e!
Those people, those girls on the houses! What a pity it would be to
spoil it by trying to civilise these nature children!"

Masters looked at Paul grimly.

"Yes, it would be a great pity, wouldn't it? I wish that girl could stay
here one winter and enjoy the picturesqueness of a Hopi Indian girl's
life. I wonder if she has any little thought of the real life of these
'nature children'? Of its misery, its impurity, its dreadful sin and
superstition and darkness; its infant mortality; its pain and disease
due to the absence of any sanitary or medical skill. But most of all its
ignorance of Jesus Christ and his love. 'Picturesque!' I grant you it
is. But Christianity would not destroy anything worth keeping. For
centuries these 'nature children' have walked in darkness. Are they not
entitled, like that white girl, to the light of life? And did you see
Talavenka when her father reached into the kisi for the snake?"

"No," said Paul, "I must confess my eyes were on the priests, not the
spectators."

"Talavenka was crying all through the ceremony. Her father can not
understand her new life. The girl stands alone in the midst of this
superstition. What will become of her? The estrangement in the family is
one of the most painful things I ever knew. Her mother Schewingoiashchi
is the only one who seems kind to her. At times I think Schewingoiashchi
is not far from the Kingdom herself. She does not object to Talavenka's
baptism. We have talked of that. It will be a part of our service
to-night. I must go and get ready."

Paul and Esther and the rest of the party went to Talavenka's house for
the evening meal. Masters, who was of the old school of preachers, they
learned afterwards had spent the hour before the service out on the edge
of the rock a little past the mission chapel, praying in the darkness
for the people of Oraibi.

Helen was very eager to go to see Talavenka baptised. During the
afternoon she had noticed the girl's grief and had been deeply touched
by it. They were of the same age, she had learned from Mrs. Masters. The
few words she spoke in English during the midday meal had revealed a
quiet dignity and a genuine Christian faith. Already Helen's romantic
temperament was constructing a plan to have Talavenka leave Oraibi and
finish her education in Milton academy.

"We can carry you over to the chapel all right," her father said. "Where
are those young men? I haven't seen Van Shaw or his friends all the