Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1899-06-13

die he will 60 20 heaven and have seat
alongside the God Then comes the Ro-
man Catholic and tells the native he
will go straight to hell IL he follows the
word Of the other missionary. My
church Is the only one that viii take
you to heaven. No religion is true ex'
cept the one teach.
"Along came the Mormon after that, 7"
continued the Hawaiian. ''and he
told the poor native that both the Prot
cstant and the Catholic teachers were
bad men and taught the wrong thing
I tell You the real truth. says the Nor
mon. Follow me. and you will be- sure
to 20 to heaven A chair win bc ready
for You up in glory. and besides that. II
You are rich man you can have % or
20 wives here ON earth
Missionary he preach TO poor native
and say. Don't try to get property and
good things TO eat and live fine. Lay up
your treasure in heaven. Then native
he say: What's this meant Our father
he tell us not to care for money or good
things. but to give everything to the
church. care only for heaven. but look !
Our father, the missionary. he himself
have fine house. horse and carriage,
plenty servants How is this, We don't
understand
"Again. missionary he say to my
people; Live as tell you. and you will
be always happy after you die You
will sing and play on golden harps. and
You will never have to work any more
for ever and ever. The good Christian
is never afraid to die. He glad to die
and b. happy forever
Next day missionary he get sick
He get pretty sick He send for doctor
right of quick. He get sicker yet and
send for two doctors together. Native
look ut il. and he say: What's this
mean againf Our father tell Us we
mustn't b. afraid to die. but must be
glad because we 90 to heaven and look
st our Father himself. He is as afraid
to die a. anybody We don't under
stand.
"Then comes the American business
man. and he say TO the native: 1t
makes no difference what any Of them
tell you It'sall the same. Don't bother
your head. Go on and have good time.
After that the native begins to think
for himself. Bimeby he sees there Is
nothing in any Of the things he has
been told. and he goes on and does as
be pleases.."
And the last estate Of that native
shall be worse than the first.
Along with it all. underneath the
thin veneering Of the white mans civ
ilization, inhere almost ineradicably in
the brown native bre;.t ancient super
stitions Of his race The traveller who
cares to look beneath the surface will
find among tho people still the worship
of their terrible old volcano goddess
Pele. Beyond the ken Of either police
or missionary lives and hourishes still
the native sorcerer or doctor, like the
voodoo man among the negroes When
. native Hawaiian has been very i'll and
IL recovering, more times than many
are aware Of he follows the orders OF
the sorcerer to 60 to the crater Of XII
lauea and give thanks to Pele Wher-
ever on the islands he dwells hA jour.
ueys to Hawaii and to the top Of XII
laueA This implies sometimes jour
ney Of two weeks and much expense.
but the devout Pele worshiper says.
Hang expensesi" and goes ahead
At the top Of the mountain he is
careful to tell no white person what he
Is about He washes himself clean,
mumbles prayers to the goddess, stalks
around solemn and devout. and even
does considerable fasting
At the appointed time he and two or
three friends descend into the crater.
There they perform solemn and thrilling
incantations. giving thanks to the great
patron saint Of heather Hawaii Con.
corning their experiences in the crater
they are mostly silent II il fact,
however. that some of them declare in
earnestness and solemnity that they
have actually seen the goddess When