f a
religion bigger than that, do you?"

Paul asked one or two questions and started Randall off on an account of
a missionary tour into the unexplored parts of west China. Then he spoke
of the contemptuous criticism offered by a certain type of globe
trotters he had met on his way home. In telling about this his great
form seemed to tower up and his great head with its mild blue eyes
looked sternly gigantic with righteous indignation.

"There was a bunch of naval officers coming over on the _Zarina_ with
us, and some of them were quite fine fellows. But there was one officer
who used to get out with the author of a book on the Eastern situation,
and they would spend hours criticising the missionaries and laying the
blame on them for all the Boxer troubles and the hatred of foreigners
generally.

"I didn't know until later on that the reason for the distinguished
author's feelings against missionaries was because some of his own
personal immoralities had been rebuked by a missionary in Pao Ting Fu
and he had been mad ever since.

"His friend, the naval officer (and I was thankful he didn't belong to
our country), took great pride in describing his conquests with the fair
sex in the different quarters of the globe where he had been on his war
vessel.

"Think of that, dearly beloved! Here was a man who when he touched at a
foreign port had no more exact knowledge of the work done by
missionaries than the knowledge he gained from going to a high-priced
ball or champagne supper held a few feet from the shore, expressing the
most emphatic opinions concerning the value of a foreign missionary's
life and influence! He changed his costume several times a day. And I
learned from a midshipman who volunteered the information that the
following comprises the regular and compulsory list of clothes a naval
officer in this Christian age is obliged to possess and solemnly wear on
the proper occasions. Want to hear it?"

Louis, who had of late been begging his father to let him try for a
place in a naval academy, eagerly said, "Yes, tell us, Mr. Randall."

"Well, here is a list of this human being's clothes that he must,
according to the naval rules, lug around the world with him:

"A double-breasted frock coat of dark navy blue cloth with a sleeve
stripe of gold lace a quarter of an inch wide and a gold star, which
indicates the line officer. 'Service coat of blue cloth and with the
same sleeve lace and a gold foul anchor on