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

THE FATHERLAND

675

A Hawaiian Congregation
It was on a certain Sabbath morning that I found myself a
stranger in a foreign land among a strange uncouth people, yet
I could hardly believe myself in a land, which, but a few years
ago was in a state of barbarism, when I heard the church bell's
clear tones ringing out on the still air, and as I wended my way
to the pretty white church on the green, it seemed to me that I
was still in my own dear land, instead of being in a half civilized
country. I was much surprised however to see some of the congregation going to church with bare feet, and carrying their shoes
in their hands when they arrived at the church they stopped outside the door to finish their toilettes. The interior of the church
did not resemble much those I had been accustomed to see. The
floor was bare, and the seats were made of rough boards covered
with coarse mats. The pulpit however was quite a respectable
structure, and was occupied by an elderly native of very dignified
appearance. He was short and fat, and had short grey hair sticking up straight all over his head, he was dressed in rather a
remarkable manner, his coat was dark green with bright brass
buttons, his shirt of gay calico, and his trousers were of striped
blue and red cloth, while he was altogether minus shoes and stockings. The front seats of the church were occupied by the children
which at first sight seemed to be nothing but a restless mass of
little black heads, some of their costumes were most striking, there
was only one in the whole crowd, that possessed anything in the
way of shoes, and this was a little urchin in a suit of ragged blue
denim that sported on his feet a pair of velvet slippers, to the
great envy and admiration of all his fellows. One little girl wore
a bran new dress of turkey red trimmed with yellow calico. As
the dress was not likely to need washing soon, and it being too
much trouble to make button holes the dress was sewed onto her.
The bonnets worn by the women were put on bottom side
upwards, giving them a most outlandish appearance. Almost all
the women wore red bandanna handkerchiefs tied around their
necks. One young girl I noticed who seemed to be in the very
height of fashion, she wore a changeable silk dress in place of a
collar she wore a string of enormous yellow beads, her hat, was
of black velvet trimmed outlandishly with feathers and flowers,
she wore on her feet a pair of white satin slippers without stock