Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1893-05-24
A WEDDING IN HAWAII.
BY POLLY KING.

BY FOLLY KING.
1t was Christmas morning in Oahu
some thirty years ago, Oahu that gem
Of the Hawaiian Islands, about which
80 much has been said and written.
The little town of Honolulu still slept;
but out on the sugar plantation the
twitering birds believed in early
rising and awoke r. ,gcr Barring. the
young master of Waikiki, with their
chirping Christmas carol. lie arose
and went SO the window, looking ont
on the sweeping plain, covered with
waving cane and the sandy slopes of
the distant hills on which the cnchant-
ment of dawn still fingered. The sky
was mass of pink clouds flccting be-
fore the rising sun, and Roger drank
in the beauty of the scene, though his
heart was heavy and his waking full
of disappointment and unro't.
For the past two weeks he had been
expecting tho arrival of ship from
England that bore a precious gift
Mary jameson, his sweetheart; and
here was Christmas morning and she
was still Oh the high seas.
In those days of slow-sailing ships,
bridcgrooms could not rush home
from the Antipodcs in Il couple of
weeks as they can now, and many
lilnid women who have never before
left their native Land, bravcly took
the long, weary journey around the
cape, to flu fill their pligllted word.
Mary jameson was one of these.
Time, separation and infrcqucnt mails
had only served to strengthen the de-
votion of this pair of lovers; and
Mary sitting many pangs at parting
with her beloved home and country,
had sailed for Oahu as soon as posi-
BILE after Roger wrote her that Waikiki
was ready and waiting for its mis-.
,ress.
Sailing vessels varied very much in
the time of their passage, and there
was really no cause as yet for anxiety
bu Roger, who was burning with i'm
patcncc for the arrival of the "And-
romcda," had felt the last week drag
slower and more heavily than the
whole three years since he had lrf
England, and this morning, instead OF
! Merry Christmas tho ights, his mn(
was full IF shipwrccks and disasters
lie felt that he would have given Tho
fields he was so proud to own, nay, al
the wealth of this heavenly island tc
bc in England with Mary on lhi
home holiday. The tropical vis';
fad ID to the little church in Cumbcr
land laden with holly and mistlctoc
where they had first met. He cou'c
hear the chi,lren's voices piping th,
Christmas carols, aud feel the cold
biting air instead of the magnolia
scented breeze.
lie could see his mother and TIN
children packed into the rec;ory pew
and his father beaming down from th
pulpit with messages Of peace ant
good will. A great wave of home
sickness came over him, and then Ii
laughed at his folly. At homo he wa
only one of The rcctors sons, whil
here lie was master Of all Waikiki
and had already laid the Foundation
for u large fortune. lie whistle
"Rulc Britannia" in derision and, roll
ing himself up in burnous, steppc
ont Of tho French window into th
garden. Hidden in grove of par
danus trees near by was ifr
clear pool, where Roger came eac
morning to bathe. and sporting in tll
cool water allegiance to his wilchin
adopted land was soon restored.
"You can't battle outdoors O
Christmas Day in England" 1
thought, contcntcdly, as he swan
the soft water that was SO clean Al,
clear that lie could SEQ the pcbbl,
lying at The bottom.
A vigorous young man of twcnt.
five, however, cannot live on sccnci
and rcm inisccnces alone, and by Il
time Roger was dressed he could la'
seen no more welcome sight than Il
little table on the vcranda that "
being made ready for breakfast. IT
servants were running around Il
house, gentle, brown creatures wi
soft voices, calling "Alohn! Aloha
in Christmas greeting. In honor
this dnv that the missionaries III
taught them was the greatest in all Il
, year, they had decorated the hou
with branches of hibiscus, and WOW,
, wrealhs of smilux and jcssami
y around the windows; even the mt
s ter's breakfast table was st ewn wi
red pomcgranatc blossoms.
! Roger and n pile of necklaces, ge