Koamalu : a story of pioneers on Kauai, and of what they built in that island garden / by Ethel M. Damon. [Vol. 1, no. 2]

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KOA M A L U

Beside the joy of living in the same school with Molly,
Maria Isenberg looked forward eagerly to seeing her
brother Willy who was at school across the bay from San
Francisco. In old age, when the sharp sufferings of youth
provoked a twinkle and a smile, William Hyde Rice was
wont to tell of his longing to wander past the windows of
clothing shops in the city of San Francisco when there
was a school vacation. Once the owner of such a store
opened the door to him and said, "Come in, my boy.
What will you take for those pants you've got on? We
have lost the pattern." Never had the lad felt himself so
humiliated as a kua-aina or country jake. His blessed
mother, not overfond of sewing and least of all fitted to
be a tailor, had made him those pants out of an old skirt,
and he had never once thought that they looked different
from other boys' pants. But ladies of those days, even
small ones like his mother, wore very full, long skirts,
with plenty of cloth in them, and none of that old skirt
had been skimped or thrown away in the construction of
those pants. Maria's letters give no hint of the story of
the pants, which was probably not divulged to her, lest
it reach the ear of the gentle Mother at home. But one
of the very first things that the brother and sister did was
to wander past all the bright city windows on the way to
Maria's boat up the river.
Benicia, Nov. 20th, 1866.
Mr. Aldrich has been so kind to us. After his wife died he
left the children here with Mrs. Mills and they are very well cared
for. He took us to the College School in Oakland to see Willie,
who has grown so tall that his nickname is Shorty. He has filled
out too, and is broad shouldered, not our reed-like Willie of last
year. His teacher told us he had been a great blessing in the
school and had an active influence in promoting the religious welfare of the boys. On the way to the ferry we met Mrs. Hardy,
looking so pretty and well. Willie has bought a horse and every
two weeks rides over, 30 miles, to spend awhile with Mollie. He