The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-12-03
Was ALL PRETTY
Delights of Dance Aboard
the Bennington.
and observation-disclosures of the
NaVy-The Guests.

kamaainas, at the Bennington dance
Wednesday night.
Glad to see you on board" how
many times had they heard the hospi-
table words in the past and how pleas
| ant it was to hear them once again.
Hawan's appreciation of the soldier
boy has not dimmed her aloha for the
sailor lad. Her allegiance may have
wavered; the transports perhaps, for
a time, ran a close second to the man
of-war, but Hawaii will always return
to her first love, the sailor.
| Down at Brewers wharf, through the
soft air OF a perfect night, rolled the
nington. Had it not been for the i'm
patience, fostered by anticipation, the
drive would have been, in many cases,
prolonged; and then came the still
more, delightful row under the starry,
moOn-lit sky, over the smooth waters,
| to the brightly Illuminated ship lying
| a short distance out. An arch OF shin
| ing, electric lights over the ladder,
which the people mounted TO board the
Bennington, strings of Japanese Ian
lterns, and innumera bic yards of bright
Ily-colored bunting, gave festive look
to the little Bennington, otherwise so
sober and modest, with her coat of war
paint
| On reaching the deck, a scene of
color and light and brilliancy, imbued
one with pleasurable excitement. Anti
cipation had become a reality. ION
with the dance" the Bennington dance
was "on''
| A couple of officers were at the foot
of the ladder to greet their guests, and
| to lead then along the deck, where a
warm welcome from Captain and Mrs.
Taussig and Mrs. GLEN was added, to
complete the cordial reception
No doubt the officers were tired OF
Ihearing compliments on decorations
before the evening was over; in fact,
they suggested that fiattery of less i'm
personal tendency, would be acceptable
but there was no one who could re-
frain from admiring the artistic dis
lposal of flags and palms, which con-
verified the severe man-of-war into a
gay, dancing pavilion. Flags of every
nationality were draped about, their
snowy coloring forming an inspiring
background and effectually conceal1ng
all evidence of the stern reality Of a
war vessel. There were flags over head
flags on all sides, flags everywhere, eX-
Icepting under foot.
In the center of a huge star of cleo
tric lights, was picture of Admiral
IDewey-the star of the navy. Below
were President Mckinley with Samp-
lson and Schley, on either side of him
Dewey is first with the navy.
The sailor spectators, the white spltS
lof the officers, the light gowns OF the
girls, the soft, tropical breezes, the IN
Ispiring strains of the music from the
uuintette club, the smooth decks, th'
lights, the flags, the palms-in short
the Bennington dance. And, then fol
a rest up on the poOp-deck, where th'
dancers could cool off and look down
upon those who were still WhlrllnE
around to the irresistible waltzes an(
two-steps of the native boys. From
above. the effect of the lower dack wa
that of a huge booth, at some grea
fair. but instead Of the pink lemonade
the chewing gum girl, and the SID
show, there was the Intangible, tn
lmore elusive-and maybe therefore
more overwhelmingly of a so
cial gathering. And there was no on
who regretted the actuality,-the ben
? nington dance.
Delicious punch and lemonade Wer
lserved throughout the evening, froI
n lenormous punch-bowls, that looked a
Though they had achieved the lmpoS
lsibilitv of bOttomless depths and Whlc
were. nevertheless, refilled more tina
once. In the pauses of the dance, so
Istrains Of native music floated up 1rol
the water. where couple Of row boa1
had anchored to scramble the oflcei
of the Bennington. Bathed IN III
moonlight lay the boats. side by SID
their occupants lounging on the sea
in lazy, lei-bedecked abandon su:
n gestive Of the tropics, waiting to II
gazers. on the decks above, avision (
southern seas; a dream Of beauty, lal
. guor. sweet voices, cool tinted raimen
starry skies, and light-hearted lndo
ence.
Supper brought even the most r.
I mantically inclined back to the d
/ Iightful possibilities of delicious salad
L and ices and sandwiches, and all II
grateful reality of a dainty coliatlo
And it was not "eat and run" but ca
and stay into the wee sma' hours, fl
the passage of time did not seem
find anybody ready to go home. b
at last goodnight was said, and aIof
? to the gallant hosts of the Bennlngto