Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-04-06

after the style OF their white sisters after
church at home, when bonnets. appearances.
Sc., are criticised; others 60 visiting while the
rest pass away the time in that usual Sunday
afternoon amusement-firting. So the time
passes, until the bell calls for evening worship,
when stays. boots, muslins hats and all the de-
testable paraphernalia of the mornings exhi-
bltion are once more resumed. and off they go
IN crowd following the native pastor, who
Importantly stalks ahead. armed with a large
umbrella and a lot of books. Returning in
about an hour away flies all the finery again.
this time to be relocated TO the family boxes
not 70 be brought TO light until the next sun
day, or gala day.
various companies generally resolve them
serves INTO meeting of song, and
sometimes keep il up well into the night,
TO the edihcation or otherwise Of their
nelghbors. In the evening the men will as
semble IN village council, when island politics
VIII be discussed and the affairs of the village
put in order. At those meetings the members
almost always bring with them small bundles of
cocoanut fiber which. while listening or even
talking they plat into sinnet OF native string
10 any settled. steady work. it is quite impossi-
bic TO bring the ordinary Samoan: he will start
all right but will weaken at it gradually, day
by day, until at last he will throw up the Job
altogether.
THE BELLE OF THE VILLAGE.
Tampa is the Samoan name for the belle Of
the village, and every village or town in the
group Ct any position or importance has one,
most frequently the ruling chiefs own dauch-
ter or one adopted by him. She is at all times.
a girl of high rank in the place itself. or in
that OF her parentage, and from the first day of
her instaliment to the day of her departure in
marriage. elopement. or dethronement for bad
behavior-which, in quite recent times was eff
fected with club-she is virtually the queen
OF the place. 1t is she who receives strangers
on arrival in her village. makes kava for them,
70 tort a
comfort. Never from one year TO another is
she permitted to be out of sight OF her duennas,
and, when abroad she is invariably attended
| also by as many Of her youthful com
panions as are available for the service,
who follow her in single file wherever
she may go. She heads all professions and
visits, and takes the leading part in all siras or
| native dances. Her attire on gala DAYS is OF
the gayest and most splendid description that
her village can afford, and everything is I'M
grudgingly sacrificed that can add TO the glori-
hcatlon OF her personal appearance. 1t is only
when dressing for any ceremony that she APP
| pears to have no will of her own; at all other
tunes 1t is quite the reverse. On these occa-
slons, a long time before the commencement OF
the ceremonies, old tirewomen take full pOs-
session of her. and on them devolves the exer-
| else of the mysteries of the Samoan boudoir
She Is first of all taken in hand by two or more
| OF her duennas, who briskly
| SHAMPOO HER ALL OVER
with sweet-scented oil until her warm-colored
skin shines like satin. At the same time
another will be theoretically brushing her Jet
| black locks, polishing them until the raven,
| wing is dulled in comparison, and will after
| ward plat or otherwise dress them in the man
ner that the combined wisdom of the old peo
| pie, assisted, probably, by the suggestions Of
some twenty or more of her youthful compan
| ions, may dictate. All the fnery available i.
| brought to light, and the effect of dress after
| dress is tried. only to be discarded by a major
| itv OF votes. until, at last, something like 9
| unanimous decision is arrived at, and the pride
and the hope of the village stands forth in al
her conscientious beauty. both OF attire and
person, the purely native charms of which are
| enhanced or otherwise by ''papalagi" Foreign
| ornaments. The belle of the town. in addition
to being the social pride of her native oil
adopted place Of abode, is, in proportion to hel
rank and the Importance of the town she rep
resents. looked upon by her people as of poll
teal value, her friends being continually OF
| the lookout for some marital alliance of conse
quence for her. whereby they may gain usefu
| allies for turbulous times, and many are the
| 'Fonos' meetings assembled by the chief meY
| to devise the means of attaining this end. 81
valuable in a country like Samoa, where in ;
moment one town may be set against another
| for the yeriesf trlfe