第1章

IneverySamoanhouseholdthedayisclosedwithprayerandthesingingofhymns.Theomissionofthissacreddutywouldindicate，notonlyalackofreligioustraininginthehousechief，butashamelessdisregardofallthatisreputableinSamoansociallife.

Nodoubt，tomany，theeveningserviceisnomorethanadutyfulfilled.Thechildwhosayshisprayerathismother"skneecanhavenorealconceptionofthemeaningofthewordshelispssoreadily，yethegoestohislittlebedwithasenseofheavenlyprotectionthathewouldmissweretheprayerforgotten.TheaverageSamoanisbutalargerchildinmostthings，andwouldlayanuneasyheadonhiswoodenpillowifhehadnotjoined，evenperfunctorily，intheeveningservice.Withmyhusband，prayer，thedirectappeal，wasanecessity.Whenhewashappyhefeltimpelledtoofferthanksforthatundeservedjoy;wheninsorrow，orpain，tocallforstrengthtobearwhatmustbeborne.

VailimalayupsomethreemilesofcontinualrisefromApia，andmorethanhalfthatdistancefromthenearestvillage.Itwasalongwayforatiredmantowalkdowneveryeveningwiththesolepurposeofjoininginfamilyworship;andtheroadthroughthebushwasdark，and，totheSamoanimagination，besetwithsupernaturalterrors.Wherefore，assoonasourhouseholdhadfallenintoaregularroutine，andthebondsofSamoanfamilylifebegantodrawusmorecloselytogether，Tusitalafeltthenecessityofincludingourretainersinoureveningdevotions.Isupposeourswastheonlywhiteman"sfamilyinallSamoa，exceptthoseofthemissionaries，wherethedaynaturallyendedwiththishomely，patriarchalcustom.Notonlywerethereligiousscruplesofthenativessatisfied，but，whatwedidnotforesee，ourownrespectability—andincidentallythatofourretainers—becameassured，andtheinfluenceofTusitalaincreasedtenfold.

Afterallworkandmealswerefinished，the"pu，"orwarconch，wassoundedfromthebackverandaandthefront，sothatitmightbeheardbyall.Idon"tthinkiteveroccurredtousthattherewasanyincongruityintheuseofthewarconchforthepeacefulinvitationtoprayer.Inresponsetoitssummonsthewhitemembersofthefamilytooktheirusualplacesinoneendofthelargehall，whiletheSamoans—men，women，andchildren—troopedinthroughalltheopendoors，somecarryinglanternsiftheeveningweredark，allmovingquietlyanddroppingwithSamoandecoruminawidesemicircleonthefloorbeneathagreatlampthathungfromtheceiling.TheservicebeganbymysonreadingachapterfromtheSamoanBible，TusitalafollowingwithaprayerinEnglish，sometimesimpromptu，butmoreoftenfromthenotesinthislittlebook，interpolatingorchangingwiththecircumstanceoftheday.

Thencamethesingingofoneormorehymnsinthenativetongue，andtherecitationinconcertoftheLord"sPrayer，alsoinSamoan.

Manyofthesehymnsweresettoancienttunes，verywildandwarlike，andstrangelyatvariancewiththemissionarywords.

Sometimesapassingbandofhostilewarriors，withblackenedfaces，wouldpeerinatusthroughtheopenwindows，andoftenwewereforcedtopauseuntilthestrangelysavage，monotonousnoiseofthenativedrumshadceased;butnoSamoan，nor，Itrust，whiteperson，changedhisreverentattitude.Once，IrememberalookofsurpriseddismaycrossingthecountenanceofTusitalawhenmyson，contrarytohisusualcustomofreadingthenextchapterfollowingthatofyesterday，turnedbacktheleavesofhisBibletofindachapterfiercelydenunciatory，andonlytooapplicabletotheforeigndictatorsofdistractedSamoa.Onanotheroccasionthechiefhimselfbroughttheservicetoasuddencheck.Hehadjustlearnedofthetreacherousconductofoneinwhomhehadeveryreasontotrust.Thateveningtheprayerseemedunusuallyshortandformal.Asthesingingstoppedhearoseabruptlyandlefttheroom.Ihastenedafterhim，fearingsomesuddenillness."Whatisit？"Iasked."Itisthis，"wasthereply;"Iamnotyetfittosay，"Forgiveusourtrespassesasweforgivethosewhotrespassagainstus.""

ItiswithnaturalreluctancethatItouchuponthelastprayerofmyhusband"slife.Manyhavesupposedthatheshowed，inthewordingofthisprayer，thathehadsomepremonitionofhisapproachingdeath.Iamsurehehadnosuchpremonition.ItwasI

whotoldtheassembledfamilythatIfeltanimpendingdisasterapproachingnearerandnearer.AnyScotwillunderstandthatmystatementwasreceivedseriously.Itcouldnotbe，wethought，thatdangerthreatenedanyonewithinthehouse;butMr.GrahamBalfour，myhusband"scousin，verynearanddeartous，wasawayonaperilouscruise.Ourfearsfollowedthevariousvessels，moreorlessunseaworthy，inwhichhewasmakinghiswayfromislandtoislandtotheatollwheretheexiledking，Mataafa，wasatthattimeimprisoned.Inmyhusband"slastprayer，thenightbeforehisdeath，heaskedthatweshouldbegivenstrengthtobearthelossofthisdearfriend，shouldsuchasorrowbefallus.