Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1885-05-16
strange sketches

have been 50 uncqually jumbled together IN |
this world often have | sought solution Of
the question from the sages Of the past, but |
alas never with avail. I have, therefore, |
banned practical philosophy and have grown |
to be an optimist-a believer in the ultimate I
harmony Of inconsistencies and a gay triHer
with Fate. / hold a belief in the Beautiful |
aud esohew always the utilitarian view Of
thugs i believe that flower is one Of
natures poems, and tina, every field is yer.
dant page Of prose. ] strive to make friends !
with the stars and name them after those ]
love. am deyout believer in fairies as well |
as a stubborn deist believe in dreams and
fact, I am quite convinced that | believe
everything this everyday world calls non.
sense, and amuse myself in the meantime by
pulling the opinions and beliefs of others into
pieces. Being predisposed to search for the
causes Of phenomena, and accustomed as | am
from long travelling through fantastic realms
Of thought, have often astonished my friends
and even myself for that matter by feeling and
expressing no surprise at the most weird and
unreal happenings in life. My adventures
sometimes par,ake Of the half fanciful and half
real, and would be quite amusing was it no,
foi the glamour Of the iter.world that seems to
control brain and nerve centers, until existence
cnshrouds itself with the sembance Of dreams.
It was only short time since, while was
wandering along the far famed Nuuanu Valley,
that I came upon a beautiful hslf.cas,e girl
sitting lis,lessly upon the stone parapet Of the
FIRST bridge. Her hands we're crossed in her
lap and her eyes were fixed upon the brillan,
night-star Of the east. As stood gazing a,
her she seemed like a warm piece OF light
bronze s,atuary fresh from the furnace before
cooling had chilled /, into a work Of art
Suddenly she turned her dark, sad eyes upon
me and said: "You must return Immediately
and walk on, King Street toward Waikiki
after passing the kings palace, the first native
you NEE, carrying bunch Of fish in ii leaves
will show you the reality of your las, dream"
Then she turned her head and continued
gazing steadfastly a, the night-star. " But
there are so many natives carrying fish done
up in Ii leaves, how shall tell which Is the
right one r-and, then, you are so very beauti-
full do not want to leave you" She inter.
rupted me with smile and said, "If you
mind me and GO as | bid you shall see me
again some day but tonight | must watch
yonder bright, mocking star until it declines,
for it is Hawaii's star of Fate, and would drop
out of the sky il did not hold it there by the
strange love bear my poor stricken people
go, we shall meet again !"
| turned away and walked back under the
royal palms, the monkey pods and the algaro-
bas along Nuuanu street and was soon deep in
revery. Sometimes heard the faint signing
of a mandolin accompanied by the soft liquid
vowel-notes Of plaintive native air sung by
dark-eyed maidens in cool verandahs. They
were EMPOWERED within tropical verdure be-
hind silent fountains where many colored fish
pearls. When | reached King street began
scanning the faces Of the natives met vending
their way homeward, for it was still early in
the evening, but met with no success until
had passed the palace.
Kawaihao Church stood grimly on my right
and saw the tomb-stones clustering over the
wall, when suddenly very old native-so old
that Time seemed 1T last to pass him with
neglect-hobbled from the street back of the
church. He held some fish tied up in Ii leaves
in one hand and bamboo staff in the other
when he reached me he stopped, and, after
peenng into my face silently fof time, said
"ies, SO You have come at last she did no,
forget her PROMISE" then he motioned me &c
follow him, and without giving me chance tc
ask question he continued to repeat in g
hollow, mumbling tone "No, she did not for
get o no, no, o no y
This spider-legged, white haired, picturesque
subject of some dead Hawaiian king led me
straight to the top of Punchbowl Hill. Wher
we reached the top the old fellow was as fresh
as when we started, although the climb hat
made me blow. He placed his fish and t
leaves in the mouth OF an old cannon which
poked its harmless muzlle over the brow O
the hill. and leaning upon his staff near tn,
brink OF the precipice, he remained motionless
gazing blankly over the city below and the Sc.
beyond. When he at last turned his fac,
toward me, al my interruption, il had
haggard seeming. his bright black eyes wer
dimmed with tears and his white beard swayet
gently to and fro on his bare chest, in tn
southern breeze.
sold man." said /, chow comes it that yo
weep-you who have seen so much Of Joy an,
, sorrow should pass the world with silent scorn
stoical alike to laughter and to tears" Males
/ tically and proudly this aged Hawaiian witt
. the jetty eyes and CHASTITY beard straightene,
his decrepit form, and, sweeping his hand owe
/ the world beneath, spoke mournfully yet witt
{ an energy that bespoke the birth Of secon
youth. "Do you no, see yonder city, alohain
Honolulu wrapped in mantel Of flowers
+, and yet. awe, auwe her greatness is OF tn
/ past, her long line Of kings held court wit
death. her bards have ceased their singing
a and the shadow Of doom and the symbol
Fate prehgured in your dream are even no'
a hanging over ber-look - He pointed to tn
zenith where the moon laughed gaily, poise
in mid air like queen upon her throne. b.
I even as gazed there came change, sudden
' dreadful to this simple patriarch. strange eve
}. 10 me accustomed a. am to the steady glanc
J, Of Destiny and the discords Of life The moo
c rose red from aeecy cloud and now show
u with disastrous luster. Around abou, /
h bringing out in relief its calamiious face, WI
4 woven halo Of bright beams, which compare
y like the ripple Of a thoughtless childs Taught,
!. at the grave Of its mother. "A few moi
/. days" continued the old man, ''and thou sha
d see the quick tear and hear the sad wall
c alohaino Hawaii auwe. auwe !"
IL, does not seem strange to me that "
u should know the substance Of my dream, o.
J. man, said I, relapsing into thought, "bul,
" continued. ',hers is no certainty IN pncrt,aint
calm YOURSELF I, who believe so firmly in n