XXII 
LOVE LETTERS 
The health of Mr. Phillips so completely failed 
that he was compelled to leave the country for 
eight months. During this time all the cares of 
the mission station again devolved on me. 
Among the first problems that faced me after 
I came to be bale was the dissatisfaction of the 
children, instigated by well-meaning native 
friends among the women, because they had 
not been betrothed. According to the usage of 
their country, most of them had already passed 
the age for this ceremony and they were becom¬ 
ing impatient. Some had even passed the mar¬ 
riageable age. One day a delegation of converts 
waited on me and suggested that the matter be 
attended to at once. Wishing to discourage 
such long betrothments and such early mar¬ 
riages, I argued them out of the idea and they 
cheerfully acquiesced. But the young people 
were not satisfied and proceeded to betroth 
themselves by a secret correspondence. At that 
time they could not write in their language, but 
by the use of cowries, beads, colored strings, 
pieces of cloth, feathers and other things ar- 
218 
