbow Cottage". In 1953 she was transferred to "The Mansion" as matron, until 1955 when she was transferred to the Bursar to work with Father Valentine. As a child I was rather scared of her because she was rather taciturn and in my years at college not once did I see a smile grace her lips.

The Ghost in "The Rainbow Cottage" which terrified Miss.Tissa Weerasinghe is an incident which I will never forget. One night after dinner we were relaxing at recreation when a piercing shriek rent the air . Everybody rushed towards the direction of this fearful cry to find Miss.Tissa Weerasinghe completely out of control shouting that on her way to the dormitory (Dorm 1) along the lonely passage, she felt somebody tugging her saree. Consternation born out of fear reigned for awhile among us juniors, until Brother Hugh initiated a "search". But how do you find a 'Ghost???'. His idea was to ascertain if some prankster was the culprit and was hiding in the nearby bushes ! The result of this ghostly encounter was that for the next few days, none of the juniors of the "Rainbow" went to the area at night where this incident occurred. I for one was terrified !

MRS.SILVA.

Mrs.Silva was in charge of the refectory in 1951, my first year at St.Anthony's. She was rather quiet spoken and kept an eagle eye on the boarders during meal times. She had a habit of walking up and down the refectory to observe the eating habits of the juniors. If she found that you remained any meal, she walked up to you, found out why you had not finished your meal and then cajoled you to eat it all up, often without much success ! Not once did she give up and whenever students noticed her walking towards their tables they made a pretense of eating their meals because once she latched on to you she would not let go !!

MISS. IMBULDENIYA.

I cannot write much about this charming and gentle lady because she did not stay long at St. Anthony's. She joined as a matron in "The Rainbow Cottage" and must have spent about three years, before leaving. What I can remember though is that she always had a kind disposition. She was in charge of dormitory number three.

MISS. PERERA AND MISS.TILLY.

After Mrs.Silva left, Miss.Perera and Miss Tilly took charge of the refectory. Miss.Tilly whose nephews were day scholars -  Lloyd Perera and Walter Perera  -  (Walter was in my class) was easy going but the opposite was true of Miss.Perera. She would fix you with a penetrating stare that could pierce stone and  any boarder who stepped out of line probably lived to regret it for the rest of his natural life ! If looks could kill as the old saying goes, many of us would be long dead ! These two lilies did not stay long and after we were sent to the upper school boarding we lost touch with them.

MRS. ISAACS.

Mrs.Isaacs was in charge of the Infirmary in "The Rainbow Cottage". Any wounds or minor ailments would be treated by her, but any boarder with a serious injury would be referred to the sickroom in the upper school. Perhaps the most serious case she had to deal with was Patrick Berenger who swallowed a G.Nib !! This was no imitation of Dynamo the Magician, but a genuine accident. I crave the reader's indulgence and patience because it is not everyday that one swallows a G.Nib and lives to tell the tale ! It is a story worth relating.

STRANGER THAN FICTION  - SWALLOWING A G.NIB AND LIVING TO TELL THE TALE !

All the dormitories in "The Rainbow Cottage" were connected by corridors which had tin roofs rusty to boot and and no gutters. During the heavy monsoon rains it was akin to standing under a waterfall. Strange things go through the mind of an eight year old. Call it challenging fate, attempting the impossible, playing Russian Roulette in his tender years, Patrick placed a G.Nib in his mouth then kept swallowing it and regurgitating it to see how far it would go before pulling it out again !! He tried this once too often. Then, to his horror when the Nib could not be regurgitated he tried pulling it out with his fingers, but lubricated by water the Nib went straight into his tummy ! Even the night prayers in the Chapel before retiring for the night could not get the Nib out, and that was when he pressed the panic button. He reported to the Infirmary, where a horrified Mrs.Isaacs whisked him off to the sickroom in the Upper school under Mrs.Mulholland.

The following morning at the break of dawn he was sent to the Kandy hospital, and the X-Rays revealed the Nib comfortably encased in his stomach. The only redeeming feature in this horrible episode was that he swallowed the nib with the blunt end pointing downwards, and the menacing point facing upwards. The Doctor's concern was that the Nib could penetrate the walls of the intestines if corrective action was not taken. And the good Doctor went to work. Adhering to the theory that the Nib had to be surrounded by food which would encase it, Patrick was placed on a frugal diet of plain boiled rice and little or no water until the Nib  -  this little weapon of mass destruction  -  was expunged the way nature intended, to everybodys relief ! The moral of this story is that if you ever swallow a nib, be sure the blunt way is leading the way down !

