The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1893-10-06


he was treading the water in the manner
Of a strong swimmer exhausted, his chin
thrown back, his mouth open.
MY kingl he alu moe" she cried,
come on. Yet a little more, and We
shall touch the coral lodges with our
toes"
"Olua!' he answered, Ego forward, you
two. must diet The fever has taken
all the manhood from my muscles. Mai
hull oe. Do not turn round again Good
byl / must go down into the night Of the
sea"
mol father ofmy son, no, Alina-Mina
passionately exclaimed. The land Is
So close can see the doors OF their nuts.
The reef IS so near can see the seaveed
waving on the outside shelves Of the
reef Oh, little farther, and We shall
all be sayed!'
The poor fellow struck out courageous
~ again, but as she watched-herself
gallantly breasting the sea, which broke
gently on either side Of her bosom as
from the Prov Of some dark ship-she
saw his hands fall down and the sea wa
ter spill from the top Of q wavelet into
his mouth. Her Manae was spent. He
could never traverse by his own strength
the distance still to be dealt with. These
island women are placid and slow on
shore, bat in moments of crisis quick 10
act as a seabird Is TO decide on its course
of fight.
Fall on your back, friendl Fall, Maka-
makar' she said. 81 will give you some
rest" and then she executed wonder
| full piece of water learning, tanning the
| sea beside him so that in each stroke her
returning arm gave him a sufficient sup
port, while she kept herself and the baby
| still steadily moving in the right direc-
| ton. But she was too much accus-
| toned TO the water not to know that her
man was beyond hope if he should be
! left to himself. Hastily her fond heart
made up its purpose. She could not keep
| them both above the waves. The effort
| she was making must soon come to an
| end. She must accordingly choose be-
tween the life of the father of her child
| and the life of the son of her husband.
A Hawaiian woman Of her character
would never hesitate. Mina-Mina did
not hesitate.
''Swim now by yourself for little,
| Manael' she moaned, with water in her
black eyes which was not from the sea.
81 can help one of the two to land, but
l cannot help both. My son-Kahaha!
! Thou must die for him that gave thee
| beginning"
"Ah, wife. wife! no"' cries the Ha-
waiian, striking out anew. LET ne
! kama live-let him come to be man
and keep you when you are old. 1 must
| go. 1t is l will die. l cannot swim one
canoes length farther"
At this moment the baby, from its
mothers back, chuckled out, from fun
or habit, the word of the little Sandwich
| Island children when they go to their
mats for sleep at night.
Listen" said Mina-Mina, she knows
it is all right. He says farewell to you.
Oh, my manu-, my bird, you will take so
long to drown; you are so hearty. You
will struggle and cry for me and call
the sharks to you before you are dead.
And there is no time left. Goodby. Rub
my nose hard with your ittlanose. Kuh
honigala aloha! Oh, my last sweet, low
! ing kiss to you! Goodbye"
With that she buried the knife blade
| in her boys heart and let him slide dead
into the sea. Two thin lines of blood
| from his little sinking body trailed back
ward to the spot where Manae was just
sinking, and large blot of bright Grim
son darkened the green water where he
sank. The father saw, comprehended,
but was too far spent to speak.
Almost gone herself with grief and
physical strain, she drew his hands over
her shoulders, and setting her chin hard
for the shore flung out her strong, shape
" arms in splendid strokes, supporting
her hapless lord, and gradually neared
the coral reef. Where it opened into the
lagoon q couple of fishermen were draw
| ing their nets inside. They heard in the
| evening stiffness the beat of her hands,
| started up and saw Mina-Mina on the
| point of giving up within Il stones throw
of the ledge, quite exhausted. The two
| Eawaiians dashed into the sea and
dragged the pair safely to land, where
| both lay for 4 time speeches.. When
they recovered power to speak and move,
the fishermen were astonished to see the
husband kiss the wet feet of his wife and
say very softly, For my life am your
debtor and my sons"
Afterward, when all understood well
what had happened in the water, they
called her Mina-Mina and praised her
exceedingly, and she has-as you saw
by this time another little baby boy.
But there is never out Of her look wist-
fitness, such as you may have noticed
in passing her. and she will go down of
evenings to the sea edge at Koko point
or Waikiki and say things to herself.
We think she perhaps says: Darling he
hiwa-hiwa, oh, my little black pig that
1 had to cast away! If only I could have
died for theer-Sir Edwin Arnold IN
London Telegraph.