What thoughts were in his mind But sure that rifle's aim,' Swift choice of generous part, Showed in its passing gleam The depths of a brave heart. THE SOUTH SEA ISLAND QUEEN. THERE was once a people, inhabiting an island in the southern seas, who were every now and then driven frantic with superstitious fear. This was of an imaginary demon, or goblin, whom they believed to dwell in the heart of a burning mountain on the island, whose growlings, and mutterings, and sputterings of smoke, and fire, and redhot ashes, they mistook for the anger and displeasure of the Almighty. Every rumbling noise the mountain emitted, and shaking of the earth, with which these noises were frequently accompanied, they regarded as the too certain forebodings of some frightful judgment; and the alarm that possessed them suffused their faces with paleness and their hearts with dismay. Fortunately for them, however, they got a queen who was both a woman of sense and a mother among her people, and had, moreover, been persuaded by some Christian missionaries, who visited the island, to believe that the true God, whom alone it was reasonable to fear, took no pleasure in terrifying, far less destroying, or even hurting, any of His children, but would rather that each and all of them should return from their evil ways, and live. Fearing God, and fearing none other, it keenly grieved her that her people should stand in awe of an object which was as impotent to harm really as to heal, and accordingly, it became the one aim of her life to convince them of their delusion and deliver them from their base and debasing fear. To demonstrate their error, therefore, and convict them of their folly, she one day assembled all her people before her, and thus addressed them : "My dear and devoted people, for whom I live, and for whom, if need be, I am ready to die, ye, like your fathers, are deceiving yourselves to your ruin, and it grieves me to the heart to see it, and say so. That is no god who dwells, as you suppose, in the midst of the burning mountain, but a mere brute force, without sense as without power to do you any real evil, far less with any to pronounce judgment upon you and seal your doom. That is no god-no, but a common burning mountain, and is no other, and not a whit more dreadful, than the fire which warms your huts and cooks your victuals—except that, as you may see and know, it is smouldering under piles of rock masses and earthy rubbish, and panting, reckless of results, to get out and be at liberty, as you would, though more feebly, were you in similar circumstances. It is a creature like yourselves, grumbling under restraint, and blindly struggling, now here, now there, to escape from bondage, and has no evil intent towards you, or any mortal. And to convince you how unreasonable your fears are, I will walk before you, and do ye follow me, to this mountain, and watch the result, while I provoke its ire and test its disposition and power to harm you. I will empty my washpot into it, cast my slipper over it, defy it to the uttermost, and stand the consequences." She walked accordingly, this South Sea heroine, her courage nerved to the due pitch, and sustained, no doubt, by her faith in the Christian gospel, her people following her in pale horror and expectancy: she did her experiment;—and it is said they have had truer notions of God in that island ever since. TO-DAY. So here hath been dawning Slip useless away. Out of Eternity This new day is born; Into Eternity, At night, will return. Behold it aforetime From all eyes is hid. Here hath been dawning Think wilt thou let it Slip useless away. THE END. PRINTED BY PHILIP AND SON, LIVERPOOL. |