Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1888-04-27
IN AN11PODEAN ARCADIA.

IN ANTIPODEAN ARCADE.
The Teeth of Care Evids"tsy Urkno,cn i,
the Society Jssands
Life runs along very smoothly in this
island paradise, says Tahiti letter.
The Tahitian has all his wants sup
piled, his physical by nature, his polit.
ical by Fran ce, and his spiritual by for.
eign missions He now only lacks per-
petual youth. He is tall, well-made,
and muscular, and his features are
regular. The women have their share
OF beauty compared with their sisters
of other races, some of them being very
lovely. Behold an oval-face lit by soft,
dark, liquid eyes under broad, low
forehead, the nose slightly aquiline,
with delicately cut nostrils, a curved,
sensitive mouth, and small, we'll turned
chin, and this crowned by wavy mass
Of long, fine hair reaching below the
waist. Often of morning I see dozen
young girls taking bath in the reef
bound harbor. Dressed in their red
"holokus" or Mother Hubbards, they
run like deer across the turf, leap from
the low sea-wall, screaming with ex-
element, their arms and legs waving
aud skirts flying, and strike the water
with 9 mighty splash. On they come,
one after another, till all are in the
water, ducking and splashing each
other; then out they scramble and rush
across the turf for another run and
jump.
Both men and women are very fond Of
flowers, the latter wearing "leis," or
wreathes, on their heads and around
their necks, and over one or both ears
red or white flower half hidden in
their dark tresses. They are also very
fond of each other, and continually
gather in groups, sitting on their
launches or on the ground, laughing,
chatting, or singing. A cigarette passes
from mouth to mouth, each in turn
pulling at it; and in truth it is the only
way to keep one of the wretched native
ones lighted. Everything they have is
shared with their friends, single pine
apple or bottle Of beer passing around
party of ten or dozen; and friend
passing by is always called in to share a
dinner. Rightly is this group of islands
called society.
The usual feeding hours here are
breakfast at 10 dinner at S. There are
only two meals day-the third can
hardly be called a meal, as it is merely
coffee and bread in bed at daylight. or
soon after, for they are early risers
here. The meals are particularly good
fascinating oysters fresh from the sea,
the incest shrimps ever tasted, from
three to four inches long and as big
around as ones finger. Baked sucking
pig is noble institution of Tahiti.
After the little darling is dressed and
wrapped in leaves he is placed in the
oven. which is simply a hole in the
ground prepared by heated stone. The
whole is covered with earth, and
presently comes out very dream of
Charles Lamb. He is eaten with q
native sauce made out of cocoanut and
sea water-queer, but nice.
Band night" is a joyous occasion
dear to the memory of all visitors to
the island. On Thursday nights the
French garrison band plays before the
Government Hoase in little plaza
carpeted with turf and borders with
spreading trees. Around the stand
skip men and girls, singly, in pairs,
and in rows, heads up, eyes bright,
teeth showing, clasping each other by
waist or shoulder, laughing and calling
to each other, while the dust fairly
chokes the putting, blowing musicians.
If dancer falls in the mad whirl q
scream of excitement rises and only dies
away when the PROSTATE one rises and
dances on Between the selections
they refresh themselves with beer or
fruit, while the officers or young men
OF the town buy flowers and wreaths for
the girls, as happy with their "leis" as
debutante with her bouquets. A tall
young globe trotter advanced to group
of dusky beauties, holding high the
finest lei he could purchase. There is
a scream of delight from dozen pretty
mouths, a dozen rounded arms are
thrust at the prize as the garlanded
heads bob up and down, and then there
is rush and he is overwhelmed. They
climb upon his head and shoulders
and pluck the wreath to pieces, leaving
him disheveled and overcome by such a
whirlwind of arms and legs.
A STEP-MOTHER APrRECIArED
A recent Chinese Emperor, in an
nouncing the demise of his step-mother,
sent the following communication to
his ministers: "We have attended Her
Majesty since we received the throne,
and have cherished her for twenty-nine
years. We have seen that in her de-
clining days she had every comfort.
and that she had passed the age of