or spears with them.

The reader must not suppose that all missionary efforts in the South
Seas have been as quickly successful as this one. The records of that
interesting region tell a very different tale; nevertheless there are
many islands in which the prejudices of the natives were overcome almost
at the commencement, and where heathen practices seemed to melt away at
once before the light of the glorious gospel.

During two months, Wandering Will and the wrecked seamen remained here
assisting the missionary in his building and other operations. Then an
event occurred which sent them once more afloat, and broke the spell of
their happy and busy life among the islanders.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

CONTAINS MORE THAN ONE SURPRISE, AND TOUCHES ON "LOVE'S YOUNG DREAM."

One quiet and beautiful Sabbath morning, the inhabitants of the South
Sea Island village wended their way to the House of God which they had
so recently erected. Among them were Will Osten and his friends, with
the clergyman's wife and daughter.

Poor Wandering Will was very unhappy. The sunshine was bright, the
natives were blithe, and the birds were joyous, but our hero was
despondent! The fact was that he had fallen head and ears in love with
Flora Westwood, and he felt that he might as well have fallen in love
with the moon--as far as any chance of getting married to her was
concerned. Will was therefore very miserable, and, like all ardent and
very youthful lovers, he hugged his misery to his bosom--rather enjoyed
it, in fact, than otherwise. In short, if truth must be told, he took
pleasure in being miserable _for her sake_! When he allowed himself to
take romantic views of the subject, and thought of the heights of bliss
that _might_ be attained, he was, so to speak, miserably happy. When he
looked the stern realities in the face, he was miserably sad.

That Sabbath morning poor Will felt more impressed than ever with the
hopelessness of his case, as he walked slowly and silently to church
beside the modest Flora and her mother. He also became impressed with
the ridiculousness of his position, and determined to "overcome his
weakness." He therefore looked at Flora with the intention of cutting a
joke of some sort, but, suddenly recollecting that it was Sunday, he
checked himself. Then he thought of getting into a serious talk, and
was about to begin, when his eye happened to fall on Thackombau, who, in
honour of the day, had got