IneverySamoanhouseholdthedayisclosedwithprayerandthesingingofhymns.Theomissionofthissacreddutywouldindicate，notonlyalackofreligioustraininginthehousechief，butashamelessdisregardofallthatisreputableinSamoansociallife.
Nodoubt，tomany，theeveningserviceisnomorethanadutyfulfilled.Thechildwhosayshisprayerathismother\'skneecanhavenorealconceptionofthemeaningofthewordshelispssoreadily，yethegoestohislittlebedwithasenseofheavenlyprotectionthathewouldmissweretheprayerforgotten.TheaverageSamoanisbutalargerchildinmostthings，andwouldlayanuneasyheadonhiswoodenpillowifhehadnotjoined，evenperfunctorily，intheeveningservice.Withmyhusband，prayer，thedirectappeal，wasanecessity.Whenhewashappyhefeltimpelledtoofferthanksforthatundeservedjoy;wheninsorrow，orpain，tocallforstrengthtobearwhatmustbeborne.
VailimalayupsomethreemilesofcontinualrisefromApia，andmorethanhalfthatdistancefromthenearestvillage.Itwasalongwayforatiredmantowalkdowneveryeveningwiththesolepurposeofjoininginfamilyworship;andtheroadthroughthebushwasdark，and，totheSamoanimagination，besetwithsupernaturalterrors.Wherefore，assoonasourhouseholdhadfallenintoaregularroutine，andthebondsofSamoanfamilylifebegantodrawusmorecloselytogether，Tusitalafeltthenecessityofincludingourretainersinoureveningdevotions.Isupposeourswastheonlywhiteman\'sfamilyinallSamoa，exceptthoseofthemissionaries，wherethedaynaturallyendedwiththishomely，patriarchalcustom.Notonlywerethereligiousscruplesofthenativessatisfied，but，whatwedidnotforesee，ourownrespectability—andincidentallythatofourretainers—becameassured，andtheinfluenceofTusitalaincreasedtenfold.
Afterallworkandmealswerefinished，the\'pu，\'orwarconch，wassoundedfromthebackverandaandthefront，sothatitmightbeheardbyall.Idon\'tthinkiteveroccurredtousthattherewasanyincongruityintheuseofthewarconchforthepeacefulinvitationtoprayer.Inresponsetoitssummonsthewhitemembersofthefamilytooktheirusualplacesinoneendofthelargehall，whiletheSamoans—men，women，andchildren—troopedinthroughalltheopendoors，somecarryinglanternsiftheeveningweredark，allmovingquietlyanddroppingwithSamoandecoruminawidesemicircleonthefloorbeneathagreatlampthathungfromtheceiling.TheservicebeganbymysonreadingachapterfromtheSamoanBible，TusitalafollowingwithaprayerinEnglish，sometimesimpromptu，butmoreoftenfromthenotesinthislittlebook，interpolatingorchangingwiththecircumstanceoftheday.
Thencamethesingingofoneormorehymnsinthenativetongue，andtherecitationinconcertoftheLord\'sPrayer，alsoinSamoan.
Manyofthesehymnsweresettoancienttunes，verywildandwarlike，andstrangelyatvariancewiththemissionarywords.
Sometimesapassingbandofhostilewarriors，withblackenedfaces，wouldpeerinatusthroughtheopenwindows，andoftenwewereforcedtopauseuntilthestrangelysavage，monotonousnoiseofthenativedrumshadceased;butnoSamoan，nor，Itrust，whiteperson，changedhisreverentattitude.Once，IrememberalookofsurpriseddismaycrossingthecountenanceofTusitalawhenmyson，contrarytohisusualcustomofreadingthenextchapterfollowingthatofyesterday，turnedbacktheleavesofhisBibletofindachapterfiercelydenunciatory，andonlytooapplicabletotheforeigndictatorsofdistractedSamoa.Onanotheroccasionthechiefhimselfbroughttheservicetoasuddencheck.Hehadjustlearnedofthetreacherousconductofoneinwhomhehadeveryreasontotrust.Thateveningtheprayerseemedunusuallyshortandformal.Asthesingingstoppedhearoseabruptlyandlefttheroom.Ihastenedafterhim，fearingsomesuddenillness.\'Whatisit？\'Iasked.\'Itisthis，\'wasthereply;\'Iamnotyetfittosay，\"Forgiveusourtrespassesasweforgivethosewhotrespassagainstus.\"\'
ItiswithnaturalreluctancethatItouchuponthelastprayerofmyhusband\'slife.Manyhavesupposedthatheshowed，inthewordingofthisprayer，thathehadsomepremonitionofhisapproachingdeath.Iamsurehehadnosuchpremonition.ItwasI
whotoldtheassembledfamilythatIfeltanimpendingdisasterapproachingnearerandnearer.AnyScotwillunderstandthatmystatementwasreceivedseriously.Itcouldnotbe，wethought，thatdangerthreatenedanyonewithinthehouse;butMr.GrahamBalfour，myhusband\'scousin，verynearanddeartous，wasawayonaperilouscruise.Ourfearsfollowedthevariousvessels，moreorlessunseaworthy，inwhichhewasmakinghiswayfromislandtoislandtotheatollwheretheexiledking，Mataafa，wasatthattimeimprisoned.Inmyhusband\'slastprayer，thenightbeforehisdeath，heaskedthatweshouldbegivenstrengthtobearthelossofthisdearfriend，shouldsuchasorrowbefallus.