OF THE SOUTH SEAS 437 



at a conservatory in the Gemian capital, and she also 

 played Grieg for me with much feeling and a strong, 

 yet delicate, touch. For dinner we had a broiled fish, 

 which I myself cooked on stones outside the house, and 

 tuparo, mountain feis steamed and mashed into a golden 

 pulp, with cocoanut cream. With these we ate boiled 

 green papaya, which tasted like vegetable marrow; and 

 for dessert sweet oranges with grated fresh cocoanut, 

 and for drink, the wine of the nut. 



After the food we sat and looked at the reef, the pur- 

 ple sea, and the stars, and talked. These two were 

 weary of life in the big countries of the world, and would 

 rest in Tahiti. If they made enough money, they would 

 like to go to America and work for the revolution they 

 hoped for. They did not believe in bringing it about by 

 violence, but by acting on the Christ principle, as they 

 interpreted it. Yet they were not religionists. 



"Of course one is not sure of the aims and end of life," 

 said Lermontoff. "I have no greater certainty than the 

 kaisers and czars or your great men, Morgan and Rocke- 

 feller; but, at least, theirs are not worth while for the 

 race of man. I hold that man is the greatest product 

 of life so far, and not government or trade. That the 

 whirling spheres are made for man I disbelieve, but on 

 this planet, and in our ken, he is the object we most 

 prize, and rightfully. Therefore to build him in health 

 and character, in talent and happiness, is all of existence. 

 The life after death we are not sure of, but beauty is on 

 earth, and to know it and worship it in nature, and in 

 man and his thoughts and deeds are our ends. The in- 

 dividual man gains only by sacrifice for his fellows. He 

 must give freely all he has. This is his only way out 



