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Chapter III.

‘I am not quite happy about her, Miss Lucy,’ said Mrs Greening, when Lucy, as soon as she was dressed, went into the hut. ‘If she was an English girl I should know what to do, but these natives have odd ways, which puzzle me.’

The young Maori girl lay as she had been placed on the bed, with her eyes open, but without moving or speaking. There was a strange wild look in her countenance, so Lucy thought, which perplexed her.

‘I wish the doctor were here,’ she said; ‘if he does not come soon, we will send Harry to look for him.’

‘Little Tobias shall go at once, Miss,’ answered Mrs Greening. ‘The run will do him no harm, even if he misses the doctor.’

Tobias was called, and taking his stick in hand, page 28 the young giant set off at a round trot down the hill.

Lucy sat watching the sick girl, while Mrs Greening and Betsy made preparations for breakfast. Every now and then she east an anxious glance through the open doorway, in the hopes of seeing the doctor coming up the hill.

‘Oh! how sad it would be if she were to die in her present heathen state; when should she recover, she may have an opportunity of learning the blessed truths of the gospel,’ thought Lucy. ‘How thankful I should feel could I tell her of the love of Christ, and how He died for her sake, and for that of all who accept the gracious offers of salvation freely made to them. I must try, as soon as possible, to learn her language, to be able to speak to her.’

Such and similar thoughts occupied Lucy's mind for some time. At length, turning round and looking through the open doorway, she saw several natives coming up the hill. She recognised the first as Waihoura's father. The party approached the hut, and stopped before the entrance.

‘Dear me, here comes some of those savage looking natives,’ exclaimed Mrs Greening. ‘What shall we say to them? I hope they are not come to take the poor little girl away.’

‘I will try and make them understand that we have sent for the doctor, and that if they wish her to recover, they must let her remain under his page 29 charge,’ said Lucy, rising and going to the door. Though still feeling somewhat nervous in the presence of the Maoris, her anxiety to benefit Waihoura gave her courage, and she endeavoured, by signs, to make the chief understand what she wished. She then led him to the bedside of his daughter, who lay as unconscious as before. He stood for some time gazing down at her, the working of his countenance showing his anxiety.

Lucy felt greatly relieved on hearing Toby's voice shouting out, ‘The doctor's acoming mother, I ran on before to tell you, and there's a gentleman with him who knows how to talk to the savages.’

In a short time the doctor arrived, accompanied by an Englishman of middle age, with a remarkably intelligent and benignant expression of countenance.

‘Mr Marlow kindly agreed to come with me,’ said Dr Fraser. ‘He understands the Maori language, and I shall now be able to communicate with my patient, and to explain to her friends what is necessary to be done to afford her a prospect of recovery.’

‘I am afraid she is very ill,’ said Lucy, as she led the doctor and Mr Marlow into the hut. The latter addressed the young girl in a low gentle voice. At first she paid no attention, but at length her eyes brightened and her lips moved. Mr Marlow continued speaking, a smile lighted up her countenance. She replied, and taking his hand, pressed it to her lips.

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‘I thought so,’ he said, turning to Lucy, ‘we are old acquaintances. When still a child, she was for a short time at my missionary school, but her father resisted the truth, and took her away. Through God's providence she may once more have an opportunity of hearing the message of salvation. We must endeavour to persuade Ihaka, her father, to allow her to remain. He loves his daughter, and though unconscious of the value of her soul, for the sake of preserving her life, he may be induced to follow our advice.’

Dr Fraser, through Mr Marlow, put several questions to Waihoura, and then administered some medicine he had brought, leaving a further portion with Mrs Greening, to be given as he directed.

Mr Marlow then addressed Ihaka the chief, who seemed to listen to him with great attention. He told him what the English doctor had said, and urged him, as he loved his daughter, to leave her under his care. Ihaka at first hesitated, unwilling to be separated from his child. Mr Marlow pressed the point with great earnestness, and at length the chief signified his readiness to comply with the doctor's advice.

