at jest this minute, and she sez to me, "I
feel just as you do, I feel as though I would fain dwell here
forever."

And Josiah sez: "I believe it would be a good thing for you, Miss
Meechim, to stay here right along; you could probable do considerable
good here preachin' to the natives aginst marriage, they're pretty apt
to marry too much if they're let alone, and you might curb 'em in
some." (Josiah can't bear Miss Meechim, her idees on matrimony are
repugnant to him.) But she didn't argy with him. She sez: "Robert is
planning a trip to the Pali, and wants to know if you won't join us."

And Josiah says, "Who is Pali?"

And she sez, "It is the precipice five hundred feet high, where King
Kamehameha drove off his enemies."

Well, we wuz agreeable and jined the party. Robert had got a wagonette
and he and Dorothy, Miss Meechim and Arvilly and Josiah and I jest
filled the seats, Tommy sot in Josiah's lap or between us.

It is quite a long ride to the Pali, but we didn' realize it, because
the scenery all along is so lovely and so novel. That view from the
top I hain't a-goin' to try to describe, nor I sha'n't let Josiah try;
I don't like to have that man flat out in his undertakin's. Good land!
do you want us to tell how many sands there wuz on the flashing white
beach that stretched out milds and milds? And we might as well as to
describe that enchantin' panorama and take up all the different
threads of glory that lay before us and embroider 'em on language. No,
you must see 'em for yourself, and then you hain't goin' to describe
'em. I d'no but Carabi could. I hearn Tommy talkin' and "wonnerin'" to
him as he stood awestruck beside me, but no mortal can.

Well, I thought I must not slight the volcano Kilauea, which means the
House of Everlasting Fire. And how that volcano and everything in
Hawaii reminded me of the queen who once rained here--and the
interview I once had with her. We happened to be visitors to the same
summer resort. You know she lives in Washington, D. C., now.

I sent word that I wuz there and craved a augence, which wuz gladly
granted. She had hearn of me and I had hearn of her, which made
everything agreeable. So at the appinted hour I wuz ushered by one of
her hired men into her presence. I liked her looks first rate; of
course she hain't what you may call handsome, and her complection is
pretty middlin' dark, but she has a good look and a good way with her.
She came forward and greeted me w