| Show by Morri ioa pixley ELEN HAY daughter ot john hay secretary ot state has written a 8 I 1 f book remarkable tor several things it will be welcome to ehfe has taken the unsung alte ot tha natives of the ocean islands beyond the golden gate aa her theme there in mid pacific la a vast domain that machinery and commerce have touched but lightly and can never conquer it will be tor all time the home ot the nature lover the railroads greatest ot all feeders ot gigantic commercial aggregations are balked on the shores of the baat western deep where they do exist in piecemeal bits on the islands they are aba ser rants rather than the masters of h people it there were a wonderful island where it was always spring where not only the strand was coral but also the land where moving westward would make it to and moving eastward again make it yesterday somewhat on the plan ot the wonderland mushroom which alice ate where ot one side her tall and tho other made her short where money was not y necessary to buy thin gsand bread and milk and custard grew on trees and grew on the bushes where the ocean wax all heated aa by steam so that it was warm tor swimming and shower baths fell regularly from the sky whenever it bably tably hot would not that be a place to alag about and it all 0 itne lives of the people were devoted to music dancing and outdoor eames and they fed upon fruits and nuts and were blithe and lighthearted light hearted and lived but tor love and acts ot kindness would they not be the ideal people tor characters and it there were so many thousand ot these islands that no one had ever been able to count all ot them and they hafl never bad any poetry written about them except in a general and indefinite way would it not be a good chance for a poet it it in this wonderland that helen hay baa laid the scene of her metrical atory the rose of dawn a tale of the south sea in it she has timed the rhythm ct her verse to tho beat ot the wave on the shore rather than the tick of the metronome it was written for the reader rather than for the critic who loves popes precision of mechanical execution the monk in cloister would read with welling voice the poets prayer to the pagan gods sigh as she sings ot the melancholy of love love that drove him to hs cold itono stono cell and fiercely turn tho page when abo author flings her characters into the furnace of passion that sets the read ers blood to surging as abo lints are scan bied helen hays literary talent Is although her father has of lato years been BO much better known as a diplomat than as a writer that many forget the value ot bis contributions to the worlds best literature he has touched from every holni a journalist on a now york dally as ahls bortan ot abo greatest ot teen as a rhymer who sings botho ea r with darsy alc and again he has belles lettres with sonnets in mosaic which are models tor the student ot choice eng alb best ot all ol 01 bis work from a literary point ot castillan Castl llan day which t ou anything that has ever been written in on the subject ot spain and tho had it not been for the stirring events of lilg earlier life which connected him in affair sot state it Is probable that mr hay would have taken tho aade rank aa a ho has achieved as historian and diplomat the longing which all of poetic nature must acel when dj averted from romantic writing has burst out la full power in the daughter and it Is a bo hoped that her latest book will receive the encouragement which will her to further efforts in the same line 6 though hay has never been in tho pacific islands she has lived the out of door life which abo to picture this would be apparent to any one reading her descriptions ot sea shore and forest which are not so far different anywhere under the sun only that wherever tea or forest may be their beauties are bidden to who do not love them enough to bo out and studying them in every mood of weather and time of day i abo flying horge pegasus roust bo at the service of poets v bo would write of ati faraway how cite could they who baya ver seen place tell of all ot the astella estella t 1 entella fe estlla fet ak fen S 11 W P keye W win M t EMERSONS MAIN i fi things there correctly helen hay haa accomplished complis hed it never having seen a pa or for that matter any tropical island the has yet described all the details with a fidelity which delights those who have lived the lire 0 which she writes the manuscript ot the rote ot dawn was submitted to john la who has lived among the natives and painted them to charles warren stoddard who in his delightfully light fully easy way dropped into their customs and learned their traditions and to ap other writer who has in prose made fame by his etorres of island life in the pacific to each of abee men it was a marvel that the atmosphere of the book should be so true hays work la not without parallel in this when thomas moore was offered in advance a fortune by murray the publisher to write a poem of the east choosing hl own subject and method he determined to go there to do it in preparation for hi trip he read everything available which bore on tap romantic subject he had cholea dy theotime be bad finished reading ho found that be knew more than