‘Tell him if he restores my daughter, I and my people will be friends to him and the pahekas, for his sake, for ever,’ he said, pointing to Dr Fraser.

‘The life of your daughter, as well as that of all human beings, is in the hands of the great God who rules this world, and allows not a sparrow to page 31 fall to the ground without knowing it,’ answered Mr Marlow. ‘The doctor is but His instrument, and can only exert the knowledge which has been given him. To that loving God we will kneel in prayer, and petition that she may be restored to health.’

Saying this, Mr Marlow summoned the English lads; and Betsy, who had hitherto kept at a distance, and kneeling on the ground, offered up an earnest prayer to God, that if it was in accordance with His will, and for the benefit of the young Maori girl, He would spare her life. All present earnestly repeated the ‘Amen,’ with which he concluded his prayer. The savages, during the time, stood round in respectful silence; and, though not understanding the words uttered, were evidently fully aware of the purpose of what had been said.

Ihaka once more entering the hut, Waihoura recognised him. Taking her hand, he beckoned Lucy and Mrs Greening to approach, and placed it in theirs, as if confiding her to their charge.

‘Please, sir,’ said Mrs Greening to Mr Marlow, ‘tell the chief we will do the best we can for his little girl. She is a sweet young creature, and I little expected to find such among the savages out here.’

‘They have hearts and souls, my dear lady, as we have, and though their colour is different to ours, God cares for them as He does for us.’

The chief seemed content, and after again ad-page 32dressing the missionary, he and his people took their departure.

‘The savages are all going mother,’ exclaimed little Tobias some time afterwards, as he came puffing and blowing up the hill. ‘I could not feel quite comfortable while they were near us, and I am glad that we are rid of them.’

‘We should not judge from outside looks, Tobias,’ remarked Mrs Greening. ‘As the good missionary said just now, they have hearts and souls like ours, and I am sure that chief, fierce and savage as he looks, loves his daughter as much as any English father can do.’

Dr Fraser and Mr Marlow had before this returned to the town, promising to come back in the evening to see how their patient was getting on.

The consumption of firewood in the camp was considerable, as Mrs Greening kept up a good fire in the open air for the cooking operations. Harry and Tobias had brought in a supply in the morning, and Harry's hands and clothes gave evidence how hard he had laboured.

‘We shall want some more wood before morning,’ observed Mrs Greening, turning to her sons.

‘I am ready to go again,’ said Harry, ‘if James will stay in the camp.’

‘No; Master Harry, its my turn to go if you will stop behind,’ said James.

‘If you wish it I'll stay,’ replied Harry. ‘One page 33 of us ought to remain, or strangers coming up to the camp might be troublesome, and I would not permit that.’

While James and Tobias set off with axes in their hands, and pieces of rope to bind their faggots, Harry got his gun, and began to march up and down on guard. He evidently considered himself like a sentinel in the presence of an enemy. Now he looked on one side of the hill, now on the other. No person could have entered the camp without receiving his challenge.

He had thus been passing up and down for some time, when he caught sight, in the distance, of some persons emerging from the forest.

‘Here they come,’ he shouted out, ‘Papa and Valentine, Mr Greening and Paul, and the two natives who went with them.’ He was examining them with his spy-glass. ‘Yes, its them, and they will soon be here. Pray get supper ready, Mrs Greening, depend upon it they will be very hungry after their long march.’

Mrs Greening, aided by Betsy, at once got her pots and saucepans on the fire.

‘Harry, though feeling much inclined to run down and meet the party, restrained his eagerness. ‘A sentry must not quit his post,’ he said to himself, ‘though no harm will happen, I'll keep to mine on principle.’

In a short time Mr Pemberton, with his companions, appeared at the foot of the hill. Lucy ran page 34 down to meet them, eager to welcome her father, and to tell him about Waihoura.

‘I am glad you can be of assistance to the young girl, and it is most desirable that we should be able to show our friendly disposition towards the natives,’ he observed.

