248 ADVENTURES IN THE SOUTH SEAS 
welcome them, he turned again to Mijieli and said, “But why 
don’t they come out? Where are they all, for they can 
surely see us now?” 
Then Mijieli said, “I fear they have not yet returned from 
the large island. Mr. and Mrs. Danks and Mrs. Brown all 
went away soon after Mabel was buried, and the house is 
empty now. Mrs. Brown could not stay there, sir, when 
Mabel was taken away.” : 
So after storm and struggle and wide wanderings, and 
after the weary waiting and long and anxious journeyings 
toward home before him, there was no voice of welcome 
to fall on his ears, no companionship to assuage his sor- 
row. Ina little while the ship anchored in the old familiar 
waters, but Mr. Brown felt little inclination to go ashore. 
Accompanied by Captain Ferguson, he at last left the ves- 
sel, and as they walked up the hill to the house, his grief 
and disappointment completely overwhelmed him. 
“T think,” said he, “I really felt utterly broken down, and 
for the first time began to think that our troubles and suf- 
ferings were never going to end. Close by the wayside, on 
entering the mission house grounds, were the two little graves 
of the dear children I had left so well and strong. The mor- 
tar was yet wet on the stonework which was about that in 
which our dear little girl was laid. She was born only a 
few weeks before I left home in 1875, to commence our 
mission here, and now, as we were nearing the close of this 
part of our work, she had passed away. 
“I stood for some time by the graves before entering the 
house, sorrowing most for my dear wife, who had suffered 
such bitter trials alone. I did not then know how severe 
those trials had been, nor how many and how severe others 
had been. The history of those dark days when Mr. and 
Mrs. Danks and my dear wife suffered so much, and en- 
dured all so patiently, is all too little known to the world; 
but it will not be forgotten. 
