Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1882-09-16
2HA + corona ron.
A PLAUSIBLE HISTORY.
Midnight and Mystery.

Midnight on Lanai. The nesting nocks,
hushed by the piping of their watchful keep
ers, slumbered among the outrageous wales Of
the enchanted island. The usually rude winds
fatering upon the leafmantled hills sighed
softly under the caves Of the primitive cot
that sheltered the Shepherd Saint.
What was the world or its cares to him
Nothing, absolutely nothing born child
Of the Deep; the same mystery that enshrouded
his origin still envcloped him. In the solitude
Of his island-home he slep, the sleep of limo.
cence, and in that sleep he dreamed. No fra
grant flames iiickered upon tripod in his
chamber, freighting the air with subtle and de-
licious odours; no Ministries played softly in
his court to sooth his fancy. The orange
groves, which have been so often celebrated in
his pastoral letters, were all sufficient; or the
occasional cry Of the pathetic ankn ringing
from the depths Of the aromatic groves re.
minded him even in his dream, that saint
though he was he was still shepherd in his
beloved Lanai.
In the mysterious midnight above referred
to- the Shepherd Saint received revelation.
II was not the frs, nor the second tne that
the angels had visited him, bu, the visitations
were OF a similar character and ever tended to
one end: to wit, the elevation OF his adopted
race and the Strengthening Of the nation
through INN, their prophet, priest and king as
1t were. With the fanaticism Of a convert he
instructed and applauded the people: with the
Zeal of a crusader he sought to arouse their en-.
thusiasm; il an effort failed of the desired end
there was another and yet another at hand.
and to these he had recourse in turn. Hence
his perennial vigor, his eternal hope, his very
latest vision, and the fneo,e of the angelsl
This revelation was destined to be Of stupen.
dous importance to mankind at large; it did
not matter that Lanai was omitted from the
popular biographies, or that its prophet was
without honor even in the remotcsi parts; a
breathless world, Notwithstanding, hung upon
,'.s ;..sP;..'i,.. II i;s lips. lie arose from his
prophetic pillow and went gloriously forth to
walk among the stars. His heart beat wildly,
Tor IN his vision he had seen new constellation
IN the heavens, the reflection of new diadem
upon the earth. He had achieved a DAZZLING
victory; coroneted king his king had risen
up and called him blessed and nothing in the
shape OF terrestrial tafy could touch him fur.
ther.
In the day when kings were voted absolute,
when thrones were crumbling into the dust, he,
the shepherd saint, had evolved out of his in.
ner consciousness, in the similitude of dream.
one OF those imperial playthings-a crown
and thus established beyond question the falla.
cy of all human judgement,
But how was the brilliant climax to he
achievedf He. the Shepherd Saint, must be.
come Premier; as Premier he could father the
Crown and thus climbing the golden stair, at
last 1t were not impossible that the crown
might ultimately by hook or by crook or BIZ
ballot, rest upon his brow: after which a harm
alone would be niece ssary to his highly appro-
pirate apotheosis! In any case the forgotten
isles OF the sea would again loom above the
horizon of history, and with them the appari.
ton OF the Premier, in the attitude of the Co.
| ''''"' " i>"oueS, MS iluNiuual fcet beautiful
upon the respective mountains Of Hawaii and
Niihau, as he howls the glad tidngs to be.
nighted world. II was all his private proper.
y-this remarkable vision. The sole right
and title to II are vested in him. A heaven.
born vision, conceived in the chaste solitude OF
his select island. The bright spirits who HOY.
cred over him in the night watches can bea,
testimony to the purity Of his motives and the
unimpeachable honesty Of his purpose-in
short il was an immaculate conception.
Let the scomful curl his lip, and the scoffe,
cry out, the interesting fact remains that the
Premier though missionary has no, wasted
his days in pIoftless vagaries: and when the
gorgeous symbol has passed from the hands
OF the crown jeweller to the brow OF the Lords
anointed, Il there be any among you who are
doubtful as TO the originator of the exceptional
and necessarily final fete "that Coronation, "
then the good Premier can blushingly arise
and, placing his hand upon his hear, say, 'It
was !, Walter the dream builder,--the only
Gibson, .better known as Coroner to His
Majesty kalakaua l."
ITO be eontnusd,l