The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1871-12-23
ais Majesty,s birthday at IIilo-
HrLo, December 10. 1871.

Huo, December 10, 1871.
To the Editor of the Pacific Commercial Advertiser:
DEAR SIR Tomorrow is the Kings Birthday,
and of course q public holiday, so wind ana weather
permitting, the corporationaie (please spell 1t right)
of Hilo purposes to illustrate muscular Chrlsuanlty
and dusky loyalty, on the water by canoe anu ooal
races, and on land by foot races win sucn ni"0io
footed ariels as may turn their aspirations that way
during the morning. The bays ana laures =
with to crown the blushing victors and Initiate 'nem
to fame, repose for the present IN a little canvas Dag'
and are the result of sundry loyal CONTRIBUTORS T"
the day we celebrate. Committees sat ana . Pro-
oramme was issued, and l dare say that everything
will be sufficiently enTegfe to sausiy d ra'nei
community not greatly given to sport OF uisongusneu
for pueriie playfulness. Hawaiians don't get so
manv holidays that any body need begrudge tnem
this one. though | did hear one unmanly grown rom
an unhappy misanthrope, VINO probably . n .ho.
with dyspepsia. 1t must be confessed as q RUE 'na'
the present people can scarcely claim holidays as the
reward of industry. This generation mas NOT im-
proyed on its ancestry in that respect, anu so"e-
times wish it were possible to free the Ou ioiAs rum
their lifelong toll and transfer 1t multiplied to the
lusty lazy young vagabonds who avoid the kalo-patSn
and the field to patronize horse flesh, ahaalhas anu the
hula,-infest court houses and auctions loaI ABOUT
stores. intrigue at church and are great adopts at
whistling aud the ukeke, who adorn their persons
with leis and swell abominably with concelt ana sour
notato. in short, are to our sober taste neither useIul
nor ornamental. For the SaiVatlOn d d uioOPAhS
race. they make but a pitiful show and no promise,
and in the order of s' natural selectionss" will prob
ably be dropped out.
Since. however, there must be holidays, sanctioned
as such, we will take loyalty and PATRIOTISM Ior
granted, and return to our Olympian games. j..
For my part I could never see the consistency OF
selecting birthdays par-excellence, as the especiaI
periods in our lives for festivity and Jollflcatlon,
knowing as We are assured how man Is born 10 To"-
6ies,
AS sparks fly upward to the sky,
So man is born TO misery"
And new born babies and ~sucklings evidently smell
the rat and dread what is coming, or why at their
very first peep should they invariably start a crying I
's Whom the Gods love die young. " yet here we are
bowling and scraping to despotlc fashion, ana conooh-
ing with a stupid etiquette by wishing our compan-
ions in the vale g many happy returns OF the lays
the most unlucky day probably of their lives. Is
irony or what ? Democritus and Heraditus may set
tie 1t,
"For some must laugh and some must weep,
Thus ruus the world away"
But this is the birthday of our King, an exceptional
case, for if from the infinite notes of humanlty's dusk
which hover round US and come and go ike gnals on
a summer evening, the wise and benlhcient ruler Ola
people shines out a brilliant particle, prince, patri-
arch, protector, and I" Amounted of the Lord" we
have an event to remember and q cause to celebrate,
moreover
"As law and gospel both determine,
All virtues dwell in royal ermlne."
1t behooves all true men, from the ornate and pom
derous Gazetteer in his sanctum to the humble tide
waiter on the wharf, to put on u clean shirt anu try
to look respectable as long as possible, avoiding
white cashmere garments if prone to temptation and
exuberant zeal, and so with music from the band,
lend cheerful acclamation to all congratulatory oner-
ings,
"Give beauty to the sun and pleasure to the day."
singing God save the King > in chorus.
The programme reads - Serenade by Starlight
by the HilO band, meet at the wharf at 81 O'Clock Pm.
Racing to commence at 10 A. NJ. Gun fires from
Stub and ItCiSt. LIST race double canoes, z miles I;
prize SO End race, whaleboats, z miles, prize $l5:
3rd race single canoes. 2 miles, prize SO; 4th race,
be left in the bag, with or without umbrellas, open
to clergy, law and laity provided they run square: 9th
race any strictly impromptu contention not known
in the Penal Code. And SO l leave you until the
future has become the past, when 1 will resume my
letter.