any one traveler and that be bad more material than vre necessary for the completion of alg book it pleased the english not only that it delighted barsce and persian was translated and still la read from shala to with miss hay the manner of her information was but not premeditated secretary hay while in san gave the following account of bow his daughter came to write the book 1 I bad said he for the unliterary purpose of securing some pictures alch bought every book obtainable on tn tropic islands of tho and had them all carted up to the house having secured the pictures hc apoka were not further r carded by roe but were eagerly read and by my daughter before this time she had had two books published both of hort poems her production 0 talt atory waa a to me and I 1 was unwilling that it lie published until it had the approval ot some who were familiar by red dence with the landa of which he wrote the nope of dawn la a title appropriate to the hook different ways th atory begins with tho of one dawn and then after a busy and da y it leads through a night torrid with climate love and bate until the next dawn when it ends again it Is in these lonel budea that the worlds day it 1 1 vay earlier to the eastward that 1 the an hour earlier every time that ou move one twenty fourth bribo oribo ance of the earth toward the batt at tha meridian yesterday is ever treading upon the ical ot today to day jhc n it 1 sun day upon one bide of the line it I 1 monday on the other on one of the iolanda mentioned in mis hays work there hag recently ican almost a rebellion owing to the contusion thue caused the train ot thought which alna hay set n motion may welt attract followers there leavo been many who have written aitho lire ot the islands who are attracted by coco and bananas by waving frond and vendible of vanilla to them natives have been mere cattle not a ceplo of poetic temperament there Is a backing an under running ot knowledge in the rose of dawn which shows the intimate acquaintance 0 tho writer with the usually disregarded minor points even the prevailing drift of the equatorial current at the particular islands described has been minded in describing the sea travels 0 the hero while the story runs smoothly along seeming at first reading to be a amp strung tale without artifice in its composition on analysis it dissects into series of cleanly cut tableaux with their minor ac for blending whether it was ca intended or whether lt I 1 the of po etla ranna atu thank aright and in gool proportion dot tho re bollt these out prominently and include in their possibilities the whole octavo of human catona pa tona each 1 but 1 M W w i then the islanders Islan aers disperse to their occupations of tb day scraping across the beach the boats were launched and aa thy touched the waves they seemed to take new shape and dignity ft ith that caress ot little lapping ripples round the prow AB tho start for the sea then at the forette foret tg brim the flay was mada alive by human flowers bac i the emerald shoved warm aad brawn in purest harmona har monr alko enger tea birds they forget the laca and happy aa the amorous v they eav tbell hilra brown bodies to the teas embrace they found them driftwood and astride they kropt the d breakers one with darlne curved her aw cei taue within the 0 and 0 o was to shore taka they crl ha be ajan us then follows tho description ot the bomena day broucht tha erato ot the yet wine sun 0 ha oven toll it A pact pastime me and they eana they set themselves vos to music in every soul that has buglo within it worda that made to sing and buggert their own hotca whether they have been set to or they toon will be par away in a fountain dwelt when was high she wt glad but heavy laden was abo when its llah t die far away V A faraway camo a brave bo love her loved her abea the moon wahl gh when the anoon waa pale abote her love grew pain and ike to die faraway ft 5 far away from the fountains mist he drew happy while the moon waa waning fled she her purer held bar bacle and aw her die far away so ace taka unconscious that it was her A good picture ot barbaric wealth la the land where there la no money Is this her father waa of this emall ilia the stora of kava bowls which the isle Is famed the shining fish hook of mother of pearl great laati from ancient days with borders ot crimson cruel tragic sweet necklace of pearly shells envied by maidens and above them all baits ot the snowy tapa maila by handi subtle wise hands ot women over hoca iho earth had long laid flowers again in another place cornea a alon ot abo kava bowl which holds as hah a place among the sea islanders as the pipe 0 peace does with the amerindo Ame rinds the value ot cheso cupa Is greatly enhanced by time and astige which deepens tho color and lines the interior with a pearly deposit from the kava which atvea a lustrous effect tho hava iteck Is a mild intoxicant which stimulates the senses but paralyzes the so that overindulgence in it results in everybody sitting down and being very jolly instead ot running around tor trouble as they do after drinking certain beverages known on this side ot the tea in tier allin liana ahe hda cup the shell ct coto anut which caught the light like a brown