«74 MARA' TWAIN'S SKETCHES. 



the third fourth is composed of common Kanakas and mercantile foreigners 

 and their families; and the final fourth is made up of high officers of the 

 Hawaiian Government. And there are just about cats enough for three apiece 

 all around. 



A solemn stranger met me in the suburbs one day, and said : 



" Good morning, your reverence. Preach in the stone church yonder, no 

 doubt!" 



" No, I don't. I'm not a preacher." 



" Really, I beg your pardon, captain. I trust you had a good season. How 

 much oil " 



" Oil ! Why what do you take me for.? I'm not a whaler." 



" Oh ! I beg a thousands pardons, your Excellency. Major-General in the 

 household troops, no doubt J Minister of the Interior, likely 1 Secretary of 

 War .? First Gentleman of the Bedchamber .' Commissioner of the Royal "■ 



"Stuff! man. I'm not connected in any way with the Government." 



" Bless my life ! Then who the mischief are you 1 what the mischief are you .-' 

 and how the mischief did you get here.? and where in thunder did you come 

 from.?" 



" I'm only a private personage— an unassuming stranger — lately arrived from 

 America." 



" No ! Not a missionary ! not a whaler ! not a member of his Majesty's 

 Government ! not even Secretary of the Navy ! Ah ! heaven ! it is too blissful 

 to be true ; alas ! I do but dream. And yet that noble, honest countenance — 

 those oblique, ingenuous eyes — that massive head, incapable of— of anything y 

 your hand ; give me your hand, bright waif. Excuse these tears. For sixteea 

 weary years I have yearned for a moment like this, and " 



Here his feeling were too much for him, and he swooned away. I pitied this 

 poor creature from the bottom of my heart. I was deeply moved. I shed a few 

 tears on him, and kissed him for his mother. I then took what small change: 

 he had. and " shoved." 



