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ONTHEMAKALOAMAT/ISLANDTALES1ONTHEMAKALOAMAT/ISLANDTALESbyJackLondonONTHEMAKALOAMAT/ISLANDTALES2ONTHEMAKALOAMATUnlikethewomenofmostwarmraces,thoseofHawaiiagewellandnobly.Withnopretenceofmake-uporcunningconcealmentoftime'sinroads,thewomanwhosatunderthehautreemighthavebeenpermittedasmuchasfiftyyearsbyajudgecompetentanywhereovertheworldsaveinHawaii.Yetherchildrenandhergrandchildren,andRoscoeScandwellwhohadbeenherhusbandforfortyyears,knewthatshewassixty-fourandwouldbesixty-fivecomethenexttwenty-seconddayofJune.Butshedidnotlookit,despitethefactthatshethrustreadingglassesonhernoseasshereadhermagazineandtookthemoffwhenhergazedesiredtowanderinthedirectionofthehalf-dozenchildrenplayingonthelawn.Itwasanoblesituation--nobleastheancienthautree,thesizeofahouse,whereshesatasifinahouse,sospaciouslyandcomfortablyhouse-likewasitsshadefurnished;nobleasthelawnthatstretchedawaylandwarditsplushofgreenatanappraisementoftwohundreddollarsafrontfoottoabungalowequallydignified,noble,andcostly.Seaward,glimpsedthroughafringeofhundred-footcoconutpalms,wastheocean;beyondthereefadarkbluethatgrewindigobluetothehorizon,withinthereefallthesilkengamutofjadeandemeraldandtourmaline.Andthiswasbutonehouseofthehalf-dozenhousesbelongingtoMarthaScandwell.Hertown-house,afewmilesawayinHonolulu,onNuuanuDrivebetweenthefirstandsecondshowers,wasapalace.HostsofguestshadknownthecomfortandjoyofhermountainhouseonTantalus,andofhervolcanohouse,hermaukahouse,andhermakaihouseonthebigislandofHawaii.YetthisWaikikihousestressednolessthantherestinbeauty,indignity,andinexpensivenessofupkeep.TwoJapaneseyard-boysweretrimminghibiscus,athirdwasengagedexpertlywiththelonghedgeofnight-bloomingcereusthatwasshortlyexpectantofunfoldinginitsmysteriousnight-bloom.Inimmaculateducks,aONTHEMAKALOAMAT/ISLANDTALES3houseJapanesebroughtoutthetea-things,followedbyaJapanesemaid,prettyasabutterflyinthedistinctivegarbofherrace,andflutteryasabutterflytoattendonhermistress.AnotherJapanesemaid,anarrayofTurkishtowelsonherarm,crossedthelawnwelltotherightinthedirectionofthebath-houses,fromwhichthechildren,inswimmingsuits,werebeginningtoemerge.Beyond,underthepalmsattheedgeofthesea,twoChinesenursemaids,intheirprettynativecostumeofwhiteyee-shonand-straight-linedtrousers,theirblackbraidsofhairdowntheirbacks,attendedeachonababyinaperambulator.Andallthese,servants,andnurses,andgrandchildren,wereMarthaScandwell's.Solikewisewasthecolouroftheskinofthegrandchildren--theunmistakableHawaiiancolour,tintedbeyondshadowofmistakebyexposuretotheHawaiiansun.One-eighthandone-sixteenthHawaiianwerethey,whichmeantthatseven-eighthsorfifteen-sixteenthswhitebloodinformedthatskinyetfailedtoobliteratethemodicumofgoldentawnybrownofPolynesia.Butinthis,again,onlyatrainedobserverwouldhaveknownthatthefrolickingchildrenwereaughtbutpure-bloodedwhite.RoscoeScandwell,grandfather,waspurewhite;Marthathree-quarterswhite;themanysonsanddaughtersofthemseven-eighthswhite;thegrandchildrengradeduptofifteen-sixteenthswhite,or,inthecaseswhentheirseven-eighthsfathersandmothershadmarriedseven-eighths,themselvesfourteen-sixteenthsorseven-eighthswhite.Onbothsidesthestockwasgood,RoscoestraightdescendedfromtheNewEnglandPuritans,Marthanolessstraightdescendedfromtheroyalchief-stocksofHawaiiwhosegenealogieswerechantedinmalesathousandyearsbeforewrittenspeechwasacquired.Inthedistanceamachinestoppedanddepositedawomanwhoseutmostyearsmighthavebeenguessedassixty,whowalkedacrossthelawnaslightlyasawell-cared-forwomanofforty,andwhoseactualcalendaragewassixty-eight.Martharosefromherseattogreether,intheheartyHawaiianway,armsabout,lipsonlips,faceseloquentandbodiesnolesseloquentwithsincerenessandfrankexcessivenessofemotion.AnditwasSisterBella,andSisterMartha,backandforth,intermingledwithalmostincoherentinquiriesabouteachother,andaboutONTHEMAKALOAMAT/ISLANDTALES4UncleThisandBrotherThatandAuntSomeOneElse,until,thefirsttremulousnessofmeetingover,eyesmoistwithtendernessoflove,theysatgazingateachotheracrosstheirteacups.Apparently,theyhadnotseennorembracedforyears.Intruth,twomonthsmarkedtheintervaloftheirseparation.Andonewassixty-four,theothersixty-eight.Butthethoroughcomprehensionresidedinthefactthatineachofthemone-fourthofthemwasthesun-warm,love-warmheartofHawaii.ThechildrenfloodedaboutAuntBellalikearisingtideandwerecapaciouslyhuggedandkissederetheydepartedwiththeirnursestotheswimmingbeach.IthoughtI'drunouttothebeachforseveraldays--thetradeshadstoppedblowing,Marthaexplained.You'vebeenheretwoweeksalready,Bellasmiledfondlyatheryoungersister.BrotherEdwardtoldme.HemetmeatthesteamerandinsistedonrunningmeoutfirstofalltoseeLouiseandDorothyandthatfirstgrandchildofhis.He'sasmadasasillyhatteraboutit.Mercy!Marthaexclaimed.Twoweeks!Ihadnotthoughtitthatlong.Where'sAnnie?--andMargaret?Bellaasked.Marthashruggedhervoluminousshoulderswithvoluminousandforgivingaffectionforherwayward,matronlydaughterswholefttheirchildreninhercarefortheafternoon.Margaret'satameetingoftheOut-doorCircle--they'replanningtheplantingoftreesandhibiscusallalongbothsidesofKalakauaAvenue,shesaid.AndAnnie'swearingo