The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-10-11
know you are not pig" said the woman.
" neither am your alayAn

know you are not q pig" said the woman
neither am I your slave"
| To be sure you are not my slave. and II yor
| do not care to stop with me you had better &C
homo to your people," said no. But In the
| mean time go and light the fire. and when
have brought this oil will cook somo fish,"
She went as II to obey. and presently wher
the trader looked she had built FIRE so big
that the cook house was catching in flames
II Kama KIM" she cried as she saw him
| coming; but he rocked not and hit her with q
cooking pot. The leg pierced her skull. blood
spouted. 1t was thought she was dead woman.
and the natives surrounded the house in men.
acing expectation. Another white was pres
emit. man Of older experience. "You will
have us both killed II you 60 on like this" he
cried. "She had said I Kama Ki,nr II she
had not said Kama Kim he might have strucl,
her with caldron. 1t was not tho blow that
made tho crime but the disregard OF an 40
cepted formula.
Polygamy the particular sacredness of
wives. their semi-servile state. their seclusion
in Kings harems. even their privilege OF Bit
ing. all would seem to indicate a Mohamme-
dan society and the opinion OF the soullessness
OF woman. Not 80 in the least. It is a mere
appearance. After YOU have studied these ex-
tremes In one house. you may 60 to the next
and hnd all reversed-the woman the mis-
tress. the man only the first OF her thralls.
The authority Is not with the husband as such
or with the wife as such. 1t resides in the chief
ort the chief woman: he or she who has Inherit
cd the lands Of the clan and stands to the clans
man In the place OF parent, exacting their
service. answerable for their fines. There is
but the one source Of power and the one
ground Of dignity-rank. The King married a
chief woman. she became his mental. and
CT vyfNrlySr. II, har .1a f-t~A
mans pier The King divorced her. sho re-
gained at onco her former state and power
She married the Hawaiian sailor. and behold
the man is her funky. and can be shown tho
door at pleasure Nay. such low-born lords
are even corrected physically. and. like grown
but dutiful children. must endure discipline.
We were intimate in one such household,
that Of Nei Takauti and Nan Tok': put the
lady first Of necessity. During our week of
FOOLS paradise Mrs. Stevenson had gone alone
to the sea side Of the island after shells. am
very sure the proceeding was unsafe. and she
soon perceived man and woman Watching
her. Do what she would. her guardians held
her steadily in view. and when the afternoon
began to fall. and they thought she had stayed
long enough. took her in charge. and. by signs
and broken English. ordered her homo On the
way the lady drew from her earring hole clay
pipe. the husband lighted 1t. and 1t was handed
to my unfortunate vito. who knew not how to
rsfusethe incommodiou favor: and when they
were all come to our house, the pair sat down
beside her on the floor and improved the occa-
sion with prayer. From that day they were our
family friends. bringing thrice day the beau
tifulisland garlands Of white flowers, visiting
US every evening. and frequently carrying US
down to their own moniap' In return. the
woman leading Mrs. Stevenson by tho hand
like one child with another.
Nan Tok'. the husband. was young. extremely
handsome. OF the most approved good humor.
aud suffering in his precarious station from
suppressed high spirits. Nei Takauti. the
wife. was getting old: her grown son by a for
mer marriage had Just hanged himself before
his mothers eyes. in despair at vol -merited
rebuke. Perhaps she had never been beauti-
full. but her face was full Of character. her eye
Of sombre fire. She was high chief woman.
but by strange exception for person Of her
rank. was small. spare. and sinewy. with lean
small hands and corded neck Her full dress
OF an evening was invariably white chemise.
and for adornment, green leaves Tor sometimes
white blossoms) stuck in her hair and
thrust through her hugo ear holes.
The husband. on the contrary. changed to view
like Kaleidoscope. Whatever pretty thing my
wife might have given to Nei Takauti-a string
OF beads q ribbon. piece Of bright fabric-ap-
peared the next evening on the person OF Nan
Tok'. 1t was plain he was a clothes horse:
that he wore livery; that, in u word. he was
his wife's wife. They reversed the parts. in
Decd down to the least particular. 1t was the
husband who showed himself tho ministerins
angel in the hour Of pain. while the wife dis
played the apathy and heartlessncss OF the
proverbial man. Whom Nei Takauti had
a headache. Nan Tok' was full OF atten-
ton and concern. When the husband had
cold and a racking toothachc the wife needed
not except to jeer. 1t is always the woman's
part to fill and light the ppo Nei Tukauti
handed hers in silence to tho we'd
ded page: but she carried it herself. as though
the page were not entirely trusted. Thus
she kept the money. but it was he who ran the
errands, anxiously sedulous. A cloud on her
face dimmcd instantly his beumns looks: on
an early visit to their monap, my wife saw he
had cause to be wary. Nan Tok' had Il friend
with him. gddy young thing. OF his own age
and sex: and they had worked themselves into
that stage Of popularity. when consequences
are too often disrcSarlcd. Nei Takauti men
toned her own name. Instantly Nan To.;' held
up two fingers, his friend did likewise. both in
an ecstasy of slyness. 1t was plain the lady
had two names; and from tho nature OF their
and the wrath that gathered on her
brow. there must be something ticklish in the
second. The husband pronounced it: we'll
directed cocoanut from the hand of his wife
caught him on the side Of the head. and the
voices and the mirth o. these indiscreet young
ceased for the day.
Tho people Of eastern Polynesia arc never ut
a loss: their etiquette is absolute and plenary:
in every circumstance it tells them what to do
and how to do it. Tho Gilbcrtincs arc seem-
ingly moro free. and pay for their freedom
like. ou-sovcs) in frequent perplexity. This
was often the case with the topsy-turvy couple.
We had once supplied them during visit
with pipe and tobacco: and when they had
smoked and were about to lclve. thoy found
themselves confronted with q problom should
they take or leave what remained Of tho
tobacco. Tho piece OF plug was taken up. it
was laid down again, it was handed back and
'orth, and argued over till the vito began
10 look hagsard and this husband elderly.
They ended by taking 1t, and I wager
were not yet clear Of the compound before
hey were sure they had decided wrong An
other timo they had each liberal cup OF
coffee. and Nan Tok'. with difficulty and dis
Affection, made an end Of his. Nei Takauti |