The Pacific Commercial Advertiser

COURTSHIP AND MARRIAGE
An American Writes a Suggestive
Allegory.

Mr. Editor: Have we not all observed that a young lady, however
beautiful, attractive and in every way desirable she may be, if she
lets it be seen too clearly that she strongly desires to marry a particular person, makes it less probable that she ever will marry that one?
We who know Hawaii best are of the same opinion as those who have
seen her but a few times, or who have only had glimpses of her—
that on the whole round globe there is no other marriageable lady more
pretty or winsome than she.
There came a crisis lately in her young life. She had great reason
to fear, from the fate of many of her young friends, that she would
be taken by violence and forced into an unwilling union with some
robber king—a union which would be disgraceful to her and ruinous
to her reputation, because not the outcome of courteous and honorable love; because her consent would not be asked (as theirs had
not been in the case of her friends) and, above all, because it would not
be an honorable marriage, and would be consummated against her
will.
In this real peril she went in haste to the one friend whom she
had admired, loved and had been most intimate with from her childhood, because he had first loved her. This friend had educated her,
brought her to be a Christian and greatly enriched her. He had, in
fact, bestowed upon her millions of his own wealth, spending freely
$1,500,000 upon her education alone. She now went quickly to
this friend and proposed that they should be married. Her friend,
whom she believed to be also her lover, seemed to be ready and made
definite proposals; then he began to hesitate and finally drew back
the proposal she had put forward; said he would think about it more
deliberately and would inquire how large a dowry she could bring him.
So she had been kept in embarrassing and awkward suspense, while
an inventory of her property, house, lands, servants and so forth is being
made.
In the mean time her fears have been justified. As soon as it became known that she was in some crisis the dogs of war of her predatory neighbors began quickly to prowl and growl around her.
If she had not been protected by the powerful friend to whom she had
appealed, some one of them would undoubtedly have carried her off
by force. Many a fair maiden less attractive, young, beautiful and
defenseless, had been carried into permanent captivity by them.
She herself had twice been taken captive for a short time, but had
the rare good fortune to be set free again, owing, undoubtedly, to the
interest her near and strong friend was known to take in her. This
state of unsettled suspense, which has continued since January, for
five months and more, is becoming humiliating, and in time may become disastrous.
It is increasingly evident that it is time she were married to some
one, to avoid the evil fate of her friends. If Hawaii's nearest neighbor is so very doubtful whether he wishes her, would it not be well for
her to let it be known that she may soon seek an honorable alliance
elsewhere?
HAWAII-PONOI.