‘Oh, I do so hope she will recover,’ said Lucy. ‘But I am afraid that some time must pass before she is well enough to be moved.’

‘That would decide me in a plan I propose,’ said Mr Pemberton. ‘Greening and I have settled our ground, and I hope that we may be put in possession of it in a day or two; we will then leave you here with Harry and Tobias, while we go back and build our houses, and make preparations for your reception.’

‘Lucy had expected to set out as soon as the ground was chosen; but as she could not hope that Waihoura would be in a fit state to be moved for some time, she felt that the arrangement now proposed was the best.

Mr Pemberton and former Greening were highly pleased with the ground they had selected.

‘We propose to place our houses on the slope of a hill, which rises within a quarter of a mile of the river,’ he observed. ‘Greening will take one-side and I the other. Our grounds extend from the river to the hill, and a little way beyond it; when the high road is formed, which will, from the nature of the country, pass close to our farm, we page 35 shall have both land and water communication. Close also to the foot of the hill, a village probably will be built, so that we shall have the advantage of neighbours. Among other advantages, our land is but slightly timbered, though sufficiently so to afford us an ample supply of wood for building, and as much as we shall require for years to come for fencing and fuel. From the spot I have chosen for our house, we have a view over the country in this direction, so that, with our telescope, we can distinguish the vessels, as they come into the harbour, or pass along the coast.’

‘We shall have plenty of fishing too, Harry,’ exclaimed Valentine. ‘And we may, if we go a little distance, fall in with wild boars and plenty of birds, though there are none which we should call game in England.’

‘Oh! how I long to be there, and begin our settlers' life in earnest,’ said Harry. ‘I hope the little savage girl will soon get well enough to move.’

‘I wish we could be with you also to help you in the work,’ said Lucy. ‘How can you manage to cook without us?’

‘Valentine and Paul have become excellent cooks, and though we shall miss your society, we shall not starve,’ observed Mr Pemberton.

‘Our camp life is a very pleasant one,’ remarked Valentine. ‘For my part I shall be rather sorry when it is over, and we have to live inside a house, and go to bed regularly at night.’

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This conversation took place while they were seated at supper on the ground in front of the large tent. It was interrupted by the arrival of Mr Fraser, accompanied by Mr Marlow, to see Waihoura.

‘She is going on favourably,’ said the doctor, as he came out; ‘but she requires great care, and I feel sure that had you not taken charge of her, her life would have been lost. Now, however, I trust that she will recover. Mr Marlow will let her father understand how much he is indebted to you, as it is important that you should secure the friendship a chief of his power and influence.’

In two days Mr Pemberton and farmer Greening were ready to start for their intended location. Each had purchased a strong horse, and these were harnessed to a light dray, which Mr Pemberton had bought. It was now loaded with all the articles they required, and sufficient provisions and stores to last them till their cottages were put up, and they could return for the rest of the party. By that time it was hoped that the young Maori girl would be in a fit state to be moved.

‘I will not let her, if I can help it, go back to her own people,’ said Lucy. ‘She will become, I am sure, attached to us. I may be of use to her, and she will teach me her language, and it will be interesting to learn from her the habits and customs of the natives.’

‘Yes, indeed, it would be a pity to let the poor page 37 little girl turn again into a savage,’ observed Mr Greening. ‘I can't fancy that their ways are good ways, or suited to a Christian girl, and that I hope, as Miss Lucy says, she will turn into before long.’

It had been arranged that Lucy and Betsy should take up their abode in the large tent, in which there was now sufficient room for their accommodation, the small one being packed up for Mr Pemberton's use.

The dray being loaded, the farmer went to the horses' heads, and the young men, with the two Maoris, going on either side to keep back the wheels, it slowly descended the hill.

‘We shall not make a very rapid journey,’ observed Valentine. ‘But we shall be content if we come to the end of it in time without a break down.’

Harry felt very proud at being left in charge of the camp, and Tobias promised that there should be no lack of firewood or water, while he could cut the one, and draw the other from the sparkling stream which ran at the foot of the hill.

