The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-11-23
IleDeaa g0nba uld hs M0|.OI.XQI.
By J. F. R0sE.s0LEY.

bound beach, some 30 yards away from
the store. stretch Of uneven, stony soil,
with grass patches here and there and
great black rocks showing ont from the
surface, separating the two places where
the trader did his buainess. The old
mans weary feet bad worn a deep track
ACROSS the plot; up and down he went
many times day. The oopra house
the title lie misnomer, but It is always
used In Samoa-was but mere fimsy
erection Of rough boards, though iron
rooted and water tight. Further, the
door was provided with very substan-
tial paddock, which the trader was at
great pains to lock and unlock every
time he visited the shed, for the place
held tho only merchandise the country
could producs-all that there was to
trade for. The little bits Of oily, brown,
evil smelling coprs must be kept dry or
else they would rot long before the time
came for shipping them to Europe. And
they must be protected from theft, or
else the cunning natives would think
nothing Of taking a few basketfuls ut
night and reselliDg them to the trader
next day. Therefore every time Samoan
came perhaps with but few baskets
of the oopra, the old trader, with a
weary sigh, would take q key down
from its accustomed nail and plod down
to the shed. It was quite solemn and
serious business, this purchase Of few
shillings' worth Of produce, and both
sides went about 1t with becoming grav-
ity. The first question that had to be
decided was whether the copra was
green-that is to say, whether it had
been merely warmed in the sun or
whether it had been properly dried by
several days exposure.
As tho oopra is bought by weight, it
is, of course, to the native sellers in
terest to dry it as little as possible,
while the trader, on the other hand,
does not want to lose 30 or 80 per cent
by shrinkage. So the two argue the
point out together, while sit on the
wire inolosed veranda and watch from
afar the wordy conflict.
Silei, the industrious girl, has got her
sewing machine ont. She does not put
it on table, as the white lady would,
but rests it on kerosene case on the
floor and squats cross legged before it.
Of course it is hand machine; natives
do not take readily to the use of the
treadle. She is fashioning really gor-
geous lava-lavas out of the brightest
prints Manchester can produce, and
when they are made they will be hung
up in the store and sold for half dollar
each, perhaps in exchange for the very
basket OF copra the native is arguing
about. He swears with fuency Of
Biblical expression which only long
missionary training has rendered posi-
bic that the copra has been three daysin
the sun, whereas the trader, judging
from his experience, asserts that at the
outside it cannot have been more than
one, and in cloudy weather too.
AT last the trader, grumbling some
what, purchases the copra, for he knows
il be does not it will 10 to his rival
close by. He is consoled by the reflec-
tion that his balances are 10 pounds
out in every 100; also he is an expert
at weighing and by dexterously manipu-
lating the scales can make the copra ap.
pear several pounds lighter than it real
ly Ia. and 20 under the waving palms
by the side Of the ripplipg lagoon, ma
ture smiling on them with her most in
nocsnt expression, the two complete
their ingenious transaction, Both are
cheating, and both know it. So perhaps
it does not matter very much. The ma
tive, having been we'll taught by the
missionaries, will 20 to church three
times next Sunday and saw his morning
and evening PRAYERS more feryent]y than
ever, so that he will salve his conscience.
AS for the goddess trader, he has no
conscience. He has long since lost even
the memory of the article. So we need
not concern ourselves about him.
At last, after another half hours hag-
Cling in the store, the native goes away
with tho goods which he has been per-
shaded TO take in exchange for the copra.
and the trader comes out of the house
and seats himself YEARLY beside me,
moppipg his face the while,
Az usual be hanks back to the old
times
nTh;,os yore d;fforent in those
davs y bo said "Then we could do as
we liked with the natives, Now thew
nan do as thew like with No, We have to
cnt things fine to make n living at ALL"
And to console himself he took along
drink Of kava emntvina the cocoanut
shell, which held about a mint at one
draft,
sile; l,robed the ,nnsical lttle ,anph
If the Samoan maiden. The whir Of
Tho sewing macbina ceased ana she look.
od sm;I;neyv Of the nearly emntv howl
sha Lnaw sha wonld coon have to fabr;-
co,o MOVE kava an occnnat;on which
sha ,ort;c,,arJr enioved I sunnosa bo.
o,use IL orot;f;ed her maiden vanity hv
sn.hJ;n, bor 10 oxh;b;t berself in tho
,''ast nraoaf,, - o.t;t,dos
rvo. ,,os o;r, Wv, nm ,,oLo so,ro
r,oro y so;d +be tr,Ser "It,u Leen von