Years later in Australia I met one of her sons Darryl Isaacs  and we spoke about her often. She passed away many years ago and sadly Darryl too left this earth about fourteen years ago.

MRS.NANCY BYRDE.

Mrs.Nancy Byrde was in charge of one of the dormitories in "The Rainbow Cottage" when I was in dorm number four. I met her on a daily basis in the course of daily life specially during recreation, and did not take long to realize that she was kindness personified. The Swiss Psychiatrist and Psychotherapist Carl Jung once said that "Warmth is the vital element for a growing plant  -  and for the soul of a child." I do not know if Mr.Jung was telepathic, but he must have had Mrs.Byrde in mind. She was a manifestation of this gem of wisdom, being human warmth personified. Having children of her own, she was very sensitive to the needs of a young boarder away from home. The American TV Personality and Author Fred Rogers once wrote " Anyone who does anything to help a child is a hero to me" and in that sense Mrs.Byrde was a "heroine" to any junior boarder who went to her for help, comfort, or a kind word. She bonded with those under her care, and took on the responsibility of caring for her young charges very seriously. After I moved on to the upper school I seldom met her. The last time I met her was when I visited College in the early seventies to witness a cricket match. She was still in "The Rainbow Cottage" and we had a long hearty conversation recollecting fond memories of when I was a young boarder under her care. That was the last time I saw her. How the heart yearns at the memory.......

MRS.INEZ GRIFFS.

It was Father Theophane who first met Mr. and Mrs.Griffs, at St.Anthony's when it was a military hospital during the war years, and Mr.Griffs was employed there. Again, it was Father Theophane who  created a job for Mrs.Griffs as a Seamstress, and she performed her duties from a little room at the far end of the "Mansion". This was a day job and she worked stipulated hours. When a vacancy for a Matron occurred in 1952 to look after "The Nest", Mrs.Griffs was entrusted with that responsibility.  Thereafter, she was moved to "The Rainbow Cottage" to look after various dormitories in 1953, finally ending up as the Matron in charge of "The Junior Mansion".

As a boarder in "The Rainbow Cottages" I did not know Mrs.Griffs very well since she was in charge of a higher dormitory, and I ran into her occasionally during recreation but it was when I went to the junior "Mansion" that I had the privilege of being one of her charges since she was the Matron in charge of that particular dormitory. The importance of Matrons cannot be underestimated. They sometimes take on the responsibility of changing young minds thus changing lives for the better. I warmed to the fact that Mrs.Griffs, more than a Matron, was  a mother figure to all of us and I am sure I speak for my fellow boarders. She laid down the rules very kindly, never admonishing you in anger. Life in the junior Mansion under Mrs.Griffs had some interesting moments. One which I remember very well were the "Durian Duels" we waged with some staff in the convent, whose quarters were a stone's throw away from our dormitory. To the uninitiated an explanation is necessary. There were four majestic durian trees which stood not far from the dormitory. These trees however stood in a little gully closer to the female staff quarters belonging to the convent. During the durian season we could hear the fruits falling at night with a tremendous thud. Mrs.Griffs at times made a note of the number of thuds which indicated the number of fruits that fell, and so did some of the junior "Mansioners" !! In the early hours  she would request some boarders to go down the slight slope armed with torches, gather the fruits and bring them to the dormitory. These Search and Retrieve Missions" of Durians became an exciting part of life in the junior "Mansion !" Our rivals  - the fair maidens of the convent  -  probably teachers, had the same idea and in the light of dawn it was battle lines drawn ! I dont know how they fared, but there was enough fruit to go around and we Mansioners hit the jackpot more than once ! In the evenings after afternoon tea we would go to the dormitory where Mrs.Griffs cut up the succulent fruit and a feast of durian ensued. Today, sixty four years after charging in the dark to search for fallen durians, the excitement felt then, still remains a fond and pleasant memory.

