The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-12-11

originated With their serious matters
of thought they had time for humor and
merriment and hailed the opportunity
The general meetings in the old school
house, which were faithfully attended
by the ladies with their sewing, were
occasionally enlivened in the midst of
grave business or religious considera-
tons by the escape of some unexpected
remark that would relieve the earnest
tension and bring down the house-glad
to be brought down-in general
laughter.
Father Lyons and Father Alexander
were, perhaps, the leading jokers of
! that dignifed body. [ can remember
two of Father Lyons hits. He was
reading his report, and having occa-
sion to refer to the difficulties of the
government about that time with for
eign warships, which had threatened
trouble of some kind, he started to
quote comforting text but amended it
to more fully suit the circumstances;
his improved version was as follows:
| Some trust in chariots and some in
horses and some in men-of-war, but we
will remember the name of the Lord
our Cod On another occasion he was
giving an account in his report of one
of his tours through Hamakua The
day was rainy and the wind was cold,
as he held a prayer meeting at the
matched and windowless house of one
of his parishioners. The floor was of
stones covered with rushes or mats, in
native fireplace in the middle of the
hut was fire for warmth, and the door
was shut to keep out the cold. They
gathered around the central fire in the
sweltering and smoky atmosphere and
prayed and sang. In closing this de-
scription Mr.. Lyons convulsed his list
eners and doubtless shocked some
among them by dryly adding that they
had a melting season!
AS the years went on other men in
business or professional life gave their
hearty countenance to the work and in
fiuence of these people and assisted
greatly in the spread of an enlightened
civilization here. Other religious and
philanthropic bodies from time to time
located here and contributed their in
fiuence and efforts toward this result
The Pilgrim Fathers came to New
England when it was a wilderness,
seeking religious freedom for them
selves. May [ not eulogize the mis-
sionary fathers and mothers in that
they, having experienced religious free
dam and having used such freedom for
the adoption and cultivation of the wor-
ship they believed to be true, crossed
two oceans in order to bestow such re-
hgion upon a people that they knew
little of, and devoted their lives to the
work of such bestowal? Was not this
pure charity? Was it not altruism?
/ think that I knew in my younger
years all of the American missionaries
to these Islands, except few who had
returned to America or died before my
time. [ was familiar with nearly all
of their homes, either as a guest or an
occasional caller.
[ remember them as men and women
with human frailties, but constantly
uplifted and ennobled with the glow and
warmth of their interest in their work.
They had rather the dignity and suav-
ity that come from liberal education,
a familiarity with the text books, the
pursuit of noble purpose, and con-
siderable experience with all kinds of
human nature, than the polish that
comes from a participation in the af
fairs of what is called society. Their
homes were the seats of a charming
hospitality to all corners, the stranger
DIS we'll DIS UHc lTIeuu- AS the years
went on these homes were enlivened by
numerous children, who diminished the
loneliness of the life in out of the way
stations Outside of Honolulu there
was little congenial society. The fami
lies in Honolulu which were connected
with the government, as already stated,
were so to speak in the court circle, and
though they did not take much part in
the gaiet1es of the time and place, they
were in familiar intercourse with the
ruling chiefs, who were often uncere-
monious guests and callers at their
homes.
The general meetings were not only
business gatherings, but they afforded
the opportunity of the enjoyment of
social interchange and renewal of ac
quaintance between the missionary
families, which was generally made the
most of and, as | remember those
times, highly priced. There We're rare
ly any absentees; there was an atmos-
phere of good cheer and social as well
as religious enthusiasm. that doubtless
carried its warmth through the months
of lonely work, to be passed before the
next annual gathering.
Well. what of their work, has it been
a success? I am disposed to apologize
for suggesting such question, but
they have had many detractors, and
still have some, who say that the So
called christianity and civilization
which the Hawaiians have acquired is
mere veneer; that they still believe
in their old gods and are subject to the
old superstitions, and if the influence
of white men was removed they would
sink back to their old idolatrous prac-
tice. 1t is a well-known fact that be-
liefs-especially superstitious ones
die hard. Impressions that are re-
ceived in the earliest childhood from
the family environment, almost from
the mother IS breast, especially where
there is an element of hope or fear or
luck in them, hold on like hereditary
tendencies, and such tendencies also
favor the continuance of what may be
called the race attitude of mind. Are
not the communities of Europe and
America familiar with and still swaved
by many half beliefs in omens and por-
tents, not to speak of more definite
cr7DorS+i+;o1S ora he 60