The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1892-05-14
INTERESTING LETTER.
FROM THE BARD OF DALBEATTIE.
DALBEATTIE, SCOTLAND,

DALBEAITIE, OCOTLAND,
April 4, 1892.
DEAR Ma. EDITOR: + + + note
from the papers that there is stead
lily advancing and increasing tide of
tourists to the dear old paradise"
and hope it may increase and bene
fit the islands. Ia your note anent
this in your letter you say when
will your turn comet" | am afraid
the last line Of the first stanza of the
enclosed tpoem p rhyme will prove
too true to answer:
Sounds the drge of my hopes with its
roar,
by the land [ shall see nevermore"
Though / may not see it again, l
can sincerely affirm that no one who
has lived in the Paradise, even that
no one born in it has a greater love
for it than / have. / have delivered
two or three lectures on the islands
in this, my native town, and in neigh
boring towns; and | sometimes think
that my love for the country and It's
people caused me to paint my picture
of it with too much light in it, and
that the shadows were but thinly
and unevenly laid in.
If there was anything that l could
do to minister to its prosperity, /
would gladly do it, and if keeping
the name of it before the public
would be of any benefit l might
write, and would gladly write two or
three articles in its favor for any
prominent paper that would accept
them. You are aware that it is only
people with considerable means that
would or could go from here: but
there is quite number of "globe
trotters" from our shores, and if
these same globe trotters" would
cease trotting through Switzerland,
Italy, doing the Alps and sailing
down the Rhine, where every old
stone in every old castle is familiar
to them, and strike out a new path
across the American continent and
go down to Hawaii nei, they would
learn what exquisite and indescrib-
able beauty there is in this world,
and that there is at least one part Of
the earth that may claim, and claim
with all justice, the name Of the
earthly paradise"
1 have received copy of the Wis
tas of Hawaii from my old friend
Mrs. Gray formerly Mclean, and 1
have been thinking that if there is
anything in any of the rhymes 1
have written and which you have
kindly published that would be of
any service in any future books that
you may publish for the benefit of
tourists, or if they would be of use
In any way whatever, as far as 1 am
concerned they are heartily placed
at your disposal, who have SO kindly
permitted them to see the light.
During my leisure hours I have
written a great many of these poems,
and endeavored to illustrate them
with floral borders and little sketches
OF Hawaiian scenery in water color
Some OF the little head pieces are
mere efforts of memory, and though
they may be good enough as head
pieces, they cannot be proper, or
maybe, not even be any approach to
proper representations of the sub
jects of the rhymes. Such as they
are l have sent copy out to my
friend, Mr.. George Il. Mclean.
In the Vistas of Hawaii noticed
the love story of Hakuole and Leile-
hua, and [ was so interested that /
have had the temerity to dress it up
In poetry and enclose it. If YOU
think it has sufficient merit to appear
IN the pages of the ADVERTISER,
please insert it. If not, then the
waste paper basket must be its
grave. If it is printed, some of the
kamaainas may be foolish enough to
institute comparison of the effu-
sion with one of Longfellow's in a
similar strain, but if this is done
have the knowledge that Longfel low
will not be the sufferer by the com
parison.
You will be tired of this long riga
marole, which you think is going to
be interminable, but. 1 will not
weary you farther, except to thank
you very much for all your kindness
to me, and to add that 1 sincerely
trust your papers may prosper be-
You'd your most sanguine expecta-
tions, and that there may be bright
and brilliant future for the Islands.
Ever yours sincerely,