第33章

Well，hereisanewmove。ItislikelyImaystartwithGrahamnextweekandgotoHonolulutomeettheothersteamerandreturn:Idobelieveafortnightatseawoulddomegood；

yetIamnotyetcertain。ThecrowdedUP-steamersticksinmythroat。

TUESDAY，12THSEPT。

YesterdaywasperhapsthebrightestintheannalsofVailima。

IgotleavefromCaptainBickfordtohavethebandoftheKATOOMBAcomeup，andtheycame，fourteenof’em，withdrum，fife，cymbalsandbugles，bluejackets，whitecaps，andsmilingfaces。Thehousewasalldecoratedwithscentedgreeneryaboveandbelow。Wehadnotonlyourownnineout-

doorworkers，butacontractpartythatwetookonincharitytopaytheirwar-fine；thebandbesides，asitcameupthemountain，hadcollectedafollowingofchildrenbytheway，andwehadapickingofSamoanladiestoreceivethem。

Chicken，ham，cake，andfruitswereservedoutwithcoffeeandlemonade，andalltheafternoonwehadroundsofclaretnegusflavouredwithrumandlimes。Theyplayedtous，theydanced，theysang，theytumbled。OurboyscameintheendoftheverandahandgaveTHEMadanceforawhile。Itwasanxiousworkgettingthisstoppedonceithadbegun，butI

knewthebandwasgoingonaprogramme。FinallytheygavethreecheersforMr。andMrs。Stevens，shookhands，formedupandmarchedoffplaying-tillakickinghorseinthepaddockputtheirpipesoutsomethingofthesuddenest-wethoughtthebigdrumwasgone，butSimeleflewtotherescue。Andsotheywoundawaydownthehillwitheveranothercallofthebugle，leavingusextinctwithfatigue，butperhapsthemostcontentedhoststhateverwatchedthedepartureofsuccessfulguests。Simplyimpossibletotellhowwelltheseblue-

jacketsbehaved；amostinterestinglotofmen；thiseducationofboysforthenavyismakingaclass，whollyapart-howshallIcallthem？-akindoflower-classpublicschoolboy，well-mannered，fairlyintelligent，sentimentalasasailor。Whatismoreshallbewritonboardshipifanywhere。

PleasesendCATRIONAtoG。Meredith。

S。S。MARIPOSA。

To-morrowIreachHonolulu。Good-morningtoyourhonour。R。

DEARCOLVIN，-Mywifecameuponthesteamerandwegohometogetherin2days。Iampracticallyallright，onlysleepyandtiredeasily，sleptyesterdayfrom11to11。45，from1to2。50，wenttobedat8P。M。，andwithanhour’sintervalslepttill6A。M。，closeupon14hoursoutofthe24。Wesailto-morrow。Iamanxioustogethome，thoughthishasbeenaninterestingvisit，andpoliticshavebeencuriousindeedtostudy。WegotoP。P。C。onthe’Queen’thismorning；poor，recluselady，ABREUVEED’INJURESQU’ELLEEST。

HadaratherannoyinglunchonboardtheAmericanman-of-war，withamemberoftheP。G。(provincialgovernment)；andagooddealofanti-royalisttalk，whichIhadtositout-notonlyformyhost’ssake，butmyfellowguests。Atlast，Itooktheleadandchangedtheconversation。

R。L。S。

IambeingbustedherebypartynamedHutchinson。Seemsgood。

[VAILIMA-NOVEMBER。]

Homeagain，andfoundallwell，thankGod。Iamperfectlywellagainandruddierthanthecherry。Pleasenotethat8000isnotbadforavolumeofshortstories；theMERRYMEN

didagooddealworse；theshortstoryneversells。IhopeCATRIONAwilldo；thatistheimportant。Thereviewsseemmixedandperplexed，andonehadthepeculiarvirtuetomakemeangry。Iaminafairwaytoexpiscatemyfamilyhistory。

FannyandIhadalovelyvoyagedown，withournewC。J。andtheAmericanLandCommissioner，andonthewhole，andforthesedisgustingsteamers，apleasantship’scompany。I

cannotunderstandwhyyoudon’ttaketotheHawaiischeme。

Doyouunderstand？YoucrosstheAtlanticinsixdays，andgofrom’FriscotoHonoluluinseven。ThirteendaysatseaINALL-IhavenowishtopublishTHEEBBTIDEasabook，letitwait。Itwilllookwellintheportfolio。Iwouldlikeacopy，ofcourse，forth