The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1894-06-16
By CRaNTALlGNy

panied by FeIIE. But by degrees she
learned that she could walk by herself
,Of course, with the inevitable Shadow
ever by her side over the whole
island. and meet everywhere with
nothing from men, women. and chill
dren but the utmost respect and grac-
iOus courtesy. The young lads, as she
passed, would stand aside from the
path, with downcast eyes. and let her
go 10y with all the politeness of chival-
rOus English gentlemen. The ola men
would raise their eyes, but cross their
hands on their breasts. and stand mo-
tiOnless for few minutes till she got
almost out of sight. The women would
bring their pref y brown babies for the
fair English lady to admire or to pat
on the head and when Muriel now and
again stopped down to caresS some fat
little naked child, lolling in the dust
outside the hut, with true tropical
laziness, the mothers would run up at
the sight with delight and Joy, and
throw themselves down in ecstacies of
gratitude for the notice she had taken
of their favored little ones. The gods
OF heaven they would say, with every
sign of pleasure, have looked graC-
iousIy upon our CnalOa.
At first Felix and Muriel were mainly
struck with the pOliteneSS and defer
ence which the natives displayed to-
ward them. But after time Felix at
! least began to observe. behind it all.
that certain amount Of affection, and
even of something like cOmmiseration
! as well, seemed to be mingled with the
| respect and reverence showereG upon
them by their hosts. The woman. cs-
! peCially, were often evidently touched
! nv Nlripi' Innocence and A.
she walked past their huts with her
! light, girlish tread, they would come
| forth shylv, bowling many times a. they
| approached, and offer her a long spray
of towering hibiscus, or a pretty gar
, land of crimson ti-leaveS, saying at the
same time, many times over. in their
own tongue, Receive it, kOrong. re-
Ceive II. Queen of the Clouds, You
are good, You are kind. You are a
daughter of the sun. We are glad you
| have come to US "
a young girl soon makes herself at
home anyw here, and Muriel. pro
tecJed alike by her native innocence.
and by the invisible cloak of Polyne-
sian taboo, quickly learned to under
| stand and to sympathize with these
Door dusky mothers. One morning,
some weeks after their arrival she
! passed down the main street of the
, village, accompanied by Felix and
their two attendants, and reached the
narcotic open forum or place Of pub
/ lie assembly Wv hich stood in its midst;
a circular platform, surrounded by
| bread-fruit trees, under whose broad
cool shade the people were sitting in
little groups, and talking together.
! They were dressed in the regular old
% r,t,
! BOupari, being a small and remote
island, to insignificant to be visited by
European ships. retained still all its
aboriginal Eeathen manners and Gus
toms. The sight was. indeed, a curl
Ols and picturesque one. The girls,
large-limbed, soft-skinned, and with
delicately rounded figures, sat on the
ground, laughing and talking.
with their knees crossed un
der them: their wrists were encinc-
tured with girdles of dark-red dracoena
leaves, their swelling bosOms half con
Cealed, half acCentuated by hanging
necklets of flowers. Their beautiful
brown arms and shoulders We're bare
throughout: their long, black hair was
gracefully twined and knOttcd with
bright scarlet flowers. The men,
strong ana Stalwart, sat behind on
short stools or loungcd on the but
tressed roots of the bread-fruit trees,
clad like the women in narrow waist
belts of the long red draCOena leaves,
with necklets of sharks teeth. pendent
chain of pearly shells, warriors cap
on their well-shaped heads, and an
armlet of native beans, arranged lie
low the shoulder, around their power
full arms. Altogether it was strik-
i }
now almost released from her early
sense of fear, stood still to look at it.
The men and girls were laughing
and chatting melrily together. Most
of them were engaged in holding up
before them fine mats: and row OF
mulberry cloth, spread along on the
ground, led to a hut near one side of
the marae. Toward this the eyes of
the spectators were turned. What
i it, Mali Muriel whispered. her
woman's instinct leading her at once
to expect that something special was
going on in the way of local festivities.
And Mali answered at once, with
many mods and smiles: "All right,
Missy Queenie Him wedding, a
marriage.'
The words had hardly escaped her
lips when very pretty young girl,
half smOthered in flowers, and deCked
out in beads and fancy shells. emerged
slowly from the hut and took her way
with stately tread along the path car
petcd with native cloth. She was girt
round the waist with rich-COlOred me-,
which formed long train. like court
dress, trailing on the ground five or
six feet behind her.
That's the bride, suppose, Muriel
whispered, now really interested for
what woman on earth, wherever she
may be, can resist the seductive de
lights OF a wedding:"
Yes, her bride, Mali answered:
and ladies what follow. them her
bridesmaids.
At the word six other girls, similarly
dressed, though without the train. and
demure as nuns, emerged from the hut
in slow order, two and two. behind
her.
Murlei and Felix moved forward wit h
natural curiosity toward the scene
The natives, now ranged in row along
the path, with mats turned inward
made way for them gladly. All seemed
pleased that Heaven should thus au-
spiciously honor the occasion: and the
bride herself. as we'll as the bride
groom, who, decked nshells and teeth
advanced from the opposite side along
the path to meet her. looked up with
grateful smiles at the two Europeans
Muriel. IN return, smiled her most
gracious ana girlish recognition. As
the bride drew near, she couldn't re
frain from bending forward little to
look at the girls really graceful cos
tune. As she did so, the skirt Of her
own European dress brushed for a see
ond against the brides train. trailed
carelessly many yards on the ground
behind her.
Almost before they could know what
had happened. wild commotion arose.
as if by magic, in the crowd around
them. Loud cries of Taboo. Taboo,
mixed with inartlculate screams burs..
on cry side from the assembled
natives. In the twinkling of an eye
they We're surrounded by an angry,