The Washington herald., 1922-10-15
WOMEN OF SOUTH SEA ISL LANDS
UNLIKE VAMPS OF FICTION
Yearning for Children of Their Own Keynote
Of Their Lives.


OF hopes. K must b. remembered
that she is the product Of centuries
Of savage life and that she has been
untouched by this conventionalities
Of a competitive and populous So
ciety. Her point OF view, in other
words. is that Of a wholly normal
human being. Being unrefined, and
not at all lady in the Victorian
sense, the girl of the islands, when
she arrives at marriageable age.
dreams OF romantic lows like the
young girls of every land. but she
thinks OF babies even more. She
wants them and means to have them
at any cost. Her yearninG for chill
dren of her own is as instructive and
wholesome as breathing.
Children Always Welcomed.
There is no place in the world that
! have seen where babies are wel-
coined as they are among the island
ers of the Pacific. all kinds and
conditions OF babies. And this love
OF children for the children's sake
gives rise to a peculiar difference
between their way OF looking at one
world prevalent problem in our way.
" AilA Ac ENA ~ Ah No hANA
turning sorrowfully to her father
may face her family with some as
surance of forgiveness IL she does
not being with her a small living
token of her mistake. In Polynesia
II is just the other way round. She
is certain OF forgiveness and a warm
welcome If she does bring the baby.
Whenever the chance arises the
;.f h. zF
adopting a child No baby IN need.
however unattractive II may be. will
Iail to have the offer OF a dozen
homes.
Harmless FIirtations Unknown.
During q two years residence
among the islands of the Eastern
Pacific was continually making
comparisons between Polyneslan
IDEAS of propriety and our own, and
| was surprised to find that n many
respects theirs are more rigid. For
example. it would never occur TO a
Poiynesian wife that her husband
might b. amusing himself in a
harmless Irritation with another
woman Harmless f1irtations are the
rather dubious product of the hiGh-
est civilization and are inconCc Nable
TO the primitive mind. Where here
is smoke the Polynesian woman be
.ieVes the fire is always 10 be found.
Platonic friendship betwe the
sexes H. equally inconceivab e. and
the explanation OF this principle
would me It with incredulous laugh
ter. As another sidelight on the
subject OF propriety 1 must mention
,l a.sf hA S1 11nI lee
no particular animus toward an err
ing husband. Her anger is con-
centratcd upon the other woman.
and the only satisfactory punish
ment is administered with stick.
when that is over the househoId
may settle down to the old peaceful
life. but with an added watchfuI-
ness on the distaff side.
Industrious and Loyal.
Ali of the island women are not
the irresponsible young creatures
of South Sea fiction. There are
many others of whom the visiting
poet and cast-away sailor has had
little to say. The typical island
woman is not the little vamp. but
the woman approaching middle age
an Industrious and loyal wife. and
the mother of a healthy brood OF
children.
She Is taller and stronger. i
should say. than the average wom-
an at home. and capable of doing
heavy work without fatigue. The
beauty of her girlhood is forever
gone. but often, long after the mid
die years. her dark eyes are still
full of life. her hair superb. her
teeth firm and white. During the
hours of the day when she is fish
ing or copra- making her dress is
usually no more than a strip of
gaudy print cloth tucked under her
arms and falling to her knees.
Wears Wrap of SILK.
The transformation comes, at FIVE
o'clock, when every islander bathes
and changes to freshly laundered
clothing. In the evening you will
see her strolling with her husband
on the road, her hair carefully
brushed and plated. hanging in two
thick braids below her waist.
About her shoulders she wears a
light wrap of embroidered Chinese
silk, and her waistless frock is as
fresh as soap and water can make
it.
At first glace you might think her
only a good d-humored brown savage
neatly dressed in goods purchased
at a traders store. No doubt she Is
a savage in many respects, but even
so, she has q surprising stock of
practical information about all sorts
Of things. / doubt whether many