The morning call., 1893-03-19


1 noticed with pleasure. she used with con-
| siderable deXteTity TO keep off the mos
| quitoes. The other hand was occupied in
| caressing a lovely white kitten, with the
| funniest black ears and tail, and single
| black spot on one side. Ny neart warmed
| 10 her. instantly, as the heart of lover of
cats always must to a fellow worShiper at
| the feline altar, and no sooner had she
| acknowledged my greeting with q digni6ed
| though gracious bow than her Majesty and
| ! were en- rapport over Duss.
The Queen Dowager began to ask me at
| once about America and TO tell me, with
| Mr.. WlcoX's aid, how she had enjoyed her
| STAY in that country and with what pleasant
| anticipation she looked forward to attend
| ing, II her health permitted, the Columbian
| Exposition. She liked the hurry and hustle
! and enter prise OF Auerica--the sense o. life
| and doing that was in the very air, and all
| the activity of our hurryng American life.
| Then, with sudden change Of subject she
inquired what thought of Hawaii and of
| the recent changes. There can only be one
| opinion about this lovelest of spots, and so |
| told her, ii is "A paradise on earth Half
| testing, ! depicted TO her the change that
| was Voming when the cable should connect
! the Islands with the outside world and keep
| the people on the Qul vive Of excitement
| over the daily news; when business men
| could no longer 20 a-hshing nine days in
| the week; when railroads should cut the
! country in every direction, and the locomo-
| tive engines should puiI and bells ring and
| clang through the valleys; when steamers
| should come in twice n week and men
/ should run to catch street cars in Hawaii
| Mel.
And her Majesty laughed heartily in
| curing with mockery of great earnest
| ness how soon l thought that time would
| cOme-she so lOnged to see it,
| The political aspect Of the recent mp
heayal was touched upon but lightly. 1t is
| rather an Open secret that her Majesty's
sympathies are wholly with the party of
| progress.
Then pussy claimed our attention. and
the Queen D0wager explained that the little
| creature had been Christmas gift TO her,
| aud was named merry Christmas" in
| honor Of the day. She told me the Hawaiian
| word fer cat-pOupOuki-and its curious
| derivation. When the early missionaries
| came 10 the Islands and first saw the tail
| less Hawaiian cats their Invariable excla-
nation was Poor pussy" which. the ma
| tives, attempting to repeat, rendered
| pOupouki, aud pOupouki the feline crea-
| ture is to-day in the lovely Hawaiian
| tongue. Merry Christmas knew full well
| that she ard her kind were the subject of
| our conversation, and she arched her back,
| rubbed her head against her mistress hand
| aud played win the royal eyeglasses, Just
| as any saucy little American cat would
| have done. Then, at the Qneen's request
| the lady-in-waiting told me of beautiful
white cat at the PALACE, the especial pet aud
| property Of the late King. This cat was
always with his Majesty when the latter
was at lone, and was deYotedly attached
! 10 him. The animal, like all its kind, was
very neat and particular about its appear
| ancP.
A few days before the arrival of the news
of the Kings death pussy suddenly de-
| vel0Ded mania for rolling in a pile of SCOT
| from the kitchen chimney, and went about
| blackened from head to foot with the stuff.
| The sdperstitiOus natives all declared this
to be an evil omen, and when the news OF
| Kaakaua's death arrived their belief re-
| ceiYed full confirmation.
The y-in-waiting had great fascina-
| ton for me. ! think she Is the largest
| woman l have ever seen. AS l watched
| her pass down the length of the great apart
! ment, her loose hOloku floating about her,
] realized as had never been able to do be.
| fore just why the missionary ladies VINO
made the first dress for the first Hawaiian
woman who ever wore one hit upon that
| particular style. 1t was in 1919, the
story goes, that this robe was made
on board the ship Thaddeus, for the great
| chiefess Kalakua. She, herself, bought
! web of white cambria to have a dress made
! like those worn by the white lad les. These
| were made in the style then prevailing q
very deep yoke, with short bodice, belted
at the waist, and full skirt. The chiefess
was huge woman, and belt was found to
| be impracticable, SO the ladies instead gath
| cred the loose skirt on to the yoke.
| The native women were so delighted with
/ the new garb, so much more convenient
! Lnan lDelT OWN. luhL Lney aJ once gave IL
the name h olol ku. expressive of the fact
that in 1t they had perfect freedom of mo-
| ton. The holoku Is exactly like the
Mother Hubbard gown" that had such
| painful popularity in our country some
years ago. 1t is, to-day, the regulation cos
tune of the Hawaiian women. They
wear it at church and on shopping
expeditions, in the park and on state
occasions, and. this delightful climate per-
hitting such scantiness of attire, it is not an
| uncommon thing to meet upon Fort street
| an old woman of the poorer class whose
holoku is her sole garment. Even the men,
as well, often appear in this convenient
| garb. l saw stalwart, bearded man one
| day clad in a holoku, saving wood in front
of his cottage. The effect was very funny.
The Queen DOwager preserves no mean
sembance of royal state in her reception
chamber in the Park Cottage. The apart
ment Itself must be fully fifty feet in
length. and is of noble breadth. The pol
lshed floor Is strewn with rugs; the tables
and chairs are of rare and beautiful woods
from many quarters of the globe; the low
walls are hung with handsome pictures
| and decorations from far-oif lands.
Between the low, quaint windows is
| lile-size bust In white marble OF the late
King. ianked on either side by the kahils
or feathered STATS. some IL or 10 feet IL
height, that doubtless stood beside Kapio-
| lanfs thrOne-chair when the present dow
ager was uueen-consort Feather capes and
ornaments were everywhere, aud the