In case a future reader of this memoir, supposedly told by my grandmother, is confused about its authorship, I want to explain that I wished to tell Marguerite's story in as interesting way as possible. As I have many accounts and letters on which to base it, I have tried to piece all this wealth of information together to make a coherent tale. There are many gaps in her history, but the fullest account I found was in the large black box of letters and diaries received by my mother in 1943 after my grandfather's death. Even though I inherited the box in 1983 after my mother's death I didn't open it until shortly before I visited Hawaii in March 2004. Inside I found Marguerite's diary written during her stay in Honolulu and all the letters she wrote from 1894-1896 to her mother, Dr. Cordelia Greene, and to her future husband, my grandfather, Harold Clark.
I tried different ways of telling her story; at first I attempted to answer some of her letters with my present knowledge as though I were writing to her. This proved to be too artificial and unwieldy, so I adopted a method where I wrote as if I were Marguerite herself. As I continued I entered into my grandmother's mind and spirit until I felt at one with her. I hope my children, grandchildren, and the wider family will read and enjoy this book, and marvel at her interesting life and the times in which Marguerite lived.
I tried different ways of telling her story; at first I attempted to answer some of her letters with my present knowledge as though I were writing to her. This proved to be too artificial and unwieldy, so I adopted a method where I wrote as if I were Marguerite herself. As I continued I entered into my grandmother's mind and spirit until I felt at one with her. I hope my children, grandchildren, and the wider family will read and enjoy this book, and marvel at her interesting life and the times in which Marguerite lived.