The Point Pleasant register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, W. Va.) 1909-1939, 1909-06-02
4 LEPR0SE TRAGEDY.
Jle Sacrifice of Kaomouna, the
Hawaiian Beauty.
HER LIFE FOR HER MOTHER.

91ory which Sheds Bright Light
Upon the FiIial Devotion of Kanaka
Memen-The Reason a Raby's Ad-
vanees Were Not Returned.
me usual Honolulu crowd was down
at the dock when the steamship from
san francisco pulled alongside the
pier on brilliant balmy afternoon In
January some years ago. American
women in summer afternoon costumes.
= few English and few German wo-
men Of society. arrayed also for steam
er day, leaned back dangerously in
their carriages and phaetons. under the
,<nade Of parasols. listening to the lazy
complimentary talk of the duck clad.
lei enwreathed young business men
who combined duty with pleasure in
thus waiting for the great steamer to
Elip laboriously into her measured
berth beside the pier.
All Of the Kanaka women had bare
feet They stood about in little groups
rs silent as the men Of their race. A
Few Of the Kanaka women carried
tiny brown babies-silent also. The
young women were Of varying degrees
OF beauty, their figures showing a uni
form excellence of proportion.
One Of these Kanaka women at the
dock on this brilliant January after
noon was particularly beautiful. She
was clad like the rest Of the women OF
her race She was fully Ave feet ten
inches in height, and the white silk
cord with which, unlike the other Ia
naka women. she drew her white dress
about her waist emphasized the splen-
did heroic proportions Of her figure.
Kaomouna seemed quite unconscious
Of her beauty. The young shipping
clerks, hurryinS to and fro on the dock
With their pencils behind their ears.
stopped suddenly when they caught
sight Of her. The women IN the car
rtages, who had not been long down
from the States or from Europe, saw
Kaomorna and asked :he women of
longer Honolulu residence. who is
that glorious creature? Kaomouna.
with very sad face. spoke only an
occasional word to one OF the Kanaka
women.
The steamship was made fast to the
pier. and the passengers began to troop
over the gangplank. There was one
man with his pretty young wife and
ihree-year-old little girl. The little girl
was the first to catch sight of Kao-
mouna as she reached the bottom Of
the gangway. She quickly freed her
hand from her fathers grasp and ran
toward Kaomouna with baby words.
haomouna smiled at the little girl, but
did not offer to take her up. Instead
she folded her arms. looking down at
The little pink faced child pleasantly.
When the mother had taken the little
gin she raised her eyes to look at Kao-
noura.
Did you e7cr in your whole life see
such . perfectly beautiful woman?"
asked the young wife OF her husband
in whisper when he came up. "And
Tita seemed TO take to her Immediate
~. If We could only have her for a
nurse for TIta.'
Kaomouna heard her.
"kaomouna would love to be that"
she replied In Il soft Kanaka accented
speech. smiling. Then look Of pain
came into her face. But it may not
belt may not be-" And. with her
hands at her eyes. Kaomouna turned
suddenly and disappeared among the
departing men and women OF her race.
Three months later the parents of
the little girl We're ut the dock to-
Sether TO witEcSs FOR the first time the
Saddest OF sishtS-tEc departure of the
lepers for the island OF Molok;ri. The
kilauea Hou. the lcpcr steamer, was
out in the stream. and the lepers were
being carried ont to her In barges. a
litter was borne through the roped In
closure for the epers. On 1t lay
very old Kanaka woman in the final
stages Of the disease. At the side OF
the litter walked Kaomouna. Her face
was very sad. The parents Of the lit
tie girl wondered. They spoke to an
ofacial Of the Hawaiian board of
health, who was busy in the task OF
embarking the lepers.
Surely" they said, "she does not
accompany the lepers"
"Who = Kaomounay replied the
health official. "oh, yes, she does.
But It IS her own choice. Kaomouna.
you know, has been secretIng her old
mother for number Of years. We al
ways knew there was something mys-
FERROUS about kaomouna-that is, we
have known It for the last five years.
She had made queer visits 20 n palm
hut far over in the Nuuanu valley.
Last week We followed her. We felt
there was leprosy IL It. We found her
mother in the hut. Kaomouna had
had her In hiding. trying to save her
from MolokaL ever since the disease
became evident. Kaomouna is not In
fected In the least. She has been care
ful. But she elects to follow her
a.