‘We shall do very well, never fear, sir,’ said Mrs Greening to Mr Pemberton, ‘and as soon as you and my good man come back, we shall be ready to start.’

Just as her father had wished Lucy good-bye, Mr Spears, with a pack on his back, and a stout stick in his hand, was observed coming up the hill.

‘Just in time, neighbour,’ he exclaimed, as he page 38 came up to Mr Pemberton. ‘I found out, at the surveyor's office, where you had selected your land, and I made up my mind at once to take a piece of ground close to it. As I am all alone, I have only bought a few acres, but that will be enough to build a house on, and to have a garden and paddock. With your leave I'll accompany you. There are several more of our fellow passengers who will select land on the same block when they hear that you and I have settled on it, and we shall soon have, I hope, a pleasant society about us. We shall all be able to help each other, that's the principle I go on.’

Mr Pemberton told Mr Spears that he was very willing to have him as a companion on the journey, and that he was glad to hear that a settlement was likely soon to be formed near him. He was well awaare that the differences of social rank could not be maintained in a new colony, and he had made up his mind to be courteous and kind to all around him, feeling assured that all the respect he could require would thus be paid him by his neighbours. He at once gave a proof of his good intentions.

‘Your pack is heavy, Mr Spears, and we can easily find room on our waggon for it,’ he said, and taking off the pack, he secured it to the vehicle which they had just then overtaken.

‘Thank you, good sir, thank you,’ answered Mr Spears, as he walked forward, with a jaunty elastic step, highly pleased at being relieved of his some-page 39what heavy burden. ‘One good turn deserves another, and I hope that I may have many oppor tunities of repaying it.’

Mr Pemberton had promised Lucy to send over, from time to time, to let her know what progress was made, and to obtain intelligence in return from her. Notwithstanding this, she looked forward eagerly to the day when he would come back to take her and the rest of the party to their new abode. Though she did her best to find employment, the time would have hung somewhat heavily on her hands had she not had Waihoura to attend to.

The Maori girl, in a short time, so far recovered as to be able to sit up and try to talk. She seemed as anxious to become acquainted with English as Lucy was to learn her language. They both got on very rapidly, for though Waihoura had some difficulty in pronouncing English words, she seldom forgot the name of a thing when she had once learned it. She would ask Lucy to say the word over and over again, then pronouncing it after her. At the end of a week she could speak a good many English sentences. Lucy made almost as rapid progress in Maori, she having the advantage of several books to assist her, and at length the two girls were in a limited degree able to exchange ideas.

No one in the camp, however, was idle. Harry, who always kept guard, was busy from morning page 40 to night in manufacturing some article which he thought likely to prove useful. Betsy either went with Tobias to cut wood, or bring up water, or assist Mrs Greening, and frequently accompanied her into the town when she went marketing; and sometimes Tobias, when he was not wanted to cut wood, went with his mother.

One day he came back with the information that a vessel, which had come to an anchor in the morning, had brought over from Australia several head of cattle, and a large flock of sheep.

‘I wish father were here, he would be down on the shore, and buying some of them pretty quickly,’ he exclaimed.

‘Could we not send to let him know,’ said Lucy. ‘Harry, I heard papa say, too, that he wished to purchase a small flock of sheep as soon as he could find any at a moderate price. I should so like to have charge of them. I have always thought the life of a shepherd or shepherdess the most delightful in the world.’

Harry laughed. ‘I suspect when it began to rain hard, and your sheep ran away and got lost in the mountains and woods, you would wish yourself sewing quietly by the fireside at home, and your sheep at Jericho,’ he exclaimed, continuing his laughter. ‘Still I should be very glad if we could get the sheep, though I am afraid they will all be sold before we can receive papa's answer.’

While the conversation was going on, Dr Fraser page 41 arrived to see Waihoura. Harry told him that he would very much like to send to his father to give notice of the arrival of the sheep.

