Heathen Are the Prize in the Contest
By W. H. S.
A FRENCH trader recently visited Elder Parker's community on Atchin, New Hebrides, and sold to the natives a large quantity of grog, with which they became drunk that night, and disgraced their humanity in a wild spree, after the usual manner of the intoxicated. Our missionary determined to teach the natives a lesson, and show them, and incidentally the trader himself, what is the attitude of Christianity toward the liquor traffic. He refused to the trader the ordinary friendly treatment which white men expect of each other in the East, and, explaining to him the reason for his action, refused to allow him even to set foot on the mission premises. At the first opportunity, he called the natives together, and explained to them the deceitful nature and awful effects of liquor, and asked them to talk the matter over among themselves, and decide whether they would admit liquor to the island. They withdrew to counsel, and shortly sent back a party to tell him they would not buy any more. When the trader came on his next trip, he bought a large quantity of copra, but not a gill of the liquor would they take in exchange, all his sarcasm and flattery notwithstanding, and on a third voyage he was still unable to shake their resolution. May God help these heathen to continue firm!