下载辰思小说免费APP
Fe’efe’e，beingacreatureofmarshesandthesequelofmalarialfever，isnotoriginalinatolls。OnthesingleisleofMakatea，wherethelagoonisnowamarsh，thediseasehasmadeahome。Manysuffer；theyareexcluded(ifMr。Wilmotberight)frommuchofthecomfortofsociety；anditisbelievedtheytakeasecretvengeance。Thedefectionsofthesickareconsideredhighlypoisonous。Earlyinthemorning，itisnarrated，agedandmaliciouspersonscreepintothesleepingvillage，andstealthilymakewateratthedoorsofthehousesofyoungmen。Thustheypropagatedisease；thustheybreatheonandobliteratecomelinessandhealth，theobjectsoftheirenvy。Whetherhorridfactormoreabominablelegend，itequallydepictsthatsomethingbitterandenergeticwhichdistinguishesPaumotuanman。
Thearchipelagoisdividedbetweentwomainreligions，CatholicandMormon。Theyfronteachotherproudlywithafalseairofpermanence；yetarebutshapes，theirmembershipinaperpetualflux。TheMormonattendsmasswithdevotion：theCatholicsitsattentiveataMormonsermon，andto-morroweachmayhavetransferredallegiance。OnemanhadbeenapillaroftheChurchofRomeforfifteenyears；hiswifedying，hedecidedthatmustbeapoorreligionthatcouldnotsaveamanhiswife，andturnedMormon。Accordingtooneinformant，Catholicismwasthemorefashionableinhealth，butontheapproachofsicknessitwasjudgedprudenttosecede。AsaMormon，therewerefivechancesoutofsixyoumightrecover；asaCatholic，yourhopesweresmall；andthisopinionisperhapsfoundedonthecomfortableriteofunction。
WeallknowwhatCatholicsare，whetherinthePaumotusorathome。
ButthePaumotuanMormonseemedaphenomenonapart。Hemarriesbuttheonewife，usestheProtestantBible，observesProtestantformsofworship，forbidstheuseofliquorandtobacco，practisesadultbaptismbyimmersion，andaftereverypublicsin，rechristensthebackslider。IadvisedwithMahinui，whomIfoundwellinformedinthehistoryoftheAmericanMormons，andhedeclaredagainsttheleastconnection。’POURMOI，’saidhe，withafinecharity，’LES
MORMONSICIUNPETITCATHOLIQUES。’SomemonthslaterIhadanopportunitytoconsultanorthodoxfellow-countryman，anolddissentingHighlander，longsettledinTahiti，butstillbreathingoftheheatherofTiree。’WhydotheycallthemselvesMormons?’I
asked。’Mydear，andthatismyquestion！’heexclaimed。’ForbyallthatIcanhearoftheirdoctrine，Ihavenothingtosayagainstit，andtheirlife，itisabovereproach。’Andforallthat，Mormonstheyare，butoftheearliersowing：theso-calledJosephites，thefollowersofJosephSmith，theopponentsofBrighamYoung。
Grant，then，theMormonstobeMormons。Freshpointsatoncearise：WhataretheIsraelites?andwhattheKanitus?ForalongwhilebackthesecthadbeendividedintoMormonsproperandso-
calledIsraelites，Inevercouldhearwhy。AfewyearssincetherecameavisitingmissionaryofthenameofWilliams，whomadeanexcellentcollection，andretired，leavingfreshdisruptionimminent。Somethingirregular(asIwastold)inhiswayof’openingtheservice’hadraisedpartisansandenemies；thechurchwasoncemorerentasunder；andanewsect，theKanitu，issuedfromthedivision。SincethenKanitusandIsraelites，liketheCameroniansandtheUnitedPresbyterians，havemadecommoncause；
andtheecclesiasticalhistoryofthePaumotusis，forthemoment，uneventful。Therewillbemoredoingbeforelong，andtheseislesbidfairtobetheScotlandoftheSouth。TwothingsIcouldneverlearn。ThenatureoftheinnovationsoftheRev。Mr。Williamsnonewouldtellme，andofthemeaningofthenameKanitunonehadaguess。ItwasnotTahitian，itwasnotMarquesan；itformednopartofthatancientspeechofthePaumotus，nowpassingswiftlyintoobsolescence。Oneman，apriest，Godblesshim！saiditwastheLatinforalittledog。IhavefounditsinceasthenameofagodinNewGuinea；itmustbeaboldermanthanIwhoshouldhintataconnection。Here，then，isasingularthing：abrand-newsect，arisingbypopularacclamation，andanonsensewordinventedforitsname。
Thedesignofmysteryseemsobvious，andaccordingtoaveryintelligentobserver，Mr。Mageeo
