Lovaina

Christening Awakens Colourful and Romantic Memories

From Our Own Correspondent

Papeete, June 10.

1 CHRISTEN thee Lovaina,” were the words of the minister when he re cently baptised the infant daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Claude ,Rouleau, at Papeete.

The mother, Mrs. Rouleau, is grand daughter of the famous Lovaina, hostess of the historic Tiare Hotel, thus making the new bearer of the beloved name great-grand-daughter of its first posses sor.

Among names throughout the colourful history of the East Pacific, which con jure up to us memories of the past, none is more glamorous than that of Lovaina, who long presided over the fortunes of the flower-embowered Tiare Hotel, of the Papeete of long ago. Not even around the names of Pierre Loti or Queen Aimata herself do romance and nostalgia cluster more closely than around that of the beloved Lovaina.

It was she who, by her camaraderie and engaging personality, first made the touring world conscious of the lure and charm of Tahiti. Ensconced in her ample chair on her fern-enclosed verandah, she presided as a queen, receiving with gracious dignity all who approached her.

Young lovers were married there; new comers were royally entertained: and on all her cordiality impressed an unforget table memory.

It was on her celebrated verandah that Jack London wrote most of “The Cruise of the Snark” and Frederick O’Brien his “White Shadows of the South Seas.”

Here, Charles Nordhoff and Norman Hall collaborated on the books that make them famous. Here, Lord Kitchener rested his long limbs on her comfortable settees, and the Duke des Abruses danced with the glamorous Papeete belles, with fragrant tiare blossoms in their hair.

Here, too, Zane Grey hung up for proud display the record breaking sword-fish, marlin and dolphin he brought to gaff.

And here, also, Commander Ault of the non-magnetic ship Carnegie held his fes tive party, unmindful of the fate to befall him and vessel on the ill-starred voyage he was about to undertake.

Not all the trusting Lovaina’s guests re quited her confidence fairly. On one occasion, a certain Mr. Stevens, arriving aboard the steamship Mariposa, on Oscar Nordttian’s recommendation registered at the Tiare Hotel. Of personal appearance and engaging manner, and seemingly equipped with funds, he soon became popular.

After a tempestuous wooing he won the heart of Miss Lina Drollet, a leading Papeete belle. The couple were duly married on Lovaina’s verandah, and the feasting and champagne-drinking lasted a full week.

Before the confiding Lovaina awoke to the situation, the gallant Mr. Stevens had decamped on the Union liner, Talune, taking his bride with him. The long trail of debts he left to his sorrowing creditors was never collected.

At Rarotonga, the bridegroom deserted his wife and fled to California, leaving his bride to be fetched ingloriously home by her father.

However, the San Francisco police had been alerted, and the absconding Mr.

Stevens was laid by the heels. He proved to be a parolled criminal and he met his just deserts. Thus ended an episode in the history of the Tiare Hotel which filled a conspicuous page in the profit-and-loss account of that famous hostelry. But the profits far outweighed such losses.