Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1889-12-21

at boo. the Sacred Isle as he walked
along the shore of his domain one beau
Gful morning in December.
1t was the day before Christmas, a holi-
day at that time unknown to the majority
of the dnsky natives OF that benighted
isle, but which was soon destined to be
celebr ted in a manner that caused rad
ical change in the customs of the blood
thirsty nation of mAn-ea ers.
Prince Bongtongta,tOo was not hand
some man, cording to the civilized idea
Of beauty, but he was the Adonis of his
tribe and the idol of the dusky damsels
who gazed vt him in humble alteration.
His choco' ate hued skin shone like bur-
nished copper in the sunlight, He wore
goatskin petticoat which came to his
knees, a pair of huoe brass rings in his
ears and a spur on his left ankle. His
rank was designated by bands of brass on
his arms and legs, and his long black
hair braided to resemble crown. Alto
gether, he was more picturesque than
pretty. but he had big heart aud felt a
great deal better than he looked
The reason he gave utterance to the re-
marks which open this story was that the
previous night he had been converted by
the good old Baptist missionary, Raphael
Carroll, who lived at the extreme south
ern end of the island. Raphael was the
only surviving member of a band of brave
missionaries who years before had landed
on the inhOspitabl5 shores of Tongata-
boo with the intention of converting the
nnibalistic inhabitants from the error
of their ways. All of the missionaries
with the exception of Raphael, had shared
the fate of all white men who ever sci
foot on that shore. In the soup" was
the expression used by the cannibals
when asked by American traders where
were The good men who had been sent tc
bring glad tidngs to them. Raphael, il il
rumored, escaped the terrible fate of hi,
brethren because he was addicted to the
tobacco habit, and consequently the fas'
tidious barbarans turned a cold shoulder
TO him. When he discovered why the M
tives ostracized him he devoutly con
graduated himself on having acquired
taste for tobacco, aud fearlessly sough
the society OF the tends whose souls h.
desired to save.
Prince Bongtongtattoo was indebted t
Raphael for saving his life, once whel
attacked by jim jams snakes, and wa
so excessively grateful to the good OLE
man that the latter was in a state o
mortal terror lest the Prince mi ght sooue
al later convert him into sausage meat 0
consomme. But the Prince assured hin
that his intentions were honorable, an
that h0 desired only to emulate the eX
ample and adopt the customs of whit
men An intimacy sprang up betwee
the two which resulted in the conversion
of the Prince.
Thus it was that he came to the con
clusiou that the cannbal site custom
and heathenish practices which charac
terized the reign Of his late unlamente
father, who had been eaten with grel
pomp and ceremony ly his super aifec
tomato subjects month previous, shoul
be forever discontinued.
Prince Bongtongtattoo felt supremel
happy that bright morning for he was {
peace with the world aud himself. II
stuck his stone-headed spear into I'll
sand aud modtated
why should not show my subjects
he said, that / have met with a chang
of hearth What can l DO to give the
ocular evidence of the newborn fait
within me,'
Hc arose and looked around Away
tAe south was the little island of Tong
Tie derived mo- inspiration from th
source. Tie turned his face To- the mort
aud gEod ut che dim, blue outlines
NHtto. 10 suggested nothing AS n
eyes swept the horizon hg dlseemed N
ttr-HHtY volcano On Iafooa A dl
wreath 0I smoke hung Ikea cloud ot
tbr distant island
Ahl'" b.. exclaimed, there's fr0UL
iLra Hs uI.I tUHIo. and BE- HHIdtu
Nth l.II lHI ReU he kH.u ih. IoH.
ul tH.t smUk. lIu bad one. asp.It.uH.
t0. u.o Boo .u .aItH IHtEf. aaI Il.II.
HH'HW nt .tt .aiu. WESTON