‘Would you like to turn shepherd?’ asked the doctor.

‘I should like nothing better, for I could take my books with me, or anything I had to make, and look after the sheep at the same time; it would suit me better than Lucy, who has a fancy to turn shepherdess, and have a crook, and wear a straw hat set on one side of her head, surrounded with a garland, just as we see in pictures.’

‘I suspect Miss Lucy would find home duties more suited to her,’ said the doctor; ‘but if you, Harry, will undertake to look after a small flock of sheep, I think I may promise to put one under your charge, and to give you a portion of the increase as payment. I was thinking of buying a hundred sheep, but hesitated from not knowing any one I could trust to to keep them. From what I have seen of you, I am sure you will do your best; and as your father and farmer Greening will probably purchase some more, they will run together till they are sufficiently numerous to form separate flocks. If you will write a letter to your father I will send a messenger off at once,’ said the doctor. ‘Indeed, so certain am I that they would wish to purchase some, that I will, when I go back, make an offer for a couple of hundred in addition to mine.’

The next day the doctor told them that he page 42 had purchased the sheep as he had proposed, and he brought a letter from Mr Pemberton thanking him for doing so, and saying that they had made such good progress in their work, that they hoped, in another week, to come back for the rest of the party.

‘I am rather puzzled to know what to do with the sheep in the meantime,’ said the doctor. ‘I cannot entrust them to natives, and there is not a European in the place who has not his own affairs to look after. What do you say, Harry, can you and Tobias take care of them?’

‘I cannot quit my post,’ answered Harry, though he was longing to go and see the sheep. ‘If they were sent up here, I could watch them, but I am afraid they would not remain on the hill while there is better pasture below.’

‘Tobias could take charge of them, sir,’ said Mrs Greening. ‘And if we had our old dog “Rough,” I'll warrant not one would go astray.’

‘Rough,’ who had accompanied farmer Greening all the way from England, had mysteriously disappeared the morning of their arrival; he could not be found before they had quitted the ship, and they had since been unable to discover him.

‘That is curious,’ said the doctor; ‘for this morning, when I bought the sheep, a man offered me a shepherd's dog for sale. I told him that should he not in the meantime have found a purchaser, I would treat with him in the evening after page 43 I had seen the dog. Should he prove to be “Rough,” I will not fail to purchase him.’

Tobias, on hearing this, was very eager to accompany Dr Fraser.

‘The old dog will know me among a thousand, and the man will have a hard job to hold him in, he observed, grinning from ear to ear.

The doctor, after he had seen Waihoura, told Lucy she need have no further anxiety about her friend, who only required good food and care completely to recover.

‘I must get Mr Marlow to see her father, and persuade him to allow her to remain with you, and he may assure him very truly that she will probably fall ill again if she goes back again to her own people,’ he said.

Tobias accompanied the doctor into the town in the hopes of hearing about his favourite ‘Rough.’ He had not been long absent, when back he came with his shaggy friend at his heels.

‘Here he is mother, here he is Master Harry,’ he shouted. ‘I know'd how it would be, the moment he caught sight of me, he almost toppled the man who held him down on his nose, and so he would if the rope hadn't broken, and in another moment he was licking me all over. The doctor gave the man a guinea; but I said it was a shame for him to take it, and so did everybody, for they saw that the dog knew me among twenty or thirty standing round. The man sneaked off, and “Rough” page 44 came along with me. Now I must go back and bring the sheep round here to the foot of the hill. There's some ground the surveyor says that we may put them on till we can take them to our own run, but we must give “Rough” his dinner first, for I'll warrant the fellow has not fed him over well.’

‘Rough’ wagged his stump of a tail to signify he understood his young master's kind intentions, and Mrs Greening soon got a mess ready, which ‘Rough’ swallowed up in a few moments, and looked up into Toby's face, as much as to say, ‘what do you want with me next?’

‘Come along “Rough,” I'll show you,’ said Toby, as he set off at a round trot down the hill.

