And in the lagoon at Tahiti six white wreaths lay all alone, washing in and out, in and out with the wavelets on the beach.

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Now, in December, as visitors move from house to house, from blacksmith to wigmaker, from restored Capitol to the Royal Governor's Palace, they're walking through a contest on all sides of them: The city's designers hope for ribbons on their wreaths, garlands, "fans" and other seasonal decor, created within guidelines of historical plausibility and authenticity of materials.

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