But it is for one special although 'painful' reason that I will always remember Mrs.Griffs as a boarder under her care. Mother Theresa once said that "The Hands that heal are holier than the hands that pray". This was amply manifested one dark night in 1955 when I was in the 'Junior Mansion'. It was a period when I suffered from agonizing ear aches resulting in sleepless nights. I was a frequent visitor to the sickroom, and at times to Dr.Anthonisz's surgery in Kandy. One night getting ready for bed, I was suffering with an ear ache which got progressively worse as the night wore on and the prescribed medication offered no relief. While my fellow boarders found sweet repose in slumber land, I was  wracked with pain, unable to find the favours of Morpheus and lay awake in agony awaiting dawns golden light, sobbing into my pillow. I tried to keep the sobs to a minimum not wishing to disturb anybody. My bed was at one end of the dormitory and Mrs.Griff's room was at the other.

I suddenly noticed the light in Mrs.Griff's room. The next thing I knew, she walked down the dormitory torch in hand, gently sat on my bed and, feeling my head, asked me what was wrong. I  told her of the pain in my ear, and one would think that she gave me a painkiller asking me to try to sleep. Instead, she asked me if I wanted a hot drink and when I declined, sat by my bed till dawn, comforting me with kind and soothing words telling me softly that the first thing she would do in the morning was to inform the Warden of my illness and send me to the sickroom. She also mentioned

that she was aware  these ear aches had troubled me for sometime and a visit to an ear specialist was necessary. How, I still ask myself did she know that I was unwell since her room was far from my bed ? The answer is simple. It is a mother's instinct. For some unknown reason she awoke and sensed that all was not well in the dormitory. But how she found her way to my bed since I did not disturb anybody is the reason why God gave us Mothers.  I still recall her kindness, her patience, and the lengths she went to ease my pain . Most of all it was her concern. The next morning she asked me to stay in bed, gave me a cup of tea and went to see Father Thomas who was in charge of the senior "Mansion". A short while later I was rather surprised to see Father Thomas coming with her to the dorm. This was after the Catholic students had gone for Mass and the non-catholics had gone for morning study before breakfast. Father Thomas told her he would arrange for me to see Doctor Anthonisz that morning and obtain a referral to see a ear specialist. The idea being that I would stay in the sickroom until my Dad and Mum were informed, and came to take me home. That is how the next morning played out. Doctor Anthonisz gave me a referral to see one of the best ear specialists in Colombo, Doctor Rustomjee. Subsequently Father Tonini the Warden of Hostels, gave my parents a letter stating that it would be advisable to consult a specialist without delay as these ear aches were frequent and getting progressively worse. Through all that pain and tears there was one bright light - I would be going home soon ! I read somewhere that " Love spoken about can easily be turned aside. But, love demonstrated is irresistible". That long dark night I was the beneficiary of a warm and healing love from a gentle lady who gave life to the words of Mother Theresa. It is something I have never forgotten because young minds -  specially a eleven year old boarder far from home  -  are very fertile and receptive to acts of love and kindness. Nothing conveys love more than understanding, in moments of distress   -  and I was one eleven year old in such a moment.

Mrs.Griffs often turned a blind eye (and sometimes a deaf ear !) to any of her charges breaking Kurumbas from the trees in the vicinity of the junior "Mansion". The term "forbidden fruit" did not hold much currency in her book. After years of devoted service, Mrs.Griffs left College in 1971 and moved to Colombo to live with her son Tony and his family, who subsequently migrated to Australia in 1984. In 1986 she followed in their footsteps and left for Australia. A very special occasion in the life of this much loved lady was the celebration of her 100th birthday in 2011. Very sadly, three months after this milestone event in her life she passed away peacefully to the sorrow of the Anthonian community, and of course her closely knit and bonded family. She had the good fortune of having a former Principal of College at her funeral.

BROTHER HUGH AND BROTHER VALENTINE.

When I joined College in 1951 Brother Hugh was the Warden in "The Rainbow Cottage". Tilak Pananwala and his brother Bernard too joined in the same year and they were in dormitory No.1 under Miss.Tissa Weerasinghe, while I was in dorm 4 under Mrs.Symmonds. Brother Hugh was a kind friendly person with a pleasant disposition. There was a rumour that he used to hide money under his mattress and there was a lot of it !. After he left, Father Robinson took over as Warden to be succeeded by Father Leo Nanayakkare. Father Leo had the habit of telling us Ghost Stories to frighten us  -  just for fun ! For the record, I was informed that there was a Brother Hugh who was the Warden in "The Mansion" in 1948, but cannot be certain if this was the same Brother Hugh in "The Rainbow" in 1951. This Brother Hugh was affectionately referred to as "Brother Huge" due to his stocky build resulting in being overweight by excess poundage !!

