The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-03-01
A ROMANCE OF HONOLULUS CHINESE
QUARTER, WRITTEN BY DOCTOR YAMEI KIN
Especial to The Advertiser.)


Yamei Kin. The story is charmingly
illustrated. and is p-efaced by photo
graph OF the author. According 10 the
picture Yamei Kin is one Of the pretti-
est Chinese girls ever seen in these
parts. and / am wondering how she
has escaped the notice OF the Honolu-
Iu newspapers The story is as fol-
lows:
In one corner Of the picturesque city
Of Honolulu may be found home like
so many other Chinese homes of men
who have gone abroad to seek a liveli-
hood. over the general merchandise
! and drygoods store OF Ii Sing Hing is
| a suite of apartments reached by
| flight IF steep stairs, scarcely more
| than a ladder. The first room at the
head of the stairs is quite large. and
used for a reception room or parlor.
| and furnished according TO the taste
| and means OF the master. One side
| was occupied with an old-fashioned
set of three straight chairs and a ca
| pacious sofa, all upholstered in green
reps. A grandfather's clock stood in
the corner. slowly ticking the time
away. Various chromos such as Wide
Awake. Fast Asleep, Christ Before
Plate and other specimens OF Euro !
pean art adorned the walls, for All I
Sing had a fair knowledge of the Eng ]
lish language, and was considered one |
Of the most enterprising merchants. |
Several bright colored carpet rugs were /
spread over the cool. light mating.
But on the other side of the room All !
Sing had let his soul down from the
mazes of Western civilization which
he was earnestly trying TO master by
hanging up a couple of scroll pictures
in the usual style of Chinese water
color painting. The landscape scenes
reminded him OF the hills around the
village from which he had come. and
where he hoped some day his bones
might repOse beside those OF his an
cestors. Under these scrolls stood a
pair of beautiful carved teak wood :
Chinese chairs, with a small square
tea table to match between. The most .
highly priced article was a long panel,
on which was written a sentence from :
the ancient classics. The firm yet !
lines of the characters made .
almost a picture in themselves. and :
showed masters scholarly frsnd. Ev-
cry time All Sing read the sentiment =
The superior man preserves har-
8
teacher as he amplified the terse state
nents Of the ancients, and with much
note and comment revealed the full ex-
ent Of wisdom inclosed; how he had :
Emphasized the duties a man owed to =
lis ancestors and the obligation 10 ;,
cave posterity. which should perform =,
he same duties. so that the spirits of :
he departed should not wander home =
esS and hungry without a son to offer
acrifice to them. This was to be re- -
rendered in the midst OF striving for -
ne calm and dignity that belonged to
he superior man. But it was so easy &,
o forget in the new life he was sur n,
ounded with. just as the old green rep -
ola was the most natural thing to -
rop into on entering the ROOM rather g.
ian the stately carved Chinese chairs. -
undry pieces of bric-a-brac stood on -
rackets and what-nots around the =.
'om. Pink and blue Dresden shep- c.
'desses jostled mandarins in full Off ba
al costume. \ group OF the Eight -,
smiled benignIy at terra cot CO.
! figures OF dancing girls and Dutch rie
lteplayer. But the special article OF -,
'fde was great glass chandelier en-
ing in the middle OF the room, full OF ha
any sparkling pendants. These failed Oh
relieve altogether the cold whiteness wi
neral; hence. several little red bas- co
Hueu with gay artihcial MOWERS cal
Id with red and green tasseIs attach eai
!, and in addition three or four rows ma
P,hN no" e.eu GLOBES OF Jop lot OF hel
that he had bought at an inc
ction, so that when the chandelier di,,
~ lighted up the bits of color made sr,,
truly Oriental in effect. Under the vb
andelier stood round, inlaid table ps,
20 handsomely carved, for the master lac
d prospered in his business and could MIC
ord much more display than he or wo1
iarily made. The windows overlook dor
q small back yard filed with rows mi,
pot plants and n few shrubs. but DIRE
'stly boxes and things out of the nev
re occupied the available space To ser.
, left door ajar showed a kitchen or
n an array OF brass and copper IN o.
.-Pihs ana an earthen range with bla,
big hcle for the rice pot. and small she
holes for the other things. Wood \ r
'pped fine was piled up ready to the
* into the spaces under the holes afte
furnish heat to cook with. This was ga
improved range and had hood con- tina
tee with the chimney in the back. so who
[ no smoke could escape TO blacken won
room, as with many Of the common GO
ses The pictures of the kitchen amc
anu Soddess were pasted up as us The
over small shelf. bearing an Of full
* % rice ana VINE and lighted hurl
ers fioated in a cup Of nut oil. east
.ie o'ee%e uraWlnSthrough the win brin
oie" open the door on the op- won
..e sue Oh the parior. and disclosed of a
seSHleu 10 De bedroom. but the wore
stead was an Importation from she
ma. with beautiful carved canopy give
side pieces. but without springs. her
not any more comfortable to sleep mali
than the Chinese chairs were TO sit the
H. though costly and of fine work. tbou
lshlp- On the edge of the bed sat in a
'oman about thirty-two or three We're
IS OF age, rather tail for a Chinese of a,
nan but with too large a nose and yonn
- Sdieu pretty; however. differ