The New York herald., 1922-05-28
When tho South Seas Native Came to America

Of the men while they were being shaved.
"At first I thought that men with fam.
lily troubles came here seeking new wives.
but soon I saw the women were trimming
the fngernails Of the men and rubbing
them with cloths. Sometimes three peo-
pie were busy to make beautiful the man
in the long chair; one to shave him, the
woman to trim his fingernails and yet
another man who rubbed his shoes with
brushes. These men, knew. must be the
highest chiefs Of your island, but why is
II that their fingernails must be cut by
women?
Toward the middle Of the day Apati
and rode back to the earth in the little
car. Then we went into the streets and
walked far, looking at this and that. AL
ways my mind was filed with wonder at
the things saw, but alas! I could ask
nothing of Apati, for he understood moth
ing Of my language.
"Once we passed great store with
tables in the street in front Of the win
dows. Here were many things to eat and
among them saw cocoanuts. had not
tasted a cocoanut in many weeks and I
gladly took three, and when I turned to
go with Apatf he had disappeared.
hurried on to find him, but man stand
ing by the table rushed after me and
erasped my arm so that dropped the
nuts in the street.
"The man seemed angry and spoke in
9 loud voice. told him that I did not
speak the American tongue. 1 picked up
the nuts and would have gone on, but he
seized my arm again. Then saw Apati,
who was coming back to find me. He
laughed and gave the man money for tho
Iuts, and with this he was pleased and
brought me paper bag to carry them in.
1T was at this time that understood
how in America one must give money for
everything. I was surprised that on so
large an island where there is so much
food one must pay even for three cocoa
nuts.
"Apati gave money for everything. The
money I have seen him give in one day
would buy -four for my family for a year
and the kerosene OIL for my lamps and
the cloth for my pareus. did not know
the value of your money and watched
closely to see II could understand
Alas! I could not Apati often gave
little for a great service and much for
a small one. We rode far in the cars
which go In the streets and for this he
gave but two little pieces of money. Some
times at midday we ate in place where
hundreds of people came. Here beauti-
full woman hung our hats on hooks near
the door-and for this service Apati gave
a large piece of silver. But II IL was a
man who placed our hats on the hooks It
was not necessary to give so much. Why
was this?
we had food at many differsnt places
at the noontime when we were in the
middle of the village far from Apati's
home. But three times we ate at the
houses of his friends. 1t would have been
better had we gone there often, for we
ate as much as we would and paid moth
ing
But I win tell you something which
puzzled me very much and to this day I
dc not understand 1t. I had long been
wishing for feed Of raw fish, for you
know how much better they are when
eaten alive, freshly from the sea. Often
at Apati's home we had fish, but always
cooked ones and my stomach ached for
the uncooked fesh
"One evening went with Apati to the
house Of his friends and here at last
was content to see that fish were to be
eaten raw. On table there was large
glass bowl filed with water, wnere little
fish Of a golden color were swimming
about. These were like the little soft
boned ones which we find in our 1agoons
and was eager for the dishes of salt
water to be brought that we might eat.
II waited long, but the others were not
SO hungry, and so at last 1 asked Apat.
II I might have a fish. He was talking
with his friends, but nodded his head and
smiled. So ate one and found IL very
good, although the water in the bowl was
not sea water, but fresh. Then because
there we're many fsh-more than enough
for ALL took another and was eating It.
with pleasure when woman screamed
and another made great outcry.
II thought they had been taken with a
sudden sickness, or that perhaps they had
seen the spirits Of the dead such as often
trouble my mother. But no. I saw that
the women were frightened Of me, and
Knew had done something wrong. do
not vet understand what IL WAS Should