The party at the camp watched him with no little pleasure, when a short time afterwards, he, with the aid of ‘Rough,’ was seen driving a flock of sheep from the town past the hill to a meadow partly enclosed by a stream which made its way into the sea, a short distance off. ‘Rough’ exhibited his wonderful intelligence, as he dashed now on one side, now on the other, keeping the sheep together, and not allowing a single one to stray away. It was a difficult task for Toby and him, for the sheep, long pent up on board ship, made numberless attempts to head off into the interior, where their instinct told them they would find an abundance of pasture. Without the assistance of ‘Rough,’ Toby would have found it impossible to guide them into the meadow, and even page 45 when there, he and his dog had to exert all their vigilance to keep them together. Harry was sorely tempted to go down to assist. ‘I must not quit my post though,’ he said. ‘As soon as I am relieved, then I'll try if I cannot shepherd as well as Toby. It seems to me that “Rough” does the chief part of the work.’

The doctor had engaged a couple of natives to assist Toby in looking after the sheep, but he was so afraid of losing any, that he would only come up to the camp for a few minutes at a time to take his meals, and to get ‘Rough's’ food. The Maoris had built him a small hut, where he passed the night, with the flock lying down close to him, kept together by the vigilant dog. The Maoris were, however, very useful in bringing firewood and water to the camp.

Waihoura was now well enough to walk about. Lucy had given her one of her own frocks and some other clothes, and she and Betsy took great pains to dress her in a becoming manner, they combed and braided her dark tresses, which they adorned with a few wild flowers that Betsy had picked, and when her costume was complete, Mrs Greening, looking at her with admiration, exclaimed, ‘Well, I never did think that a little savage girl could turn into a young lady so soon.’ Waihoura, who had seen herself in a looking-glass, was evidently very well satisfied with her appearance, and clapped her hands with delight, and then ran to page 46 Lucy and rubbed her nose against her's, and kissed her, to express her gratitude.

‘Now that you are like us outside, you must become like us inside,’ said Lucy, employing a homely way of speaking such as her Maori friend was most likely to understand. ‘We pray to God, you must learn to pray to Him. We learn about Him in the Book through which He has made Himself known to us as a God of love and mercy, as well as a God of justice, who desires all people to come to Him, and has shown us the only way by which we can come. You understand, all people have disobeyed God, and are rebels, and are treated as such by Him. The evil spirit, Satan, wishes to keep us rebels, and away from God. God in His love desires us to be reconciled to Him; but we all deserve punishment, and He cannot, as a God of justice, let us go unpunished. In His great mercy, however, He permitted another to be punished for us, and He allowed His well-beloved Son Jesus Christ, a part of Himself, to become the person to suffer punishment. Jesus came down on earth to be obedient in all things, because man had been disobedient. He lived a holy pure life, going about doing good, even allowing Himself to be cruelly treated, to be despised and put to shame by the very people among whom He had lived, and to whom He had done so much good. Then, because man justly deserves punishment, He willingly underwent one of the most painful punishments ever page 47 thought of, thus suffering instead of man. When nailed to the cross, His side was pierced with a spear, and the blood flowed forth, that the sacrifice might be complete and perfect. Then He rose again, to prove that He was truly God, and that all men will rise from the dead; and He ascended into heaven, there to plead with the Father for all who trust Him, and to claim our freedom from punishment, on the ground that He was punished in our stead.’

‘Jesus sent also, as He had promised, the Holy Spirit to dwell to earth with His people, to be their Comforter, their Guide and Instructor, and to enable them to understand and accept His Father's loving plan of salvation, which He had so fully and completely carried out.’

‘Do you understand my meaning,’ said Lucy, who felt that she had said more than Waihoura was likely to comprehend.

She shook her head. ‘Lucy not bad woman,’ pointing to Mrs Greening, ‘not bad; Maori girl bad, Maori people very bad,’ she answered slowly. ‘God no love Maori people.’

