New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-09-25
4 MODERN MIRANDA.
From The SIR P,nncfsoo onn.

francisco
wish William Black could have seen RoS.l;.s
Young. who supplied the interesting article on IL
Pin earn Island, published IN Scr6ne's Tor 1lay sP
saw her four years agO. A tall, straight BAL
haired, black-eyed, brOwn-skinned young ,yore
with bare head and bare feet and ankles stsndS.
on the beach of her native island waiting for 49,.
boat TO h.ake landing in the SURF Her lona hsi,
was tossed and tangled by the wind, which swe-.
her snort calico skirt lightly against her l;,S*
graceful form. knew just AZ much about her hs'
tory as anyone else, and that. 1 thought. was IN
there was TO know. She the descendant of an
Bounty, and his Otaheitean wife, She was aharyt
twenty years old, aud had lived all of her life cs
Pitcairn Island excepting the two years passed ON
Norfolk Island, TO which all of the Pitcairn
lsanders had immigrated when she was a babr
ms was about all that history tod of her ana Der
strange people, but knew more. The captain ~
our ship had visited the island once and told ma
that this Rosaliad Young was very clever Wa
teacher OF music and the ordinary grammar school
branches 10 the island children hat he had never
seen white young lady; had only such IDEAS Of
the world outside of her little South Pacific islsn5
smaller than Angel Island--as she could garle-
from the miscellaneous collections OF books paDers
and magazines left at long intervals Inv psSssins
ships. Surely, then, l thought | knew an thaf
could be of any interest IN the history of such an
uneNenttul llfe But when our boat neared ths
SUR ana saw tins strange girl standing there and
looking at me with perfectly honest wonder /
began 10 think of her in a very different way Her
situation was SO unlike anything else in the world
1hst there was MOI hing offered To my mind giving
even a hint how TO greet her or how 10 cnDSid.T
her. If she had only been a semi barbarian, I
tboushJ LOT the moment That she would have been
more interesting. But she was a deyout Christian
and intelligent az that; knowing 50 much mofs
abOui tue BLDG than dld, but she bad scen
regularly -ordaIned minister. was utterly unac-
quainted with missionary work, had 10 conception
OF WHAT "A church society was. and was blauklV
gnorant OF the sut tile relation OF sewing circles 10
the salvation of souls Looking across the line Of
white surf that rolled be ween US. ! saw her ~ and
ing like statue on a tide-washed rock, holding her
tangled hair back from her eyes with bn,Dzel
hand her bare feet half buried In the Sea mos -,
ering the rock. saw, too that she was leptunlng
TO look inst little shV. and my feminine intnt,
ton told me- that She VAS Tor the i,st tif,e b;
he Al fipr lqfr 81,
rest OF civilized womanhO0d IN the matter Of dress
just as our boat touched the beach and sta "a art
islander had Lited me IN his aims beyond the line
OF wet sand Rosallnd stepped behind some Of the
older women with eNaS tly the expression of doubt
ing wonder a yoUng child will suddenly turn from
the approach of man whose friendly relations are
not quite understood She greeted me- and from that
moment talked freely ana unaieciedlA with me-
had intended To ask her "A thousand questions
that had occurred 10 me while / watched iar
across the surf. Dad she want 10 see the word Z
iiad she any lonGlnes Tor the Joys OF shopping II
thought 10 establish 10y tins last question the TACT
that the desire for shopping natural and not
"a cultivated onel; had she formed any idea inie-
pendent OF her ieaomg- of what people m great
cites were likes But somehow there was an air
about her that repealed any thought of such ones
ton l soon began to realize that here was a v-o-
man OF education and refinement, who had only
such notions of the world as children have al ia ~
lani-a place IN whose existence they firmly believe
hut never expect or even hope 10 see the wonders
OF which possess only such abstract interest a. lies
IN the tat that they furnish material for beautiful
and strange stories.
She was busy. happy and contented in the little
was very proud, and lovingly spoke of as our
beautiful island home" The last thought with her
AS indeed with all of the islanders the strange
ness OF their life and situation. The third fourth
and fifth generations removed from the mutiueer,
ana their island wives, who settled upon Pitcairn
nearly a hundred years ago, are now living upon
the island.
The Elders follow the example Of the original
Dung and Adams. but endeavor TO preserve no
traditions of the tragic early history of the island
but teach instead strict moral preoepfs the services
of the Church of England. and habits of frugalty
\ hundred lfIf fha
minds OF the generation to which RoSalind belongs
clear even inherited ideas OF the world outsiis
and imhued them with thorough. demonstrating
contentment with the life they fnd about them
he quaint mannerlsms of speech and droll TO us
are larry represented IN the article she furnished
The May >cTbners. IL was because she did not
know IN what light she woDld appear most inter-
eSting mat she considered her position natural
one. and had no idea that any OF her personal
thonghis ana IMPRESSIONS and the manner OF life
ION ie island; wouid be most Interesting that she
prefers 10 talk and write only about tie births.
marriages and deaths. the condition of crops and
the prospects OF another vessel stopping at the
island. Those are the subjects that most Interest
them. and ingenuonsy they think Will most interest
others. stayed only few hours on the island
and IN that time learned the family history of
nearly the entire population, numbering about
1 took a meal at Rosalind's house: heard an elo.
quent grace before and THANKSGIVING after eating:
heard Rosalind play On the meiodeon Queen We
toria has since sent them a handsome cabinet
gam and heard some religions music very well sung
The children are taught 70 read music when they
~ itah i-llsllSll, ana fcaN either Win
equal facility. Few OF them care to progress IN
learning leyond a degree which makes reading
Ihef biOIf prayer book and religions song books
an easy matter RoSalind. however eagerly looks
forward To The occasional consig nmeut of BOOKS
papers and MAGAZINES. She reads studies. rather
Everything printed which is sent H. the island
and the result rs that her literary atNnlnentS are
OF broader and higher character than those OF tho
average seminary girl. All this however without
any more personal interest IN the people and things
read about than any city bred young lady would
nave IN the characters of The Daughters OF AZ
Egyptian King"
STORIES OF DIR. MELTON