en
she took sides in an argument he would say, in mild irony: "The shouts
of the women in the opposite camp were heard demanding the heads of
the prisoners."

All through the daily entries in her diary, mingled with the incidents
of the household, runs the talk of impending war:

"War news continues exciting, and there are threats of a massacre of
all the whites. Although nothing of the kind is really anticipated, I
think it would be better to look up our cartridges. Lafaele has
blacked his face in the fashion of a warrior, saying he must be
prepared to protect the place. He has a very sore toe, which he thinks
is bewitched. He sent for the Samoan doctor, a grave middle-aged man,
who announced that a devil, instigated by some enemy, has entered the
toe and is now on the point of travelling up the leg, and unless it is
checked in time will soon have possession of Lafaele's entire body.

"_March 22._ This entry is written in Suva, Fiji. For a long time I
had not been well, and so I was sent off in the steamer to this place,
though I went with a heavy heart, for I thought Louis did not look
well. I have been to the botanical gardens, which are in charge of a
pleasant young man from Kew, and have secured four boxes of plants for
Vailima. The young man told me, as a trade secret, that if
cauliflowers get an occasional watering of sea water they will head up
in any climate. I have also secured an East Indian cook named Abdul.

"_September 23._ At home again. I find that Lloyd and the Strongs have
been teaching a native boy named Talolo to cook, with the best
results, so my fine Indian cook is a fifth wheel. However, Mr. Haggard
has agreed to take him--though he seems very reluctant to leave
Vailima.

"_October 28._ Paul left us some time ago to be overseer on a German
plantation. Before he left, in his blundering desire to do all he
could for me, he transplanted a lot of my plants, all wrong, and in
fact did all the damage he well could in so short a time. I felt sorry
to see the last of him, for with all his mistakes his heart was in the
right place. Much more distressing is it that our dear Simile is gone.
He wept very much in leaving, saying that 'his poor old family' needed
him. I was told afterwards that he had in reality eloped with a young
lady, which may be the truth of the matter. Talolo, our new cook,
amuses me very much. He was greatly shocked at hearing of the scalping
of victims by American Indians, but tho