t Tewa!"

"Ah!" sighed Browne, after a momentary pause, "Tewa may be a fine
place--but I doubt if they have any such oysters as these there." The
action accompanying these words must have given Eiulo a clue to their
purport, for he hastened eagerly to protest, through Arthur, as
interpreter, that the oysters at Tewa were much larger and fatter; he
added, "that since we liked them so much, he would have them all
`tabooed,' as soon as we arrived, so that `common people,' wouldn't dare
for their lives to touch one."

"I used to regard the `taboo,'" said Browne, "as an arbitrary and
oppressive heathen custom. But how ignorant and prejudiced we sometimes
are in regard to foreign institutions! We must be very careful when we
get there about introducing rash innovations upon the settled order of
things."

"We will establish an enlightened system of common schools," said Max,
"to begin with, and Arthur shall also open a Sunday-school."

"And in the course of time we will found a college, in which Browne
shall be professor of Elocution and Oratory," said Morton.

"And you," resumed Max, "shall have a commission as Major-General in the
Republican army of Tewa, which you shall instruct in modern tactics, and
lead to victory against the rebels."

"In the Royal army, if you please," interrupted Browne; "Republicanism
is one of those crude and pestilent innovations which I shall set my
face against! Can any one breathe so treasonable a suggestion in the
presence of the heir-apparent to the throne?--If such there be,
Major-General Morton, I call upon you to attach him for a traitor!"

"And I," cried Johnny, "what shall I do!"

"Why," answered Max, "you shall rejoice the hearts of the Tewan
juveniles, by introducing among them the precious lore of the
story-books. The rising generation shall no longer remain in heathen
ignorance of Cinderella, and Jack of the Bean-stalk, and his still more
illustrious cousin, the Giant-killer! The sufferings of Sinbad, the
voyages of Gulliver, the achievements of Munchausen, the adventures of
Crusoe, shall yet become to them familiar as household words!"

"And Archer's mission shall be no less dignified and useful," resumed
Browne, "he shall keep the records of the monarchy, and become the
faithful historian of the happy, prosperous, and glorious reign of Eiulo
the First!"

THE END.

End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Island Home, by Richard Archer

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