The Independent. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1895-1905, 1898-07-06
AN OLD STAMP.
RY ANNE NJ. PRESCOTT.


that when one once contracts the
fever, stamp collecting, it has often
long run and an exhaustive. One
will be reduced to actually beggary,
If not induced to steal, for the sake
OF one more postage stamp to add
to his pictorial museum, royal and
republic.
1t is astonishing. | have had Ha.
waiian stamps taken off my mail in
the States in house where could
have left money about with perfect
safety. Fact. OF course it becomes
a sort OF mania and is truly fascinat.
ing. The historical and geographical
value OF children making "collec-
tions" can hardly be measured, il
carried out and on for years, and
with due moderation. Take all the
United States issues say from the
time of Daniel Webkter's Senatorial
career. Take Mexico, Central Am
erica, Spain from the time Of Queen
Isabella, take Italy, France from the
time of the First Empire, take Russia
and Germany for half a century onlys
The best object lesson ever dreamt
of since "teaching us an art" beganl
| have paid more, in proportion, for
an old stamp than l would pay for
steel engraving. And have some
good ones. The Hawaiian mon
archy envelopes were really very
pretty and artistic. Take the little
brown Republic stamp and where
can you see heater one2 1t is in
tensely interesting to look over a
fine collection" arranged with
thought and care.
The history of country, OF
nation, is all there in a handful OF
little letter stamps-its wars, it's
peace, it's liberty, its tyranny, its
henefaotors, its oppressors, it's rise,
it's downfall, it's growth, its ruin, its
happiness or its misery -all there.
Back of each queen or king, or en-
peror, or president, we see crowd
after crowd of men and women
whose names are forever recorded
in that period of history as the
famous of the tme-famed for good
or famed for evil In one way or in
another they certainly made their
mark"-a mark to copy or a mark
to shun, examples for posterity. Be-
hind each face, and how we revere
some of them, yes, many!
We feel as if we should rise and
salute them with most profound
abeisance. Behind one face, | say,
we see great nation protecting art
and commerce, building factories
and schools and hospitals, opening
churches and halls and lecture
rooms, libraries and making dis
coveriss, building bridges, and en-
cheering roads and tunnels and
passes. We see the fields of grain,
the orchards laden with their rich
burden, the grapes ripe for the vat
"a God-blessed thrice-blessed
And what do we see at o swift
glance OF horror back of another,
perchance the very next? My pen
hesitates and dislikes to repeat, for
youthful ears, the dreadful scenes
instigated by that man or woman,
made in the image OF God, placed
high in the land by right of inherit
ance, and by, their evil influence,
covering their rich possessions with
mildew and blight-spoil for the
locust, the chuker-worm and the
robber Wars, pestilence, famine and
hatred mark the cursed reign. The
gospel of peace. The iniquity of
war. But, collecting "old stamps"
in the Hawaiian Islands has to me a
humorous side. Very likely the
bump of the ludicrous (do you be-
lieve in "oumpsa'') covers at least
one point OF my head, perhaps the
east
Ona ninht altar hauinn tnrnad