Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1909-04-28
A LEpR0SY TRAGEDY,
The Sacrifice of Kaomouna, the
Hawaiian Beauty.
HER LIFE FOR HER MOTHER.
a Story Which Sheds Bright Light
Upon the Filisl Devotion of kana<a
Women-The Reason a Baby's Ad-
vsnees Were Not Returned.

Upon the Filisl Devotion of kanaka
Women-The Reason a Baby's Ad-
vsnees Were Not Returned.
The usual Honolulu crowd was down
at the dock when the steamship from
San Francisco pulled alongside tho
pier on n 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
or day. leaned back dangerously in
their carriages aud phaetons. under the
shade OF parasols. listening 10 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
slip laborlously into her measured
berth beside the pier.
All OF the Kanaka women tad bare
feet. They stood about in little groups
as silent as the men of their race A
few OF the Hanaka 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 five feet ten
inches I'm height. and the white silk
cord with which. unlike the other Ka-
naka women. she drew her white dress
about her waist emphasized the SPLEEN
did heroic proportions OF her figure.
Kaomouna seemed quite unconscious
of her beauty. The young shipping
clerks. hurrying 10 and fro on the dock
with their pencils behind their ears,
stopped suddenly when they caught
sight OF her. The women i'm the car
riages. who had not been long down
from the States or from Europe. saw
KaomounH and asked the women OF
longer Honolulu residence. "Who is
that glorious creature2" Kaomouna,
with n very sad face. spoke only an
occasional word TO one OF the Eanaka
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
three-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.
Kaomouna smiled at the little girl, but
did not offer 10 take her up. Instead
she folded her arms. looking down at
she little pink faced child pleasantly.
When the mother had taken the little
girl she raised her eyes TO look at Kao-
mouna.
Did you ever in your whole life see
such a perfectly beautiful woman?"
asked the young wife OF her husband
in whisper when he came up. And
Tita seemed TO take TO her Immediate
ly. IL we could only have her for
nurse for Titar'
kaomouna heard her.
"Kaomouna would love TO be that"
she replied i'm n soft Kanaka accented
speech. smiling. Then a look of pain
came into her face. But IL may rot
bet may not bel'' And, with her
hands nj her eyes. Kaomouna turned
suddenly ana disappeared among the
departing men shs! women OF her race
Three months later the parents OF
the little girl were at the dock to-
gether 10 witness for the first time the
saddest OF. sights-the departure Of the
lepers for the island OF Molokai. The
Kilauea Hou. the leper steamer. was
out In the stream. and the lepers were
hnN nt-ssf.. a q.
litter was borne through the roped in
closure for the lepers. On. IL lay a
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 10 an
official OF the Hawaiian board OF
health, who was busy in the task OF
embarking the lepers.
Surely" they said. "she does not
accompany the lepersT'
WHO Kaomouna?" replied the
health official. "Oh, yes, she does.
But IL 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-
NSAioUS RboNl NuoulouD0-tlat IS, we
have known IL for the last five years.
She had made queer visits to n palm
hut FAR over In the Nuuanu valley.
Last week we followed her. We felt
there was leprosy in Il. We found her
mother in the hut. Kaomouna had
had her in hiding. trying 10 save her
from Molokai. ever since the disease
became evident. Kaomouna is not in
fected In the least She has been care
full. But she elects TO follow her
mother TO MOlollai Extraordinary?
Why, not mt all. You do not under
stand the filial devotion OF Kanaka
women-men. too, for that matter. Such
cases are common enough"
The parents of the little girl looked
at each other There were tears I'm
the mothers eyes.
That Is why she folded her arms
and would not touch Titar' she said.
I'm this world OF God, civilized or I'M
fwvfl - n