The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1881-10-15

"See here now, Uncle Jim, you must not
fly in the face of Providence in that way,
and expect miracles of our public n lead
ing men. They are esteemed, pious and
honorable men"
Uncle Jim cleared his throat and looked
up with Il smile; n | knew he was getting
ready for a quotation. He likes to spout
the poets a little, and he let of thus:
q viii not 10 them wrong; I rA,her choose
~ wrong inc deAd, L wrong myself anu y'n'
Who would save their fellows il their need,
BY examining them with their own creed
II am not so sure of the old mans quota
tions. | think he mikes a little sometimes.
At the close of his lines, 1 remarked, Uncle
Jim, | am glad to see that your memory
keeps good, and that you have not forgot
ten your Sha~keSpear.'"
"Ah, Don, it is we'll TO live a little in the
thoughts of a great past
Il think he prays i'll Shakspear; or nj any
rate viii sometimes mix a Church collect
with n quotation from Macbeth, or Corio-
lanus."
"Yes," the old man went on, Il live
somewhat in the thoughts of the past; and
yet the world wags on pretty much the
same in all ages, and times. Men profess to
do good for others; but always for their
own sakes, with only very rare exceptions.
All our men here, in church and out, are
striving fer profit and power. Ambition is
said TO be the intirmity of noble minds; but
the greed of place and pelf is surely that of
-o8C@- AA-0 w AHA - ~ W al =
somewhat mixed up, yet that can be clear
ly defined, that hang like leeches To the
public teat, and that tickle the public ear
with professions ofpatriotic and p~hilanthro-
pic devotion; but where are their works for
the real good of the people? Their religion
is a treaty. Their creed is a monopoly.
Touch them there and you will find out
their real charity. Let a man he soddened
with all the sins of the slumS of hell, and
they Will find forgiveness, or 0blivious in
difference for him; but let another touch or
question the treaty, or any of its planta-
ton, steamship, or other business cOnnec-
lions, and he is northumberland for
vermore." Uncle Jim raised up his right
hand, holding the palm towards heaven, as
though showing a record as he went on,
81 want to say a word for the people; for
the poor Hawaiian people. i am but n for
eign adventarer like the rest; but / | have a
stake here; of children n grandchildren,
that partake of the blood of the soil.
And their want, and their cry must be
heard, and not forever the insolent demand
of the horse leech, called Sugar, that cries,
Give! Give! and would swallow up the ma
tive race and Hawaiian independence for a
few more cents on the pound"
Come, come, Uncle Jim, you are n trifie
soured / see. / must say a word to Smith,
and he will let you into a little plantation
stock, and a div, once in a while will make
your soul n conscience easy"
AT this, Uncle Jim stood up, and stretch
ing out his right hand towards Punch Bowl,
exclaimed:
"IfI go back on the blood of my children
II the people that shared their all with
me when l was a wayfarer, may my right
hand forget its cunning and the curse of in
gratitude strike me.
May never glorious sun reflect his beams
Upon the place where l do make my home!
But darkness and a curse of woful dreams
Send me homeless DER the earth 10 roam.
ooh, Don, my boy,
81 could stand upright
Against the tyranny of age and fortune,
That leave me weary with years and service;
l can breast the rude stream that soon must hide me:
| can mock at fate, and wreak my soul in expression.
But tempt me not Don, to trade the blood
of a people that cries unto Heaven"
AS the old man was getting into high
tragedy and mixing Woolsey with the Lord
knows who, / vamOsed.