Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1885-02-07

keeping, dressmaNing, and Christian duty
towards Their families. But when the project
Of the church was mooted, and II became
necessary to provide ways and means for the
purchase Of hoorngs, doors. windows, lime ior
plaNcring and few other essentials, Mrs.
Smith began to teach the natives to weave
mats, hats and bags. The mats and hats were
sold to wealihier natives and to whalers, the
bags were purchased by the two or three sugar
cuItvators then a, work on the islands
The church was built e adobe Mr Smith
made molds for the adobe bricks which were
feet long, foot wide and inches thick.
Each able bodied adult male parishionier was
expected to provide 30 bricks So soon as
one finished his tale, he passed on the mouds
to another During 1878 the structure went
up. and when finished in 1893 was I7s feet
long, 90 feet wide, with walls "a feet high. II
was Une.Nory, with very high roof Its
acoustic properties were admirable. Its seat
ing' capacity was nearly 7,Soo, though the
" seating" was done on the floor Sometimes
the congregation numbered fully 5000.
About 1912. Mr.. Smith built little home
Of two rooms on the site Of his present home
in Nuuanu Valley. lie built it merely as
retreat from the summer heat Of town, l,ut soon
made it permanent home. There, in Novcm.
Der 1852, Augustus L., their young st son, was
born. or the seven children born to them
after their arrival in the Islands only two sur.
viycd. From that year, Mrs. Smiths health
improved steadily
| In 1883 two Hawaiian young men, EN-.
pluycd as cooks in town, came to the house
and asked il Mrs Smiths little daughter
| L nina tnow Mrs. b. +. Dillingham; would
teach them to read, write and speak
English. Mrs. Smith replied that her
daughter was too young for the position
Of teacher. but that she would gladly
teach them herself AT that time there was
no school in Honolulu at which the common
people could learn English. The old Royal
School had been established for chiefs only.
Royal School there was an English school fol
white children. Mrs Smiths two pupils told
others and her little class grew in few months
until it became a well.esabishcd and we'll
known evening school for Hawaiian young
men. To limit and define the membership
Mrs, Smith fixed tuition rates-2S cents pei
week-and 80 pupils testified TIL: genuinenes'
Of their desire to learn English by keeping VI
their studies with her for fully year.
Among her pupils at that time were man,
young men who afterwards filled uSefu
positions creditably and faithfully. But tn,
efloit OF teaching five nights a week almos
continuously was too severe for Mrs Smith
delicate constitution, and she reluctantly aban
begin a day school for Hawaiian children--tc
which, from time to time, there came alst
English, Chinese, Negroes and South.Set
Islanders. In 1886 this school was made
government school--,he first English.teachinl
common school on the islands. During tn,
years 1890 many of the most promsin.
native boys on the islands attended Mrs
Smiths school-its membership at one tint
numbering so pupils. Minister Knpena
Captain William Tell, w. A. Kiha, Enocl
Kalawao, David Naone were a few Of thos
prominent Hawaiians who are remembered a
being her pupils
In 1860 it w.s decided to open govern
.nent school for Hawaiaas in the presen
Royal School premises, and Mrs. Smith wa'
invited to become principal. She declined Il
accept the position, and, the csigencies of tn
situation seeming to demand it. the govern
men, school she had so successfully eonductet
was transferred to the Royal school.
But Mrs. Smiths educational work did no
cease there. She opened school for whit
children and taught it at home for three years
coming down the valley in 1863 to the cottag
now occupied by Mir. J. ID. Strong, the
: owned by native. In that school tas occa
sionally during many years bcfore) Mrs. Smit
was assisted by her daughter.
In 1865, Mr.. and Mrs. Smith, paid thei
= first visit home after an absence of nearly !:
years. They were accompanied ly their so
> and daughter and were absent from the island
IS months,
On their return Mrs. Smith reopened thei
, school at her own home, continuing it unit
: the close OF 1879.
In 1896 or y Alexander Liloliho was for
while pupil, and Regent Kinau wanted MI
. and Mrs Smith to adop, the little heir. Blu
;, reasons of state counselled otherwise and tn
= future Kamehameea w was educated in tn
old Royal School by Mr.. and Mrs. AS. Cooke
h, Mrs. Smiths powers as teacher were i
4 part gift" Byinheritance and by Iainin
:, she was fitted as only chosen few have bee
:. for the particular environment Of her teacher
4 life. The following autobiographicai para
), graph written with rare felicity and admirab
h good taste for memorial prepared on III
occasion OF their golden wedding, two yea
). ago las, October, indicate better than can an
\ words OF the writer the zeal, the faith. h
:, Iovs she put into her life work;
/, "Love OF children is the strongest passion
d my nature; and teaching is my normal col
g diton. We were not pioneers in the mission
n AIRY work at these islands but we entered inl
the abors OF the good men and women VIII
e had preceded us, and who had already made
Is successful commencement, and good progre
q in the work. There was dearth Of teache
!, for the children, and it was glad day to mi
,. when gathered my first group Of Hawaii
d boys and girls about me, and met the lit
Ia dusky faces raised to nine, as wide awake an
70 eager as were the children in the far ava
g. home land. Here was promise, and faith at
N hope seemed triumphant"
" Mrs. Lowell Smiths influence as a teach
Us was no, more noteworthy than her inauen'
n. as Christian worker. She was active
I'd many directions. helpful whenever ar
a, wherever her strength permitted her TO &C
4, Her religious fellowship was with Kaumak
,g pill Church. Of which she became member