Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-06

The tall. business-burdenef Chinese father
perceived that more room was going to he
needed to house his increasing FAMILY 1t
was then that he caused to be built-that
rambling. somewhat colonial and somewhat
pagodaish house. still pointed out to every
body who visits Honolulu, on the moon
mistbow-arched slope OF the Punchbowl.
which looks toward the overlapping
ever-dancing Honolulu bay-a home sur
rounded by tertuous roads of lava with
soft-chattering fountains and looming,
whispering palms and flowers everywhere
The family was installed in theme home.
Mrs. All Fong became. by the simplest pro-
cess of elimination. Mrs. Along. AS the girls
grew new additions were made to the house
every addition meaning a balcony.
Thus was wrought the house of the thirteen
balconies wistfuly recalled at this hour
and all hours by men on all of the seven
seas who have had the good luck to tarry
there in the gone time.
A True Social Cosmopolis.
Wing All Fong was perfectly willing that
the transformations. but ambitious. mother
OF his fifteen living children should be Mrs.
Along. He accepted her social ambitions
with a grave indulgence. Dressmakers who
had been educated In their art in the dress
making studios" of Paris were brought
around the world to Honolulu TO contrive
SootuHfSS tOT the kits. Inc girls, when they
came TO an age for 1t. We're sent to the
states-to converts and seminarles near
New York and Philadelphia-in pairs and
sets of three for their education.
When they returned to Honolulu after
their finishing they were launched one by
one, upon Honolulu society with O glory OF
coming-out entabature and house and gar
den establishment such as is the portion
OF few of the wealthiest girls OF the occi-
dent And as they came out" Honolulu,
true social cosmopols, found them one
and all charming: not only beautiful. but
simple and unaffected. witty with no bite
to their wit. sympathetic, charitable. fine
and sweet from every angle Honolulu
loved the Afongs from the outset of their
social career and has always loved them;
not either, for what could be gotten from
the Afongs In the way Of entertainment,
but because they were lovable people. The
girls had not become SNUG by being edu-
Gated In the states. Their native vlvacity
had not been sQueirhed by that somewhat
repressive finishing process to which
young ladies are subjected. Each and every
one Of the Along girls. for example. knew
how to contrive and manufacture the
Along cocktail" No man who has tasted
| the 'Afong cocktail is ever idiot enough
| to attempt to describe it-no man, that u.s.
who understands the foolish futilty of lam
Guage. The girls always made them in
secret. and they always laughed of any
plying attempt to extract the recipe from
them. There are naval officers singing
chanties in wardrooms all over the world
tonight who would give q great deal to
know how to mingle up the Along cock
tall" One of these. and the world swan
In rose Two. and you yearned to give away
money. Three, and you Simply threw your
head back and listened to the music,
Willing as he was that his family should
tread the social path with every imaginable
garniture that his own wealth could pro-
vide and his children's taste could suggest.
Wing All Fong himself never became Amer
icaniZed, nor did he ever participate in the
social functions. He would receive tho
guests. in his rich. flowing robes, on the
lawn with grave courtesy as they arrived.
But he would always withdraw before the
festivities actually began. He spoke Eng
lish without the slightest trace of accent.
But Wing All Fong was a Chinaman, first,
last and always. He permitted his second
son. Albert Fayerweather, to be raised az
an American and educated at an American
university. But his eldest son, Antonio. al
ways wore the robes of a Chinaman and
his father saw to Antonio's education HIM
self He desired that the boy should remain
a Chinaman. and he did so remain.
In the Home of His Ancestors.
Fourteen years ago Wing All Fong felt
the hand of age bearing down upon him.
He arranged his affairs. He would return
to China and die in the home of his ances-
tors, as a good Chinaman should: die in the
Chinese home where, after his death, the
tablet reciting his virtues would be set up.
ana Where the baked pig, DaRed 10 Sucn
polish that 1t looked as If 1t had been COW
eled with shellac, would be set out to
sale him on his journey to the unknown
country beyond.
Wing All Fong called al of his family to-
gether, told them of his determination,
placed great sum of money in his wife's
hands; sum SO great that she
abled to give each of her daughters a dowry
Of $3.50 coo and not feel any embarrassment
Then, taking his son Antonio with him,
Wing All Fong, the honors of the supdered
Hawaiian land thick upon him, sailed away
for China. There was sorrow in Honolulu
on the day that Wing All Fong and his
eldest son went away. For a long time
after that the Afongs were seen but little in
Honolulu society. After a time. however
they became reconciled to the thought that
their indulgent father had done the thing
that seemed right and wise to him. and
that he was never to return to Hawaii.
Then the house of the thirteen balconies
was opened again. Never a word was ever
said by any OF the family about the absent
father nor ever a question asked OF the
family on that topic But the house on the
sea-fronting slope of the Punchbowf re-
sumed its brightness, laughter and gayety
reigned there. marriages were made there.
and all the time the tall, grave old China
man who pGs sei away at Macao, on the
south coast of China, last week, was max
ing up his soul to die
CLARENCE L. CULLEN.