The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1906-05-10

lu the courage Of san Francisco the
courage of her people found express
sion i'm kindness. The minds Of the
survivors are yet a little numb. The
picture fails to reveal itself as
whole; il comes to us detached brok-
en-: the perspective is all awry. We
are SO close to it that vision seems to
have been reversed and we are miles
and, miles removed San Francisco
is fighting her way back to her-bud-
ding in the yet steaming ruins of low
er south-uf-Market street: the reso-
nant music of hammer on nails is
heard near the Ferry building; already,
before the smoke has cleared, the sti-
muus of reconstruction is In the air
And fragments of the picture come
back to the survivors, the reconstruct
ors. 1t is only natural that they should
be very personal Each man has
story in his breast a raw, incomplete
narrative Of terror. That is the splash
of red on the canvas, and concerns not
so much man as the elements.
ments. That was revealed i'm a single
shock and at best imperfectly under
stood, for the sedentary intellect of the
twentieth century is hardly equipped
to cope with anything so direct, so un-
complicated so unsubtle, so brutal
This modern intellect has less difficult
ty grasping the kindness of man for
man.
Human conduct was put to a terrible
test, and survived it. out of my own
experience l recall only kindness. None
was so hard put as not to help anoth-
err even though the help went no far
Their than a word. Let me be more
specific.
When the ceiling came down on the
top floor of the Occidental Hotel we
fled with barely enough clothes for
panic modesty. Among the absent ar
ticles were one pair of shoes. 1 bare
footed it UP Bush street towards Grant
avenue, for the overhead trolley and
telegraph wires in Montgomery and
Kearny street an all-night cabman
stood at his horses head. He hailed
me. His eyes glazed with terror, he
said Let me drive your wife and
you somewhere. 1t won't cost you a
cent You know me-honest, too bad,
| it won't cost you cent! Let me drive
you somewhere Let me drive you to
| the cemetery"
Thatw as kindness, and it was kind
ness as unconscious of ghastliness as
of humor.
| At Grant avenue we We're joined by
a stranger, completely clad save for a
collar My bare feet troubled him
more than they did me.
Here he said. Here's a shoe
store Break the window and take a
pair. You can pay for them later-if
there is any later
Not vet" said l.
Il guess you're right. 1t might start
the looting.'
We were walking Grant avenue,
making for Portland square. Here, y
he cried suddenly, there's a Jap store
and the fellows just opening It. Get
pair of slippers"
started for the shop; my hand
went mechanically for my pocket-it
was empty. The stranger read my face.
You forgot your money" he said
holding out his band. But this is no
time to think of money. Help your
self to mine"
Three gold twenties and tive-dol-
lar piece were on his palm.
His thumb projected one of the TWEEN
ties. He was forcing" it as sleight-
of-hand men force" a card.
1 took the Sc piece, give it to the jap
and put on a pair of upperless bath
slippers. The Jap gave me change
"a. 65 He could not have been cooler
had the earthquake been merely Rus
sian army. turned to give the change
to the stranger.