‘But we are all bad when compared to Him—all unfit to go and live in His pure and holy presence,’ exclaimed Lucy. ‘And in spite of their wickedness, God loves the Maori people as much as He does us; their souls are of the same value in His sight as ours, and He desires that all should come to Him and be saved.’

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‘Why God not take them then, and make them good?’ asked Waihoura.

‘Because He in His wisdom thought fit to create man a free agent, to give him the power of choosing between the good and the evil. Why He allows evil to exist, He has not revealed to us. All we know is that evil does exist, and that Satan is the prince of evil, and tries to spread it everywhere throughout the world. God, if He chose, could overcome evil, but then this world would no longer be a place of trial, as He has thought fit to make it. He has not left man, however, without a means of conquering evil. Jesus Christ came down on earth to present those means to man; they are very simple, and can very easily be made use of; so simple and so easy that man would never have thought of them. Man has nothing to do in order to get rid of has sins, to become pure and holy, and thus fit to live in the presence of a pure and holy God. He has only to put faith in Jesus Christ, who, though free from sin, as I have told you, took our sins upon Himself, and was punished in our stead, while we have only to turn from sin, and to desire not to sin again. We are, however, so prone to sin, that we could not do even this by ourselves; but Christ, knowing our weakness, has, as He promised, when He ascended into heaven, sent His Holy Spirit to be with us to help us to hate sin, and to resist sin.’

Lucy kept her eyes fixed on her friend to try and ascertain if she now more clearly understood her. page 49 Waihoura again shook her head. Lucy felt convinced that her knowledge of English was still too imperfect to enable her to comprehend the subject. ‘I must try more than ever to learn to speak Maori,’ she said, ‘and then perhaps I shall better be able to explain what I mean.’

‘Maori girl want to know much, much, much,’ answered Waihoura, taking Lucy's hand. ‘Maori girl soon die perhaps, and then wish to go away where Lucy go.’

‘Ah, yes, it is natural that we should wish to be with those we have loved on earth, but if we understand the surpassing love of Jesus, we should desire far more to go and dwell with Him. Try and remember, Waihoura, that we have a Friend in heaven who loves us more than any earthly friend can do, who knows how weak and foolish and helpless we are, and yet is ever ready to listen to us, and to receive us when we lift up our hearts to Him in prayer.’

‘Maori girl not know how to pray,’ said Waihoura, sorrowfully.

‘I cannot teach you,’ said Lucy, ‘but if you desire to pray, Jesus can and will send the Holy Spirit I told you of. If you only wish to pray, I believe that you are praying, the mere words you utter are of little consequence, God sees into our hearts, and He knows better than even we ourselves do, whether the spirit of prayer is there.’

‘I am afraid, Miss Lucy, that the little girl page 50 can't take in much of the beautiful things you have been saying,’ observed Mrs Greening, who had all the time been listening attentively. ‘But I have learned more than I knew before, and I only wish. Tobias and the rest of them had been here to listen to you.’

‘I am very sure my father will explain the subject to them more clearly than I can do,’ said Lucy, modestly. ‘I have only repeated what he said to me, and what I know to be true, because I have found it all so plainly set forth in God's Word. My father always tells us not to take anything we hear for granted till we find it there, and that it is our duty to search the Scriptures for ourselves. It is because people are often too idle, or too ignorant to do this, that there is so much false doctrine and error among nominal Christians. I hope Mr Marlow will pay us a visit when we are settled in our new home, and bring a Maori Bible with him, and he will be able to explain the truth to Waihoura far better than I can. You will like to learn to read, Waihoura, and we must get some books, and I will try and teach you, and you will teach me your language at the same time.

Lucy often spoke on the same subject to her guest; but, as was to be expected, Waihoura very imperfectly understood her. With more experience she would have known that God often thinks fit to try the faith and patience even of the most earnest and zealous Christians who are striving to make page 51 known the truth of the gospel to others. The faithful missionary has often toiled on for years among the heathen before he has been allowed to see the fruit of his labours.