The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-02-14
Authorities Followed and Discovered the
True Condition Of Affairs.
MOTHER WAS ORDERED OEpoRTED.
When This Decision Was announced the Young
Woman Elected 10 Go 10 The lspsr Settlement
Rather Than Desert Her Parent


alongside the pier on n brilliant, balmy
afternoon in January, 1895 American
women I'm summer afternoon costumes, a
few English and few German women of
society arrayed also for steamer day
(Which Is "a Honolulu function) leaned
back dangerously in their carriages and
phaetons under the shade of parasols, lis.
tening 90 the lazy complimentary tall. of
the duck clad, lei enwreathed young bust
ness men who combined duty with pleas.
ure In thus waiting for the great steamer
20 slip laboriously into her measured berth
beside the pier.
The usual groups of silent. cxpectant
eyed kanaka men stood in the shade Of
the pier sheds, humble i'm attitude, chary
OF words and yet sweet natured. Some OF
the men wore shoulder leis (wreaths of
fowers) over their labor grimed hickory
shirts, and the Kanaka women wore leis
in cross belt over their flowing white
Mother Hubbards In truth. the flower
wreaths were cvcrywhcre Staid, middle
aged merchants among the whites wore
them about their helmets and straw hats,
and all of the white women in carriages
had belts OF Hawaiian exotics
All OF the hanaka women had bare feet
They stood about In little groups as silent
as tho men OF their race A few of tho
kanaka women carried tiny brown babies
silent also The young women were Of
varying degrees of beauty, their figures
showing uniform excellence of propor-
tion
One of these Kanaka women al the dock
on this brilliant January afternoon was
particularly beautiful She was clad liko
the rest of the women Of her race. Sho
was fully feet 10 inches in height, and
the white silk cord with which, unlike
the other kanaka women, she drew her
white dress about her waist, emphasized
the splendid, heroic proportions Of her fig
IRE. kaomouna seemed quite unconscious
OF her beauty. Tho young shipping clerks
hurrying to and fro on tho dock, with
their pencils behind their ears. stopped
suddenly when they caught sight of her
The women in the carriages, who had not
been long down from the States or from
Europe, saw kamouna, and asked the
women OF longer Honolulu residence.
Who Is that glorious creature?" Kao-
mouna, with very sad face, spoke only
an occasional word 10 one OF the kanaka
women
The Australia was made fast TO the |
pier, and the passengers began TO troop |
over the gangway There was ono man |
with his pretty young wife and 3-year-old |
little girl The little girl was the first to !
catch sight of Kaomouna as she reached |
the bottom nof the gangway. She quickly |
freed her hard from her fathers grasp and |
ran toward kaoIuuuna 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 lit !
tie pink faced child pleasantly. When the
mother had taken the little girl, she raised
her eyes 10 look at kaomouna
did you ever in your whole life sec such
perfectly beautiful wom0nf" asked the
young wife OF her husband in whisper
when he came up. And Tta seemed to
take to her Immediately. If we could only
have her for nurse for Titap
kaomouna heard her.
'kaomouna would love to be that, she
replied in "a soft Kanaka accented speech,
smiling Then look Of pain came into
her face. But it may not be-it may
not bo"--and with her hands at her eyes
haomouna turned suddenly and disap-
pcarcd among the departing men and wo-
mon Of her race
Three months later the parents of the
little girl wercat the dock together 10 wit
ness for the first time the saddest OF
sghts-thc departure OF the lepers for the
island - Molokai The Kilauea Hou, tho
the lepers were being carried out TO her I'm
bargcs A litter was borne through the
roped enclosure for the lepers. On il lay a
very old kanaka woman i'm the final stages
of the disease At the side OF the litter
walked kaOmouna Her face was very sad
The parents of the little girl wondered
They spoke 20 an official OF the Hawaiian
board of health, who was busy in the task
of embarling the lepcrs
surely" they said. "she docs not nc.
the lepcrsg"
WHO, kaomouna!" replied the health
Official "Oh, yes, she does But ID is her
own choice Kaomouna, you know, has
been sccrcting her old mother for a num-
bcr OF years We always knew there was
mysterious about Kaomouna--
That IL, we have known IL for the last five
years. She had made qucervisits TO palm
hut FAR over in the Nuuanu valley. Last
week we followed hcr--wc felt there was
eprosy i'm it We found her mother i'm tho
had had hcr i'm hiding.
rying 10 save her from MololSai, ever since
he disease became evident Kaomouna is
not infected I'm the lcast--shc has been
'areful But she elects to follow her moth
n to- Molokai Extraordinarily Why. not
u all lou do not understand the fllial
ievotion OF kanaka womcn--fncn, too, for
hat matter such cases are common
enough"
The parents ~ tho little girl looked M
'nch other There were tears In the moth
RS eyes
That IS why sho folded her arms and
would not touch Tita'' she said In this ,
world OF God civilized or uncivilizcd .
ould there le anything moro uoblef"
All was rc.idy. aud the Kilauea Hou
With Kaomouna and her mother on board.
lowly started dYwn the hsrbor, the kans- :
,es on the dock setting up the wciryi- ,
'lalntiyc death veil Washington star