Part 26 (2/2)
In 1888, when I visited the Islands, Ruas still devoting himself heart and soul to the work of the Lord on Aniwa assisted by Koris, a Teacher from Aneityum, and visited annually by our ever dear and faithful friends, Mr and Mrs Watt, froood Rua carried forward all the work of God on Aniwa, along with others, in our absence as in our presence The s, the Communicants' Class, the Schools, and the Church Services are all regularly conducted and faithfully attended ”Bless the Lord, O my soul!”
CHAPTER LxxxII
LITSI SORe AND MUNGAW
LITSI, the only daughter of Namakei, had both in her own career and in her connection with poor dear Mungaw, an almost unparalleled experience
She was entrusted to us when very young, and becaht her hand, but she disdainfully replied, ”I am Queen of e, as your great Queen Victoria did!”
Her first husband, however as undoubtedly the tallest and iddy fool, and, on his early death, she again returned to live with us at the Mission House Her secondto coaw, heir to a Chief, had been trained with us, and gave every evidence of decided Christianity They were reatest happiness He was able and eloquent, and was first chosen as a deacon, then as an Elder of the Church, and finally as High Chief of one half of the Island He showed the finest Christian spirit underat the li of our Church, two badthe conch to asse of the quarrel, I rushed to the scene, and heard hi, ”Don't call o to be with Jesus But I aer a Heathen; I am a Christian, and wish to treat you as a Christian should”
Two loaded muskets were leveled at him I seized one in each of my hands, and held their ed, the balls ht pass over his head andwith the to the rescue, the men were disarmed; and, after much talk, they professed themselves ashamed, and proe present as a peace-offering to me, but I refused to receive it till they should first of all er present to hiaw brought a still larger present in exchange, laid it down at their feet in the Public Ground, shook hands with theave the was, ”I am a Christian, and I must do the conduct of a Christian”
In one ofChief with ations by his eloquent addresses and noble personality The late Dr Ca heard hiaw's appearance and speech in his Church did st the Heathen than all the Missionary addresses he ever listened to or read
Our lodging was in St Kilda My dear as suddenly seized with a dangerous illness on a visit to Taradale, and I was telegraphed for
Finding that I aw booked for Melbourne, on the road for St Kilda, in charge of a railway guard Soentle the guard that they were friends of mine, and interested in our Mission They took hi to drink with them, he said they threw his into hi taken all his money (he had only two or three pounds, made up of little presents from various friends), they thrust him out to the street, with only one penny in his pocket
On beco conscious, he applied to a policeman, who either did not understand or would not interfere Hearing an engine whistle, he followed the sound, and found his way to Spencer Street Station, where he proffered his penny for a ticket, all in vain At last a sailor took pity on hiot him some food, and led him to the St Kilda Station
There he stood for a whole day, offering his penny for a ticket by every train, only to meet with refusal after refusal, till he broke down, and cried aloud in such English as desperation gave hio Me no savvy road, and stop here o Kilda Me no entle Saave him a ticket, and he reached our house at St
Kilda at last There for above three weeks the poor creature lay in a sort of stupid doze Food he could scarcely be induced to taste, and he only rose now and again for a drink of water When my as able to be reed in appearance and in conduct Twice thereafter I took him with me on Mission work; but, on medical advice, preparations were made for his immediate return to the Islands I intrusted hian, who undertook to see hi at Auckland Mungaas delighted, and we hoped everything from his return to his own land and people After some little trouble, he was landed safely hoerous and violent sy periods of quiet and sleep, and then sudden paroxysms, in which he destroyed property, burned houses, and was a terror to all
On our return he was greatly delighted; but he complained bitterly that the white men ”had spoiled his head,” and that when it ”burned hot” he did all these bad things for which he was extremely sorry He deliberately atteentle wife; and then, when the frenzy was over, he wept and lamented over it Many a time he marched round and round our house with loaded musket and spear and tomahahile we had to keep doors and s locked and barricaded; then the paroxys and deep, like a child When he came to himself, he wept and said, ”The white men spoiled my head! I know not what I do My head burns hot, and I a Worshi+p with a loud yelling war-cry, rushed off through the Imrai to his own house, set fire to it, and danced around till everything he possessed was burned to ashes
Nasi, a bad Tannese Chief living on Aniwa, had a quarrel with Mungaw about a cask found at the shore, and threatened to shoot hi every day more and eous or insane on Aniwa, as they had neither asylued ahim back to his senses, they tied him up for two days or so; and finally, if that did not restore him, they shot him dead Thus the plan of Nasi was favored by their own custoht, after Family Worshi+p--for amidst all his madness, when clear moments came, he poured out his soul in faith and love to the Lord--he said, ”Litsi, I aet cooled in the open air”
She warned hi under the verandah He answered a little wildly, ”I am not afraid to die Life is a curse and burden The white o quickly and die!”
As he crossed the door, a ball crashed through hiot the mother and her children away to the Mission House; and next aw under the floor of his own hut, and enclosed the whole place with a fence It was a sorrowful close to so noble a career I shed many a tear that I ever took him to Australia What will God have to say to those white fiends who poisoned and ood Queen Litsi was happily o as a Missionary to the people and tribe of Nasi, the very man who had murdered her husband She used to say, ”Is there no Missionary to go and teach Nasi's people? I weep and pray for them, that they too may come to know and love Jesus”
I answered, ”Litsi, if I had only wept and prayed for you, but stayed at hoht you to know and love Jesus as you do?”
”Certainly not,” she replied
”Now then,” I proceeded, ”would it not please Jesus, and be a grand and holy revenge, if you, the Christians of Aniwa, could carry the Gospel to the very people whose Chief aw?”
The idea took possession of her soul She was never wearied talking and praying over it When at length a Missionary was got for Nasi's people, Litsi and her new husband offered theht Aniwan Christians and were engaged there to open up the way and assist, as Teachers and Helpers, the Missionary and his wife There she and they have labored ever since They are ”strong” for the Worshi+p
Her son is being trained up by his cousin, an Elder of the Church, to be ”the good Chief of Aniwa”; so she calls him in her prayers, as she cries on God to bless and watch over hi the Mission fan field
Many years have now passed; and when lately I visited that part of Tanna, Litsi ran to me, clasped my hand, kissed it with many sobs, and cried, ”O ain Is my mother, your dear wife, well? And your children, my brothers and sisters? My love to thes to you!”