Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1894-05-31

| here all the time with me. You won't
go away from me ever, will you:
You'll always stop with me!'
The girls surprise showed more pro-
foundly than ever. "Me can't go away. =
she answered, with emphasis. me
your shadow. That great Taboo. Tu-
Kila-Kila great god. If me go away,
Tu-Kila-Kila kill me and eat me.
Muriel started back in horror. "But,
MALI she said, looking hard at the
| girls pleasant brown face, 'lf you were
three years in Australia, you're a
Christian, surely"
The girl nodded her head in passive
acquiescence. "Me Christian IN Au-
stralia." she answered. ''Of course me
Christian. All folks make Christian
when him 90 to Queensland. That
what for me call Mali, and my sister
JAM We have other names on my
own island; but when we go to Queens
land, gentleman baptize US, call us
Mali and Jani Me Methodist in
Queensland. Methodist very good.
But Methodist God no live in Boupari.
Not any good be Methodist here any
longer. Tu-Kila-Kila god here. Him
very powerful
"What! Not that dreadful creature
that they took us to see this morning.
Muriel exclaimed, in horror. sob,
Mali, you can't mean to say they think
| he's a god, that awful man there."
Mali nodded her assent with pro-
found conviction. Eyes, yes: him
GOD" she repeated, confidently. "Him
very powerful. My sister JAM go too
near him temple, against taboo-be-
cause her not belong-a Tu-Kila-Kila
temple: and last night, when it great
feast, plenty men catch JAM. and tie
him up in rope; and Tu-Kila-Kila kill
him, and plenty Boupari men help Tu-
Kila-Kila eat up JAM"
She said it in the same simple, mat
| ter-of-fact way as she had said that she
was nurse for three years in Queens
land. To her it was common Incl
dent of everyday life. Such accidents
! will happen, if you break taboo and go
too near forbidden temples.
But Muriel drew back, and let the
pleasant-looking brown girls hand
drop suddenly. "You can't mean it, "
she cried. SYou can't mean he's a
god! Such a wicked man as that! Oh!
his very looks are too horrible"
Mali drew back in her turn with a
somewhat terrified air, and peeped
suspiciously around her, as if to make
sure whether any one was listening.
"Oh, hush, "she said, anXiously.b Don't
must talk like that. If Tu-Kila-Kila
hear, him scorch us up to ashes. Him
very great god! Him good! Him pow
erful."
chow can he be good if he does such
awful things?" Muriel exclaimed en-
ergetically.
Mali peered around her once more
with terrified eyes in the same uneasy
way. ':Take care,' she said again.
Him god Him powerful! Him can
do no wrong. Him King of the Trees!
Him King Of Heaven! On Boupari Is
land, Methodist god not much; no god
so great like Tu-kila-Kila.
"But man can't be a god!" Muriel
exclaimed contemporary. ''He's
nothing but man! savage! canni-
ball"
Mali looked back at her in wonder
ing surprise. ''Not in Queensland, :"
she answered calmly-to her, all the
world naturally divided itself into
Queensland and Polynesia god in
Queensland. Governor, him very great
chief; but him no god like Tu-Kila-
Kila. Methodist god in sky, no use
worship Methodist god over here in
Boupari. Him no live here. Tu-
Kila-Kila live here. All god here
make out of man: Live in man. Ko-
rong! What for you say man can't
be god You god yourself. White
gentleman there, god Korong, Korong.
Chief put you in Heaven, so make you
god People pray to you now. Peo-
pie bring you presents.
''You don't mean to say Muriel
cried. 'they bring me these things be-
cause they think me goddess?'
Mali nodded a. grave assent. "Same
like people give money in church in
Queensland" she answered, promptly,
''Ask you make rain, make plenty crop,
make breadfr,mt grow, make banana,
make plantain. You Korong now.
While your time Last, Queenie. people
give you plenty f present"
"sWhile my time last?" Muriel re-
peated, with a curious sense OF e1iscom-
/ fort creeping over her SLOWLY
The girl noddads an easy assent
'"Yes- while your time last" she an
answered. laying a. small bundle of
palmleaves at Muriel's back by way Of
d cushion. ''For new yoam koro1Hg. By
and by Korong pass>t to- somebody else.
This year, you Eorong- So people
Worship you"
TO BE CONTINUED.