Evening star., 1898-10-08
FOR LOVE OF HER MOTHER

| the pier brilliant, balmy afternoon in
Januray, 1895. American women, trim,
groomed, wholesome to look upon, in sum-
mer afternoon costumes, such as happy
feminine exiles In the subtropics contrive
| so prettiy and effectively; few English
and a few German women of society, ar
rayed also for steamer day (Which is a
Honolulu function), but lacking in the eu-
siVe distinction and that indefinabie last
touch that characterized the appearance
of the American women-these leaned back
dangerously in their carriages and phae-
tons, under the shade of parasols. listening
to the lazy, complimentary talk Of the
duck-clad, 1ei-enwreathed young business
men who combined duty with pleasure in
thus waiting for the great steamer to la
boriousiy slip into her measured berth be-
side the pier The usual groups of silent,
Cxpectant-eyed Kanaka men stood in the
shade Of the pier sheds. humble in attitude,
chary of words, and yet not sulky-your
ordinary kanaka man is the sWeetest-na-
tured human animal in all this surly world.
Some of the men wore shoulder leis
(wreaths of fiowers) over their labor grimed
hickory shirts. All of the Kanaka women
(there were perhaps fifty in all at the dOck)
also wore leis in cross-belt wise over their
flowing white mother hubbards. In truth.
the flower wreaths were everywhere. Staid,
1niddle-aged merchants among the whites
wore them about their helmets and straw
hats, and all of the white women in car
riages had belts of Hawaiian exotics
All of the Kanaka women were in their
bare feet. They stood about in little groups
as silent as the men of their race. There
" as no envy in the g1ances they directed
toward the female occupants of the car
rlages, even If there may have been some
wondelment over the layishness of the
American and European women's costumes.
A few of the Kanska women carried tiny
brown babies-slent also. Positively, Kan
aka babies do not cry. No mother of chill
dren will ever believe this until she has
lived somewhere in Hawaii.
Inc kanaka women. young and old. wore
the flowing mother hubbard. The young
women were of varying degrees of prett-
hess. even of beauty-the countenance Of
no Kanaka young woman is actually home
ly. The figure Of no Kanaka young woman
Is ever anything but genuinely excellent
beautiful
one OF these Kanaka women at the dock
on this brilliant January afternoon was as
oeautlful In race and form as empress
In way of primitiveness of course She
was clad like the rest of the women of her
race Yet she was stately, even in her bare
Ieet-Wh1ch We're small and perfectly form
eo: she was FULLY five feet ten inches in
height, and the white silk cord with which
unlike the other Kanaka women she drew
her white dress about her waist enpha-
sized the splendid. heroic proportions of
her figure. Her glistening, raven-black hair
hung straight down below her waist Her
features were of the aquiline classic mold.
her skin a dark olive, with a film of rose
under her great black eyes. Kaomouna,
who had been one of King David Kala-
kauas flower girls. was woman such as
many a young student, dreaming over a
pipe In the quarter Latin, would have
given worlds to see.famous painters did
see her, and portray her.
kaomouna, surprisingly beautiful seemed
quite unconscious of her beauty on this
briiiiant January afternoon. The young
shlpplng clerks, hurrying to and fro on the
dock. with their pencils behind their ears,
stopped suddenly when they caught sight
of her. and then stole off behind bales of
goods, In order that they might observe her
carefully. unobserved themselves The wo-
men in the carriages who had not been long
down from the states or from Europe, saw
kaomouna, and asked the women of longer
Honolulu residence, who is that glorious
creaHre! kaomOuna. with a very sad
race, spoke only an occasional word to one
of the kanaka women. Her voice was a
deep contralto, like the harmonious mono
tone of palms and the sea- heard from
distance.
The Australia was made fast to the pier.
and the passengers began to troop over the
Sang"ay. There was one man with his
pretty young wife and three-year-old little
girl The little girl was the first to catch
slght OF kaOmouna she reached the
bottom ds the gangway. She quickly freed
her hand from the grasp of her fathers
ana ran toward X aomouna with baby words
kaomouna smiled at the little girl but did
not offer to take her up. Instead, she
folded her arms, looking down at the little
hung onto her skirts. and was thus found
by her mother. When the mother had taken
the little girl, she raised her eyes to look
at Kaomouna. She gave a start-as in
deed, all men and women did. who first
gazed upon this woman. who had been
king David kalakaua's flower girl
pa you ever in your whole life see
such a perfectly beautiful woman? asked
the young wife of her husband in a whisper
when he came up. And Tita seemed to
take to her Immediately. If we could
only have her for nurse for Titar'
kaomouna heard her.
'Kaomouna would love to be that" she
replied in soft Kanaka-accented speech,
smillng Then look of pain darted across
her face But 1t may not belt may not
De ana with her hands at her eyes Kao-
mOuna turned suddenly and disappeared
among the departing men and women of
her race.
Three months later the parents of the
little girls-they had come from the states
to settle In HOnolulu-were at the dock
together to witness. for the first time, the
saddest sight in this world-the departure
of the lepers for the Island of Molokai
The kilauea Hou, the leper steamer,
was out in the stream. and the lepers were
being carried out to her in barges A lit
ter was borne through the roped inclosure
for the lepers. On it lay a very old Kama
ka woman, loathsome in the final stages
of the disease. At the side of the litter
walked kaomouna, still as beautiful as
ever, with no tear in her eyes. Yet her
face was very sad The parents of the
little girl wondered. They spoke to an
official of the Hawaiian board of health.
who Was busy in the task of embarking
the lepers.
Surely" they said, "she does not ac
company the 1epers?'
Who, Kaomouna?" replied the health
official. "Oh, yes, she does. But it is
her own choice. Kaomouna, you know.
has been secreting her old mother, who.
as you perceive, is leper in leprosy's ad-
vanced stage, for a number of years We
always knew there was something mystic
rious about Kaomouna-that is, we have
known 1t for the past five years. She
had made queer visits to a palm hut far
over in the Nuuanu valley. Last week we
followed her-we felt there was leprosy
in it. We found her mother in the hut
Kaomouna had had her In hiding, trying
to save her from Molokai ever since the
disease became evident. Kaomouna is not
Infected in the least-she has been care
full. But she elects to follow her mother
to Molokai. and she will be a leper herself
after while. Extraordinary? Why, not
at all! You do not understand the filial
devotion of Kanaka women-men, too for
that matter. Such cases are common
eEough.'
The parents of the little girl looked at
each other. There were tears in the
mothers eyes.
That is WHY she folded har arms opd