The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-02-18

though somewhat polished and sharp
ened by the progressiveness Of dist
ant Latin neighbors, were still large,
fiorid, and untrammelled, as became
the half of him which was barbaric.
He was a man of exuberant fancy,
and, withal, of an authority so ire
sistible that, at his will, he turned his
varied fancies into facts. He was
greatly given to self communing; and
when he and himself agreed about
anything, the thing was done. When
every member of his domestic and
political systems moved smoothly in
its appointed course, his nature was
bland and genial; but whenever there
was a little hitch, and some of his
orbs got out of their orbits, he was
blander and more genial still, for no
thing pleased him so much as to
make the crooked straight and to
crush down uneven places.
Among the borrowed notions by
which his barbarism had become Sc
mified was that of the public arena,
in which, by exhibitions of manly and
beastly valor, the minds of his sub
jects were refined and cultured.
But even here the exuberant and
barbaric fancy asserted itself. The
arena of the king was built, not to
give the people an opportunity of
hearing the rhapsodies of dying glad
iators, nor to enable them to witness
the inevitable conclusion of conflict
between religious opinions and hung
ry jaws, but for purposes far better
adapted to widen and develop the
mental energies of the people. This
vast ampitheater, with it's encircling
galleries, its mysterious vaults, and
its unseen passages, was an agent of
poetic justice, in which crime was
punished and virtue rewarded by the
DEGREES of an impartial and incorrup-
tible chance.
When a subject was accused of a
crime of sufficient Importance to in
terest the king, public notice was
given that on an appointed day the
tate of the accused person would be
decided in the kings ARENA struc-
ture which we'll deserved its name :
for, although it's form and plan were
borrowed from afar, it's purpose en-
anated solely from the brain of this
man, who, every barleycor a king
knew no tradition to which he owed
more allegiance than pleased his fan
cy, and who migrated on every adopt
ed form of human thought and action
the rich growth of his barbaric IDEAL
ism.
When all the people had assembled
in the galleries, and the king, sur.
rounded by his court, sat high up OF
MS throne of royal state on one side
OF the arena, he gave a signal, a doc,
beneath him opened, and the accused
subject STEPPED out into the ampitbe.
atre. Directly opposite him on tbe
other side of the enclosed space
were two doors, exactly alike, and
side by side. 1t was the duty and
privilege of the person on trial tr
walk directly to these doors and on.
en- one of them. He could open eli.
Their door he pleased; he was. subject
10 no guidance or influence but that
OF the aforementioned impartial and
lncorruptible chance. If he opened
the one, there came out of 1t a hun
cry tiger, the fiercest and most cru
Ell nat could be procured, which i'm :
medlately sprang upon him, and tore
MN 10 pieces, as a punishment for
his guilt. The moment that the case
OF the criminal as thus decided. dole
ful iron bells were Changed great
arena, and the vast audience. with
bowed heads and downcast hearts.
wended their way slowly homeward
mourning greatly that one so Young
ana fa1r, or so old nd respected.
should have merited so dire a fate
But II the accused person opened
the other door, there came forth from
1t lady, the most suitable to his
years and station that his majesty
could select among his fair subjects.
ana TO this lady he was immediatelv
married, as a reward of his inno-
cence. 1t mattered not that he might
already posses a wife and family. or
that his affections might be engaged
upon an object of his own selection.
the king allowed no such subordinate
arrangements to interfere with bis
great scheme of retribution and re-
ward. The exercises, as in the other
instance, took place Immediately. and
IN the arena. Another door onened
beneath the king, and a priest fol-
lowed by band of choristers. and
uanclng maidens blowing Joyous airs
On golden heFns and treading an EN-
ithalamic measure, advanced 70
where the pair stood, side bv side
ana the wedding was PROMPTLY and
cheerily solemnized. Then the cav
BRASS bells rang forth their merry
peals' the people shouted glad hur-
rams and the innocent man, preced-
ca oy children strewing flowers ON
MS path led his bride to his home
lnlS was the kings san,i- borh.