The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-04-14

! embassy returned III
South Seas. where it had gone to pro
pose a Polynesian federation. Mrs. Ste
venson's son-in-law. Mr.. Joseph Strong
had been the artist of the expedition
and the information he brought bach
led Stevenson to begin upon the famou:
| Samoan Letters to the London Times
and aroused IN his own heart an inter
est i'm Samoa that was destined TO grow
to an absorbing affection.
His charming little poem To Princess
Kaiulani shall quote for three rea-
sons:
First, because he wrote it in Homo
lulu.
Second. because he was fond Of the
Princess. who was greatly beloved in
Hawaii.
Third. because 1 wish to read the
prose note. which is even more beauti-
ful than the poem. Here is the verse;
Forth from her land to mine she
goes.
The island maid. the island rose,
Light of heart and bright of face;
The daughter of a double race.
Her islands here. in southern sun
Shall mourn their Kaiulani gone,
And ], in her dear banyan shade,
Look vainly for my little maid.
But our Scots islands far away
Shall glitter with unwonted day.
And cast for once their tempests by
To smile in Kaiulanis eye"
Honolulu, -.
Now 1 give you the prose. because
he has fairly crowded il with sensa-
ton and motion and atmosphere and
feeling. 1t is a superlative bit out OF
many of his mastery descriptions:
Written in April to Kaiulani. in the
April OF her age; and at Waikiki, with
in easy walk of Kaiulanis banyan!
When she comes to my land and her
fathers and the rain beats upon the
inn Ia I faar 81
at this page; it will be like a weed
gathered and pressed at home: and she
will remember her own islands, and the
shadow of the mighty tree; and she
will hear the peacocks screaming in the
dusk and the wind blowing in the
palms: and she will think of her IA
Their sitting there alone.-R. l.. S.
L have already spoken OF the five
months literary output of man who
was far from well, who achieved his
ends by unrelenting labor. But he was
not so foolish as to attempt to work
ating sea baths. he, 1.-The wretched
house plant of Sherryrosei" (his Scots
house,, and, what was far more dan
gerous than sea-bathing," he adds, EN-
tertaining and being entertained by
His Majesty, who is a very fine intelli-
crop for the drink" On April 9Th the
king had a formal breakfast for the
at the palace, and as guests
besides the CaSco party, there were the
Princess Liliuokalani, Prince HAVANA
nakoa, Mr. and Mrs j. D. Strong, Mrs
a w. Bush, Mr.. Henry Poor and the
Mr.. James w. Robertson.
- professionally on reception days Ste
venSOn was well enough to receive the
townsfolk who came in crowds. On
these days he welcomed everybody,
without regard to social standing. for
TO him the whole world was a comedie
When his callers We're admit
ted. they found a slight man, his coat
always of velveteen, who weighed but
rs pounds and had hollow chest and
d thin body. Long dark hair framed
his narrow face, with it's biue-veined
forehead. it's fine long nose, it's good
chin and smiling mouth. But the glory
OF his face lay in his dark eyes-which
a friend of mine describes as burning
eyes, such as I've never seen in a hui
man being-as if they looked out from
a fiery inside, that was consuming
him"
(By the way. that's very like Steven
sons own words. with whom he class
IS himself lean hot spirits.)
Sometimes he dined in town or at the
British club. or with his naval friends
ON II. Il. NJ. Cormorant. Best OF all
were the quiet evenings at home, filled
with reading aloud, brilliant converse
ton or homemade music, Mrs. Strong
at the piano. Stevenson with his flute,
and other Instruments as a stray guest
Or two might bring them. A flashlight
IF one such evening. including Mr..
Scott and the officers of the Cormorant,
was taken by Lieut.. Pears, and pub
ished in the San Francisco Examiner.
One of these evenings Stevenson, ever
a fascinating talker. was enjoying a
hat with a friend. also a lover OF good
ak. He had been there so often that
Mrs. Stevenson. from behind her hus-
bands chair. did not hesitate to make
signals when SHE thought her husband ]
was tired. Upon her hint. the guest
-ose but Mr.. Stevenson said: Don't
hurry whereupon Mrs. Stevenson
burst out: "Oh, i know he wants you
20 stay and talk, but 1 want him to go
% bed
After the same fashion Mrs. Steven
son was always guarding the invalid
,utting short his hours of work, II may
De. or excusing him to callers, If he
vas fatigued. On many Wednesday
,allers were turned away, and for this
'eason some hesitated to pay their re-
.pects to the celebrity. among others
Judge McCully. He finally appeared. |
aging: II didn't come before because |
was afraid you might be busy"
Thank you for not coming before
laid Stevenson frankly: then added |
quickly, before his visitor could misun- !
lerstand, and thank you for coming |
low"
One OF his callers. speaking perhaps |
II the strong If grueSome tragedy that |
stevenson was busy upon, asked why |
ie wrote such wild tales OF pirates and |
murders and no women to soften them. |
He replied by speaking of his own fee
lie body.
II suppose it's the contrast. I've al |
Ways admired great strength. even in a /
pirate. Courage has interested me more |
han anything else"
He walked much-perhaps across the
ong bridge to kaiulani's banyan, or a
title further on toward town. to the |
-rass house where Mr.. Frank Damon |
WE'D. or TO the hau-tree lanai Of the /
Browns; perhaps about the picturesque /
treets Of the city, but he found the /
spoiled. and the town "op-
'ressed with civilization" which he de-
Jared to be "a dingy. ungentlemanly
il drops out too much of |
nan. and too much of that the very
'eauty Of the poor beast" He prefer
ed to life in Polynesian village (the