pool the toll ot many days nad turned the lawny hide to warto blach xa gradual depths as shaded makaa cheek with perfumed oil her fingers gave caresa and waked the hadka pictures in the gran the yellow ard tb dusky bicar arl the brown perfected in the dusky globe earths monotones mono tones are in ehte then comes tho prince across the tea ho has scares stepped on the shore ot island apine when ho alls in love with her at first sight ahe knew not that she loved he only knew bhe was the moon of women but their heart wiser than they bad into OB love in land into perfect stature a the alt growth of nature the fair and young malua a faltering before br innocent gaze h cried dare I 1 adore BO crystal clear the seemed A silver den drop in the of dawn and taka trembling how can h b mine bo strong fo fair a god with heart of flaget and so they strove tbell heart cd ilyes and taka wove the red hibiscus wreath to crown malua he gazed at her at her feet his chin upon hl hand the whole long world had waited but for this weaving the rosy wreath my dream was of thee at sunrise with light etere over the sea lonely upon the mountain I 1 woke from bay sleep tor thee the wild dark rock were round w the flowery maids we I 1 woke thou bright aa the lightning me waited the dawn weaving the rosy wreath I 1 weave my life in a dream thou earnest through dawn on the MB lied flower 0 a stream then feast Is made for the miltor vil tor before the chief aka akau u rose grave and majestic for the evening prayers pouring libation from the Kava bowl in a deep il lence to the gods te cried take of our offering oh you mighty god look on this people kindly let them prosper in health and increase let the fecund ground grant ns your creatures life to nerve you well take of our offerings 0 you god of war let men be brave and triumph in your name take of our offerings 0 you gods of tea spare your wrath and in your might depart along the ocean to come far off shore take of our offering all you god there Is a prayer to read in cathedral tones that will strike the heart of many a man who thinks elmee lt more than a pagan if it Is a transcript ot a pagans creed it la it it ta a composition evolved from the brain ot a girl poet it la more then follow other songs written in lag verse each descriptive of some custom or supernatural belief on of the latter la particularly beautiful rhyme and tradition both it relates to the supposition of the islanders that those certain great calms of nature which we occasionally notice la the latter part of autumn when clouds waters winds leaves birds and animals all become suddenly silent aad motionless portend the coming of the gods and that at such times it behooves mortals to bold their peace lest they give offense and be punished it s a beautiful custom and worthy of more extended observance sleep 0 boft attle winds ReE whispering drafs reeds of the sway cot sleep that the gods may pais deepen you dreams of veil you 0 light atthe moon darken you silver of stars sleep for the agofia come soon sleep tor the gods who sleep not paw on the midnights breath mystical magical secret sleep for to wake la death and after singing came the dance lithe women decked with bright huei wavered into the circle of the light they wove tbell spells as gra clou flowers bayed B ayed by the wande of they blown dyni by breezes of desire the eye wit hilled with luxury of soft motion and sound 0 toft monotonous charmed the ear then in the came taka and b stood the signal slow he raised her arms slow as iho ages huce upon her hands heavy with burdened love the music hushed deep in the mystery 0 steady eyes lingered the secret of the world and then laughter and light came dancing from her smile 1 her fluttered on the harp of love and every chord uttered itself again 3 within onie dutky heart tho earth was an the wann night air waa barong alth beaty f becent 0 oil luponi tha dancer and the flower that decked their breasts and hair that la 0 the east the farroat eastern baat ultra oriental and so with the book in entirety it deals with orientals Orient als ot degrees east longitude and the reader who follows and studies it through will teel that he has left tho west that tar behind him i there Is also concealed through the ahola sort of romantic psycho philosophy which throws the light upon mysterious ot that most interest a ing ot all things la the tho youthful t feminine heart tr ot the difficulty ot this taste 11 may be gauged by the remark ott quoted ot the old philosopher who said chatman th atman could compute the orbit ot jupiter and understand all things which it circumscribes except tha ghys whys ot the ways 0 a girl in ohp closing scene ot the story the hero malua having been compelled to kill hl jealous rival in belt defense takes the fair tadato tho scene ot the crime and there before the dead body leaves her that she may judge of his offense offence and whether or BO he will forgive him she hesitates and then as women will who hesitate turned drew cloer in nta arm aenoi up her flowery face in bis eyes done death ahto and passionate burned in the walta name ot love uella lar vanquished forgotten turning to tho tala malua ot the sun went forth to meet the mil the ayi r t at i v 1 |
