The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1899-05-03

was the market. Our noses guided us
there, fish being on sale in abundance.
queer. heather looking things. Hard
boiled eggs and cooked sweet potatoes
tied up in banana leaves were the
choicest delicacies.
But what impressed me most of all
was the dress of the native Hawaiian
women. It is Mother Hubbard Ha-
wall is not Lifiuokalani' kingdom or
Kapiolani's or anybody's 1t is the
kingdom of the Mother Hubbard If
that Illinois sheriff who forbade the ap-
pearance Of this comfortably flowing
garb upon the streets Of his town were
to come here he would be so shocked
he could not even look at the spectacle
through his fingers.
At church. at home, at weddings and
at funerals the Hawaiian matron wears
Mother Hubbard. Formerly, in her
heather days, she appeared mostly in the
clothing nature gave her. This much of
concession she now makes to civiliza-
ton. Young Hawaiian girls wear rib
bons around their waists; their mothers
will have no such artificial restraint.
The prevailing garment may be black
or red or blue in color, or else white,
pure spotless white. After they get to
be old creatures, who don't care how
they look, then it is always a black
Mother Hubbard It is odd, by the way,
that when a woman becomes old and
needs to take more and better care of
her looks than she ever did before she
should slump down and take no care at
all Of them.
The Hawaiian matron gets very fat.
The race are SO good natured that near
" all Of them become stout A 200
pound native lady waddling along in a
scarlet Mother Hubbard is an impress
sive sight, not to be forgotten Good
white ladies Of Honolulu incline to
doubt the thorough conversion of the
native women to Christianity because
they refuse to wear corsets. They draw
the line on that, and to my imperfectly
trained taste show their good sense
thereby, But Christianity and corsets
do go together, which nobody can deny.
Shining white is the color Of the gala
and Sunday attire Of these gentle Ha-
waiians. No more pleasing thing can
be looked on than gathering of the
natives. with their brown skins, shin
ing black heads, expressive eyes and
glistening white garments The white
people here wear clothing of the same
happy and inspiring hue. wish they
did elsewhere. A good looking man is
never SO handsome as when he is clad
in white duck or linen coat and trou-
sers It is a sad pity the exigencies of
city civilization and the size of laundry
bills demand such somber colored outer
garments The world would not be SO
wicked if people wore white clothing
There is less crime in Honolulu than in
any other place of its size In the world
When l asked for key to my room in
the boarding house. was told none was
needed. as no doors were ever locked
and nothing In the house had ever been
stolen When you write to friends in
Honolulu. unless before this reaches Won
congress has brought Hawaii under the
postal lawns Of the United States, be sure
you put s cent stamp upon your letter.
Otherwise your friend here who gets
tie letter will have to pay 10 cents ON
it. The 2 cent United States stamp Won
put upon it at home counts for nothing
at all, it seems and they charge You
double postage when the letter gets here.
ELIZA ARcHARD CONNER.
Honolulu. 81. 1