The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1896-12-23

said, "L>eai, will not marry Taiiau.
Such impudsnce had never been heard
OF In all Samoa. To disobsy tho command
of father given In tho presence OF all
these PEOPLE was sacrilege. Then Aeii
spoke. ''Hear 20, good people Of Apoiima
and Mauono My daughter has been wild
and unruiy and has defled me, her father,
her lawful guardian, inasmuch as she has
declined to marry Taiiau, high chief OF
ApolimA o most worthy and virtuous
prince And l, Aeli, do hereby declare
that my daughter Sefalina shall be Joined
to Talia in marriage tomorrow as the
sun goes behind Upoiu. And II this devil
departs not from her soul and she still de-
clines to marry him, hereby place great
taboo upon her, even though she be my
daughter. No one shall speak to her, no
one shall shelter her, no one shall give her
of the kava or cocoanut to drink, nor OF
the breadfruit nor the palusami to eat
She shall be cast out from the tribe or
Manono forever. /, Aeli, have spoken 1t.
The great taboo had been pronounced, and
no one would dare disobey. Besides, the
women all disliked Sefalina and whispered
with each other that 1t served her right,
the impudent thing with her proud ways.
She must either marry Taliau or starve to
death.
Her mother came and wept with her
and begged her not to disgrace the family,
but Sefalina only shook her head and re-
peated, II cannot marry Taliau." At
night she lay down upon her mats-coarse
ones, for she would not touch those OF soft
texture which Taliau had sent her. But
she coud not sleep. She crept out on the
beach and sat down under the waving
palms All was still around her, save the
gentle tapping of the waves as they caressed
her bare feet. The white line Of the beach
separated the feathery foliage Of the vine
clad trees, which shaded tho peaceful huts
from the vast ocean. It divided the world
of Sefalina from the great world beyond.
Inside that line she knew every shrub and
veery insect, but beyond all was darkness.
Once she had seen the missionaries who
had come over from Apia on visit. They
had been kind to her and had given her
delicious piece of food called lollie which
did not grow in Samoa. II she could only
10 to those missionaries now, perhaps
they would help her. They were 90 good,
and they would not be obliged to mind the
great taboo because they were at q foreign
race. f~t .rt N3
She could not, she would not, marry
ITALIAN. Before she had simply disliked
| him, but now she hated him. What right
| had he to cause her all this trouble when
| she had been SO happy She laid hen head
on the sand and wept the first bitter tears
| she had ever shed.
With each sob her hatred for Taliau in
creased. Better anything than to marry
him. She would sooner plunge into the
sea. Perhaps some boat would pick her up
and carry her to Apia.
| She heard a rustic In the bushes. Some
one was coming. She must not be found
here. And quicker than thought sh~
jumped into the dark ocean.
Like all Of her race, she could swim IA
easily as she could walk, and she was soon
far out on the reef, the deep water gradu-
ally lengthening the distance between her
and her native isle. BY and by she lay on
her back and rested. She did not much
care what happened to her now. 1t was
pleasant to lie there peacefully In this COO
cradle and see the rising sun gradually
reddening the sky.
What would her father say when he
found she was gone? He would search fol
her in the mountains and would finally
conclude that she had drowned herself
But suppose he guessed where she was go
ing and should attempt to follow her? The
thought alarmed her. 1t would never dc
for her to float In this peaceful fashion.
She must hasten.
So again she began to swim. But hen
arms ached, and hef back grew tired, and
the burning sun, which was now shining
with all it's tropical force, made the heat
oppressive and blistered her bare shoulders.
Her own island was almost out Of sight
and she could see the mountains of Upolu
appearing in the distance. She must-she
would-reach them. But her weary arms
moved more and more slowly, and she be-
came faint for lack of food.
She had gone ten miles already, and
there were four more ahead of her. She
grew dizzy. She would rest just little
while-only little while. Where was she
anyways
Late that evening two plump little Sa
moan boys were wading out on the reef to
pick up shells
"Papalagi taeli''-white man swim
ming-said one, laughing, as he pointed
to figure In the water painfully padding
and keeping afloat with great difficulty.
Up they swan to have little fun with
the unfortunate foreigner and to show
him their own skill. But they stopped
aghast as they saw that it was girl, and
Samoan, too, who was swimming In that
undignifled way.
Soon q company of natives WAS standing
around the prostrate figure Of little Sefa
lima. Poor thing!" they mufmured. One
old dame soothed her blistered shoulders
with cocoanut oil, one rubbed warmth
into her cold body, while another went tc
the Observation-Disclosures some
thing with which to revive her.
Little by little strength returned to Sefa
lima, and she told her story to the kind
faced missionary who bent over her.
"Leai, will not go back - she cried. 81
will stay here always will work, but
will not marry Taliau. Don't make me
go! Don't make me goF'
For two years Sefalina staid in Apia and
lived in the family Of the Rev. Mr.. White
while her father thought that she was
dead. When ne did find out that she wai
living and that she had escaped his great
taboo-when Taliau came over I'm his wal
canoe to bring her back or fight for her
it was too late, for she was already mar
ried to Samoan named Mangifu, whom
she loved with all her heart.