The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1891-04-23

Charms.
Coming from the restraints and CON-
ventionalities of civilization, corre-
spondent at Suva, Fiji, writes to the
New York Times, one almost envies the
freedom and naturalness of life which
prevail In Fiji. The Fijian women are
distinguished for their chastity and de-
votion to their families. Many Of them
are exceedingly pretty, and although,
like the women of most races which
live in warm climates and upon nearly
exclusive vegetable diet, they incline to
corpulency as they approach middle
life, they are in youth very graceful and
symmetrical, and by their lively and
cheerful manners make a most agree
able impression upon the visitor. The
young girls are full of fun, and the best
looking among them are as finished CO.
quotes as are produced in Paris, Lon
don or New York.
It needs no education to make a
woman understand that she is attract
i've above her fellows, SO here in Fiji
have seen many young ladies who
showed as many airs in a garb consist
ing simply of belt with thick fringe
of dyed cocoanut-fber falling half way
to her knees as q white belle would
parade in one of Worth's latest ball
dresses. One of these, attended by an
ancient duenna, came aboard the steam
CIR the other day at Leonka. 1t was
Sunday, and to keep abreast OF the male
population, who were peculiar and stiff
in the white shirts which the mission
aries have induced them to assume on
the first day of the week, she had put
over her petticoat of native cloth o
loose, sleeveless chemise Of thin blue
cotton. Her hair, black, as a crows
wing and in enormous lustrous masses,
was coiled upon the top of her shapely
head and adorned with flower OF the
hibiscus. Her shapely brown feet and
legs were bare, as also were her mag
nificently nodded arms; her hands were
small and taper and well cared for, she
was scrupulously clean, and her shout
dcrs glistcned like golden bronze under
delicate application Of cocoanut oil.
Her face was charmingly piquant, her
eyes dark and gloomy, and her teeth,
perfectly regular and dazzling white,
would have been raved about by poets
II they had appeared in the mouth of q
Caucasian beauty. She carries q para
sol, for these brown-skinned Fiji maids
are as solicitous for their compilations
rs If they were compound Of roses and
cream, and her gait would have been
the despair Of any woman who included
corsets and French heels among her out
fit
Everybody on the ship rushed to the
side to look at her and certain Of tho
young men among the passengers, COR
daily addressing her as MARY" and
"Susan," invited her to come aboard.
She seemed as unconscious Of the admit
ration her charms had excited as II she
| were o statue OF the coolest marble,
but nevertheless was seen to take 1t all
in from the corner of her eye and to
continue the cause Of 1t by animated
conversation with her duenna, by turn
ing about so that she might be seen
from all sides, and by certain skittish
actions toward the frizzle-headed beaus
who addressed her as she passed them
on the dock. Finally she leisurely
assembled the gang plank and sauntered
aft among the passengers, seated her
self with great dignity and bore with
much complacency the attentions which
the young men Of our party rendered.
She accepted an invitation to shake
hands all round. When she arose to
go, after suitable period, the young
men surrounded her and intimated o
desire that she should honor the ship
with her company back to Melbourne.
She at once took alarm and began to cry
like q little child, and her duenna indig-
nantly bore her away and OFF the vessel.
/ Out OF range Of practical compliments,
however, she regained her composure,
gave us another brief exposition OF her
grace and beauty, and as she left the
dock completed the slaughter she had
caused among her tormentors by fash
ing back at them Parthian smile. The
experience was instructive - we had
learned that woman's knowledge that
she is attractive is gift Of nature, not
an acquisition from experience in So
clety.