r enough dish, but hunger makes a healthy appetite, and
contentment is a grateful relish.

During the same period of privation, my Orphans suffered badly also.
Once they came to me, saying, "Missi, we are very hungry."

I replied, "So am I, dear children, and we have no more white food till
the _Dayspring_ comes."

They continued, "Missi, you have two beautiful fig-trees. Will you let
us take one feast of the young and tender leaves? We will not injure
branch or fruit."

I answered, "Gladly, my children, take your fill!"

In a twinkling each child was perched upon a branch; and they feasted
there happy as squirrels. Every night we prayed for the vessel, and in
the morning our Orphan boys rushed to the coral rocks and eagerly
scanned the sea for an answer. Day after day they returned with sad
faces, saying, "Missi, _Tavaka jimra_!" (= No vessel yet).

But at gray dawn of a certain day we were awoke by the boys shouting
from the shore and running for the Mission House with the cry,--"_Tavaka
oa! Tavaka oa!_"(= The vessel, hurrah!)

We arose at once, and the boy exclaimed, "Missi, she is not our own
vessel, but we think she carries her flag. She has three masts, and our
_Dayspring_ only two!"

I looked through my glass, and saw that they were discharging goods into
the vessel's boats; and the children, when I told them that boxes and
bags and casks were being sent on shore, shouted and danced with
delight. As the first boat-load was discharged, the Orphans surrounded
me, saying, "Missi, here is a cask that rattles like biscuits? Will you
let us take it to the Mission House?"

I told them to do so if they could; and in a moment it was turned into
the path, and the boys had it flying before them, some tumbling and
hurting their knees, but up and at it again, and never pausing till it
rolled up at the door of our Storehouse. On returning I found them all
around it, and they said, "Missi, have you forgotten what you promised
us?"

I said, "What did I promise you?"

They looked very disappointed and whispered to each other, "Missi has
forgot!"

"Forgot what?" inquired I.

"Missi," they answered, "you promised that when the vessel came you
would give each of us a biscuit."

"Oh," I replied, "I did not forget; I only wanted to see if you
remembered it?"

They laughed, saying, "No fear of that, Missi! Will you soon open the
cask? We are dying for biscuits."

At once I got hammer and tools, knocked off the hoo