Brother Valentine was a very shy character and joined College in our senior years. For a short time he was the Warden in charge of "The Journey's End" after Father Bruno left, until Father Thomas De Zilwa took over. He was also in charge of Food and Catering for sometime. Brother Valentine was later ordained a priest and was said to possess healing powers.

MISS.PILLAI.

Following the departure of Mrs.Sethupathi who was in charge of the Tuck Shop, she was succeeded by Mrs.Pillai. The tenure of Mrs.Sethupathi would have been a hard act to follow, but Mrs.Pillai proved more than equal to the task and together with her able lieutenant Banda, they set a cracking pace. Mrs.Pillai showed her "customers" and patrons who was boss and despite the usual rush of students clamouring for attention waiting for service, a degree of order was established and everybody was served in time. It was when Mrs. Pillai was in charge of the Tuck Shop that "Saruwath" was introduced as a refresher. It proved a big hit until one day a student who was not satisfied with the taste referred to it as "Booru Hujja!"(Donkey's Urine). The biggest mistake he made was to express his opinion in front of Mrs.Pillai and Banda. This was the ultimate insult and never have I seen a student receive a tongue lashing from a female member of staff, as he received from Mrs.Pillai that day, with Banda chipping in with a verbal upper cut or two !!  That particular student made a hasty retreat from the Tuck Shop, his dignity torn to shreds !!!

MRS. MOLLY MADDOCK - A MOVING STORY.

Following the recommendation of Mrs.Mulholland, Mrs.Molly Maddock joined the boarding staff of St.Anthony's College in 1958 replacing Mrs.Nancy Byrde in "The Nursery" when the latter was transferred as Matron in charge of dormitories No. 1 and 2. She looked after "The Nursery" for one year only, because following Mrs.Mulholland's resignation in late 1957, Father Tonini  - on Mrs.Mulholland's recommendation again  -  decided she would be an ideal successor to Mrs.Mulholland as Matron in Charge of Food and Catering, and was promoted accordingly. She soon proved to be a worthy replacement. Mrs.Mulholland, excellent worker and innovator that she was, had written a "Procedure Manual on Food and Catering" relevant to the needs of the College boardings. This manual was passed on to Mrs.Maddock and was a vital aid in enabling her to manage and supervise the kitchen staff with the support of Master Chef Jamis thus ensuring that the excellent standards and work ethic initiated by her predecessor were maintained.

Mrs.Maddock had a very good "repertoire" with many of the senior boarders like Linton and Neville Vanstrax, Andre Titus, Winston Bailey, Michael Raj, Franco Rudolph, and the Joseph Brothers, Stephen, Charlie, and Michael. She resigned her job in 1963 accepting a position as Manager of catering at The Kandy Nursing Home. She was succeeded by Brother Valentine. She held this position until 1967 when, wishing to be close to her family in Colombo she resigned her position again, to become Matron in charge of The Nursery boarding at St.Thomas's College, Mt.Lavinia. It seemed the wheel had turned full circle.

Finally, she migrated to Australia in 1982 and lived with one of her daughters until she was called to her eternal reward in 2015. A gracious and stoic lady she resembled "the unsinkable Molly Brown" the philanthropist who survived the sinking of the "Titanic" in April 1912. Leaving her family to work at these various jobs, nothing daunted her and she soldiered on leaving a very fond memory in the minds of all those who crossed her pathway in life. 

MR.SARAM.

In my eleven years of life as a boarder, Mr.Saram was a larger than life figure whom I encountered daily as he did his rounds on a working day, sometimes with a spanner or a wrench in hand performing his duties as  Maintenance Supervisor with special attention to plumbing. He was always well dressed and did some intense walking. Considering the vast acreage of the college I wonder how many pairs of shoes he wore out crunching the gravel daily, and that with a spring in his step ! Mr.Saram joined college in 1946, and his office was opposite the old refectory. I remember his home was just below "The Journey's End". Ever polite and soft spoken he became an institution within an institution !

MR.JACOLYN SENEVIRATNE.

The legendary Mr.Jacolyn Seneviratne performed yeoman service as the college Bursar and was as Anthonian as the college quadrangle ! As boarders, we had nothing much to do with him since the boarder's school fees were included in the college bills. But he was very pleasant to deal with as I discovered in the rare occasions I spoke with him. I also found out that - to use perhaps a bad pun  - he had many strings to his bow. He was an excellent violinist and I had the good fortune to listen to him play when one December day, the choir master Mr.Cyril Brown sent me to his home which was located almost opposite the main entrance to college across the road, with a message regarding the Christmas carols. Out came the violin and I heard one of the best versions of the perennial favourite "La Paloma" played by Mr.Jacolyn on his violin. A gentleman to his fingertips, Mr.Jacolyn was loved by all.

