The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-02-09
HAWAIIAN WOMEN.
Or. John c. Bowker Talks Very Inter-
eStingiy About Them.
They Are Far From Beautiful, but They Are
Rarely Repulslve, He Says.

DIR. John G. Bowker, the distinguish
ed young traveller who has taken the
place left vacant on the lecture plat
form by John l.. Stoddard. like others
has perceived the tendency of modern
vaudeville TO replace the lyceum and
lecture field, and has promptly cast his
lines in the popular direction.
His "Travelogue on Hawaii" as he
calls the 20-minute illustrated lecture
which constitutes his vaudeville "act;"
is at least a novelty; and his purpose
Is TO present in simple terms, aided by
the always valuable assistance of the
stereopticon, interesting facts regard
ing Uncle Sans new territory which
have not been given through the news
papers or I'm books OF travel; and prob
ably TO this fact is due much OF the
success he has enjoyed.
To reporter who conversed with him
at keith's New Theatre TINS morning,
he SAID that the women OF Hawaii were,
In his judgment, perhaps the most in
teresting feature OF Life in those ISL
ands.
THE women there" said Dr. Bowker,
present a most interesting subject OF
study, not only for the professional an
thropologist, but for the ordinary trav-
eler and observer.
In all ages and places and under all
possible conditions woman has, very
naturally, come in for a large share
OF study; and there is no reason To
suppose that the gentler sex OF our
newly acquired territory of Hawaii will
be devoid the usual amount OF inter
est. AS social study, using the word
in our acceptance OF il, the Hawaiian
woman is not TO be considered, because
she rs allen to the sum of indescribable
conditions which we call society but
she possesses certain marked and
unique characteristics, among which
ability and thrift are not included.
Primarily, she is natural and a
stranger To most Of the arts and de-
vices so much in vogue with her Cau-
cassian sisters. She is Tar from beau
tiful, judged from our accepted stand
ards; and yet she is rarely repulsive
as are many OF the colored races. Her
skin is of chocolate hue, her eyes are
sable black and her teeth as brilliant
and white as those found elsewhere in
advertisement of popular dentifrices
and tooth-washes. Her features are
tolerably regular, and her hair is al
glossy black. able TO shame the ravens
wing. Until recently, Dame Fashion
other gifts to her. we have carried the
Mother Hubbard gown, which she
calls the 'holoku,' and straw hats.
which she spends her life i'm balancing
on her head, after the fashion OF some
people who continually perform the
equilibrate act with ill-fitting eye
glasses on narrow noses.
Around her neck she wears the lei
or national wreath OF orange-colored
flowers peculiar to Hawaii, and some
times garlands made of helotrope bios
SONS or the very fragrant frangipanni.'
which she can buy at small cost. OF in
tellectual pursuits she has few or more.
the maddenIng vortex OF the woman's
club being entirely unknown TO her. She
loves TO pass her time in 'gadding
about and gossiping of her neighbor's
affairs. wherein she is not so different
from some other women.
"She is, invariably. a good horse
or, must one say, horseman,
since she rides astride her horse i'm
She wears a sort OF BIZ
skirt. with long flowing ends
Of gayly-colored calico, which are use
full in preventing the stirrups catching
in the tall ferns and brakes that
abound in the fields over which she
gallops at full speed. The Hawaiian
woman is also a good swimmer, and
used TO pass much OF her time in the
water, the temperature of which is
most delightful and alluring in her part
II the world. When other resources
'ail she hies away TO some purlng rill
and where it's cascade tumbles into the
sea seats herself for a bath.
The hula-hula dance, a great national
Dastime in which she once INDUCED, is
low forbidden by the laws OF this re- |
public. where men are supposed to be !
rec to do as they like.
"As the woman grows older. for one
the absence Of many really |
I'D people, she increases in adipose un-
ii she reaches a prodigious size. which !
8 apparently increased by her loose /
Mother Hubbard attire with it's long |
weeping train, which answers the pur- /
,ose of miniature street-cleaner. And /
when a woman Of size comes sailing |
,randly into church of a sunday morn
ng. with all her garments stifily !
tarched and Tapping and rafting, !
mall persons must seek the shelter Of 1
pew or run the risk of being run
own and swamped by this great craft.
which seems TO float around in a half |
mbecile fashion, like a ship devoid OF
teering gear
"It would be ungallant To call the
hawaiian woman lazy.-Yet, when she 1
it's on the floor TO cook her meal and
repare her provender. and even to do
What little ironing Of clothes she ac-
ompiishes. she cannot be truly termed
or active. Her tongue. how
yer never fails, and rattles on end
assly on the most trivial ana inane
ubiects which comprise the Alpha and
)mega OF her warped existence.