“Says he:  ‘Th’ Ph’lippeens as ye have been tol’ be me young but speechful frind, Sinitor Bivridge, who was down there f’r tin minyits wanst an’ spoke very highly an’ at some lenth on th’ beauties iv th’ scenery, th’ Ph’lippeens is wan or more iv th’ beautiful jools in th’ diadem iv our fair nation.  Formerly our fair nation didn’t care f’r jools, but done up her hair with side combs, but she’s been abroad some since an’ she come back with beautiful reddish goolden hair that a tiara looks well in an’ that is betther f’r havin’ a tiara.  She is not as young as she was.  Th’ simple home-lovin’ maiden that our fathers knew has disappeared an’ in her place we find a Columbya, gintlemen, with machurer charms, a knowledge iv Euro-peen customs an’ not averse to a cigareet.  So we have pinned in her fair hair a diadem that sets off her beauty to advantage an’ holds on th’ front iv th’ hair, an’ th’ mos’ lovely pearl in this ornymint is thim sunny little isles iv th’ Passyfic.  They are almost too sunny f’r me.  I had to come away.

“‘To shift me language suddintly fr’m th’ joolry counther an’ th’ boodore, I will say that nawthin’ that has been said even be th’ gifted an’ scholarly sinitor, who so worthily fills part iv th’ place wanst crowded be Hendricks an’ McDonald, does justice to th’ richness iv thim islands.  They raise unknown quantities iv produce, none iv which forchnitly can come into this counthry.  All th’ riches iv Cathay, all th’ wealth iv Ind, as Hogan says, wud look like a second morgedge on an Apache wickeyup compared with th’ untold an’ almost unmintionable products iv that gloryous domain.  Me business kept me in Manila or I wud tell ye what they are.  Besides some iv our lile subjects is gettin’ to be good shots an’ I didn’t go down there f’r that purpose.

“‘I turn to th’ climate.  It is simply hivenly.  No other wurrud describes it.  A white man who goes there seldom rayturns unless th’ bereaved fam’ly insists.  It is jus’ right.  In winter enough rain, in summer plinty iv heat.  Gin’rally speakin’ whin that thropical sky starts rainin’ it doesn’t stop till it’s impty, so th’ counthry is not subjected to th’ sudden changes that afflict more northerly climes.  Whin it rains it rains; whin it shines it shines.  Th’ wather frequently remains in th’ air afther th’ sun has been shinin’ a month or more, th’ earth bein’ a little overcrowded with juice an’ this gives th’ atmosphere a certain cosiness that is indescribable.  A light green mould grows on th’ clothes an’ is very becomin’.  I met a man on th’ boat comin’ back who said ‘twas th’ finest winter climate in th’ wurruld.  He was be profission a rubber in a Turkish bath.  As f’r th’ summers they are delicious.  Th’ sun doesn’t sit aloft above th’ jools iv th’ Passyfic.  It comes down an’ mingles with th’ people.  Ye have heard it said th’ isles was kissed be th’ sun.  Perhaps bitten wud be a betther wurrud.  But th’ timprachoor is frequently modified be an eruption iv th’ neighborin’ volcanoes an’ th’ inthraduction iv American stoves.  At night a coolin’ breeze fr’m th’ crather iv a volcano makes sleep possible in a hammock swung in th’ ice-box.  It is also very pleasant to be able to cuk wan’s dinner within wan.