MR.MELDER.

Another old Anthonian, Mr.Victor Melder was the Office Clerk/Receptionist. At any given time on a working day he could be observed working on the old Remington typewriter tapping away on the keys as if his life depended on it. Considering the volume of work he had to get through when one considers the size of the college, the student roll, the daily load of correspondence demanding attention, he soldiered through all that like the true trooper he was . Victor was still working in the office when I left college in 1963.

 MR.W.SIRIWARDENA.

The mild mannered Mr.Siriwardena was seldom seen in the course of a days work because he was the Manager of the college farm which was located in the vicinity of the senior "Mansion" along the road leading up to "The Junior Rate". In an enclosure close by, there were two deer. It was not a big farm and had mainly poultry, a few ducks, and at one time four rabbits. Very few students visited the farm and I think the boarders in the lower school did not even know it existed ! The hens in the farm got to work everyday and there was always a supply of fresh eggs. Meanwhile, the farm hit the headlines  -  at least in College  -  for all the wrong reasons. While Britain had her "Great Train Robbery" we at College had our own "Farm Robbery " !!  One day six senior "Mansioners" after some careful planning to rob the farm, put the plan into action. Having monitored the movements of Mr.Siriwardena, they struck when he was away from his post for a short time. Unfortunately for our "Merrie men of the Mansion" (apologies to Robin Hood) who should catch them red handed while they were helping themselves to fresh eggs, but none other than Mr. Siriwardena himself who made an unexpected return !  (One wonders how they would cook the eggs if they ever got away with the stolen goods !!  Maybe they decided to swallow them raw !!!).

Sherrif Siriwardena raised the alarm and our would be bandits attempted to flee but it was too late because he identified every one of them ! They were reported to the Warden, and when he inquired into this robbery gone wrong, Mr.Siriwardena the hero of the hour came out with this classic line when asked by the Warden if he had witnessed the robbery. "Yes Father ! I saw the the theft. Only feathers was left !!! " The miscreants were duly punished, and Mr.Siriwardena and his hens lived happily ever after. Unfortunately the farm did not last very long and was closed  about two years later. Mr.Siriwardena left, and to the best of my knowledge, nobody heard from him again.

Finally, Tilak Pananwala very kindly reminded me that there was also a Sweeper, a Van Driver, and a Carter whose names one cannot remember. I can picture them in my minds eye to this day, but never took the trouble to find out their names even when I was in college. They also served, and are loved and remembered.

 EPILOGUE.

Goodbyes make you think. They make you realize what you had, what you have lost and what you took for granted. Some people come into our lives, leave footprints on our hearts   -  and we are never the same. And the Matrons and all those who served in College who have been mentioned here, did just that. For them there  can be no goodbyes . Because to  Anthonians, wherever they are, they will always be in our hearts.

Goodbyes hurt when the story is not finished and the book has been closed forever. Our book of memories is always open and the memories will last a lifetime.

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.

I am deeply indebted to the following, for without their help and advice, this article would not have been possible : Tilak Pananwala for his valuable assistance and quick turn around every time I emailed him with a cry for help, Tony VanCuylenburg for valuable information provided to embellish the story of the Matrons pre 1951, Franklyn Amerasinghe for filling in the blanks when I had no points of reference, Orville Selliah and Steve Morrell for useful tips and encouragement to nail it all down, Paddy Guneratne for his help when I needed it,  Tony Griffs for the information on his much loved Mum which was invaluable, Michael Macky for some handy hints, and for all those who gave me the encouragement and moral support to put pen to paper, and Patrick Berenger for sharing his memory of the G.Nib experience. A special "Thank You" to Chris Drieberg for his encouragement at every turn, but more for hitting the jackpot regarding the title of this article.

The title I decided on was THE LILIES OF THE VALLEY. But Chris went one better by gilding the lily (pardon the pun). He suggested that LILIES OF THE MAHAWELI would be more appropriate and I could not think of a better title. If this article through sheer strength of memory has strengthened the bonds of love and legendary camaraderie among the Anthonian brotherhood, reaching out to all students of the Maroon Double Blue in the far flung corners of the globe, it would not have been written in vain.