A Heathen [pp. 417-425]

418 A Heathen. [Aprii,
was in sight. Then she fell to painting spas- tied in her mind that this was a heathen Anmodically until the canvas was covered. At tinous, immediately concluded that it was her
last she tired of her attempt, and spreading mission to convert him. She would be a
her warm, scarlet shawl on the sand, drew patron Hadrian to this moss gatherer.
out a volume of Rossetti's poems from her After some time he waded to the shore,
lunch basket, and lay down comfortably to with an old willow basket filled with sea
read. Rossetti and the sea harmonized, too. mosses strapped on his shoulders. Helen
As she lay there, half dreaming and half stepped forward and said:
reading, she saw two figures on the beach, "Will you please let me examine your
and, as she languidly raised her head, she moss?"
saw them wade down into the water. The "Certainly, madam."
tide was on the ebb, and she noticed that He took off his battered straw hat politely
they carried long rakes. One of the figures and set the dripping basket down on the
was picturesquely clad in a loose-fitting, dark sand, while his companion lighted a pipe and
blue jersey, with a bright red handkerchief walked on towards the hills. Helen b~nt over
knotted at his throat, and a pair of old brown the moss with apparent interest, although an
overalls rolled up to his knees. Even from hour ago she had dubbed it "slimy stuff,"
her distance she could see that he was young and refused to proceed with the party in
and possessed a sturdy, well-knit figure. Her search of it. ~he young fellow selected
interest began to be aroused. She mentally some of his finest specimens and asked her
voted Rossetti a bore, and strolled down to to accept tl~em.
the edge of the beach with apparent care-`~O, no," she answered: "You have too
lessness. She stood there for some time un- much trouble to collect it. I can not take
noticed by the men, who were standing waist them, but if you will permit me to buy
deep in the water raking in piles of kelp, some-"
which were interlaced with choice sea-moss, He drew h imself up proudly: "No, Madfrom off the rocks. am, I never allow my gifts to be bought."
The young fellow simply turned his head Helen blushed. She was not given to conand looked at her once as she stood there. fusion, for she prided herself upon her Vere
His companion said something in Spanish de Vere repose, on all occasions, and to
and nodded in her direction, but he never be put to confusion by a heathen was unlooked up, going on with his work. precedented.
"He looks like an Antinous," Helen mused T he young fellow lingered whi1~e she adroitto herself. An inspiration flashed into her ly plied him with questions about his purmind. "Here is a mission, civilizing an- An- suits, and she ingeniously extracted a great
tinous." deal of information from him in one way or
She had tried her hand at missionary work, another. She found out that he lived in a
and had once taught in a charity kindergar- hut back in the hills, and, together with an
ten, after talking one evening with a hand- old fisherman, followed moss gathering when
some young minister; and she had succeeded, the fishing was not good.
by dint of liberal donations, in dressing some "In the winter," he said, his dark eyes
of the prettiest youngsters, with the curliest flashing, while the color rose in his bronze
locks, in Greenaway gowns, and there her in- cheeks, "we go after whales. That is grand.
terest ceased. She spent one morning in That is life. Now it is only play; a time for
banging their hair, and felt that she had done siestas and cigaritos."
her duty in elevating their tastes. "Are you Spanish?" Helen asked.
Every woman is a reformer at heart in her "No," he smiled: "My mother was, but
little way. Whether from conviction of duty my father was an American. They are both
or from frivolous impulse, the sex is wedded dead." He added, after a pause, "I am
to regenerating; therefore, Helen having set- quite alone in the world, and I have lived