The Democratic Whig. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1842-1843, 1843-07-20
From Blackwood's Magazine.
IGNACIO GUERRA AND Ell SANGRAn0u
A TALE OF crvrr wAp

D. From Blackwood's Magazine.
l. | IGNACIO GUERRAANDE Ell SANGRADO
'e ATALE OF CIVIL WAR.
It On June evening in the year 1889 fo
persons were assembled in the BALCONY ~
: pleasan. little villa, some halfleague from II
town of Logrono in Navarro. TIE site of a
9 house IN question, was narrow valley, forme
y by double range ofwood-covered hills, al
y lower limbs Of a mountain chain that bounde
: the horizon some miles in the rear of the viii,
. The house itself was long. low building, {
: which the white stone walls had ACQUIRED m
r mellow tint that time and exposure to the sea
sons can alone impart. A solid BALCONY {
carved Imprinted oak ran completely round til
house, It's breadth preventing the rays of th
sun from entering the rooms on the groun
s door, and thereby converting them into COG
, and delightful refuge from the heats of summe,
+ The windows ofthe first and only story opene
upon this balcony. which, in its turn, receive,
I shelter from oofofyellow canes, laid side b,
! side, and fastened by innumerabIe packthreadss
IN the same way as Indian mating. This sOr
OF awning was supported by light wooden oil
lars, placed at distances of five or six feet from
each other, and corresponding with the more
massive columns that sustained the balcony
At the foot of these latter, various creeping
plants had taken root. A broad-Ieafed vine
: pushed its knotty branches andicurIed tendriIs
up to the very roof of the dwelling, and pas.
slon-ffower displayed its mystical purple bios
SONS nearly at as great height; while the
small white Stars oflhe jasmine glttered among
its narrow dark-green leaves, and every pas
sing breeze waited the scent of the honey
suckle and clematis through the open window ),
IN puts of overpowering fragrance.
About two hundred yards to the right of the
house, rose one of the ranges of hills already
mentioned, and on the opposite side the eve
glanced over some of those luxuriant corn fields
which form so important part of the riches
| of the fertile province of Navarro. The ground
| in front ofthe villa was tastefully laid out as
| flower garden, and, midway between two mag
nlficent chestnut trees, a mountain rivulet fell
into large stone basin, and fed a fountain,
from which it was spouted twenty feet into the
air, greatly to the refreshment of the surround
ing pastures.
The party on the evening in question was
enjoying the scent of the flowers and the song
of the nightingales, to which the neighboring
trees afforded shelter, consisted, in the first
place, of Don Torribio Diana, wealthy pro-
prletor of La Rloja, an owner of the country
house that has been described. He had been
long used to pass the hot months of each year
at this pleasant retreat; and it was no small
calamity TO him when the civil war that broke
out on the death of Ferdinand, rendered it
scarcely safe, in Navarro at least to live out of
musket-shot ola garrison. Sometime, howeV- |
er, and in spite of the advice of his friends, who
urged him to greater prudence, the worthy
Riojano would mount his easy-going round |
CHARTERED cab, and leave the town for, few
bn,,rs, t;seti unmoIested efther by CazlIsts
DrqWlInTTn e nuInerous predatory bands that over
ran the country, he took for companions of his
excursions his daughter Getrudis, and an or
ho 10 81 Ill
a father. Five years of impuElity we're taken
as a guarantee for future safety, and Don Tor
ribo now no longer hesitated to pass the night
al his country house as often as he found it con-
venlent. 1t was observed, also, that many of
those persons who had at first loudly blamed
him for risking his neck, and that OF his daugh-
ter and nice. in order to enjoy purer atmos-
phere than could De enhaled in the dusty streets
of Logrono, at length gathered so much cour-
age, from his example, as to accompany hIm
out to- the Retro and eat his excellent dinners
and empty his cobweb- covered bottles, without
allowing their fear of the Carlsts to diminish
their thirst or disturb their digestion.
Upon this occasion, however, the only guest
was Young and handsome man, whose SUM-
burnt countenance and military gait bespoke
the soldier, while double stripe of gold lace on
the cuff OF his blue frock-coat, marked his rank
as that of lieutenant colonel. Although not
more than thirty years of age, Don Ignacio
Guerra had already attained a grade which Is
often the price of as many years service but
his rapid promotion was so well JustIhed Dy MS
merit and galantry, that few were found to
complain of preference which all felt was de-
served. Both by moral and physical qualities,
he was admirably suited to the profession ne
had embraced. Slender in person, but Well
knit and muscular, he possessed extraordinary
activity. and capacity of enduring great ia
ticue. Indulgent to those under His command
and selEdenying in all that regarded himself
personally. his enthusiasm for the cause he
served was such, that during nearly two years
| that he had been the accepted lover OF Donna
/ Gertrudis Diana, this was only the second time
| he had left his regiment for few days VISIT
| tn his afianccd bride. He had arrived at Lo-
grono the preceding day from town lower
| down the Ebro, where the battalion he COM
I manded was stationed; and Don Torrlblo, with
whom he was great favorte. had lost no time
/ n taking him out to the Retro nor, perhaps
4 were the lovers sorry to leave tie noise ana
hustle of the town for this calm and peaceful
kretreat. IA
{ II was about an hour after sunset and Don
kTorribio sat doing IN an Armenian, WIN h.s
old black dog Moro cooled up at his ieeb anc
is niece Teresa beside him busying nerseH 10
the arrangement of boquet OF choce npwe1s'
: Eaun
/ nd her lover were looking out upon the gar
dsn The silence was unuroken, save by the
pg noise S the , oan, covered as ts b sssl
- noon was We. concealed behind the hlgf
Ground q the right Ofthe house; but the sky j
sIst d;rec,ion was GIFTED up by its beams, am
the outline Of every tree and bus bush c % a the sum
were u.s = against tbs clear blue background sud
de sS Gsrtrndis called her cOmpaniOa,s at'en
ton to the neghborag mountain s.s see' /, e
naco r exclaimed she, .yonaerc Ouia nov ~ y
s s'Sost iancy L to be man with gun u b
h h,DSgs and that clump Of leaves on the 70
ha aa might by the boins Of one Of those horrl
d CarIists 20 .l,r
the r;dae ofthe hiIl and started when he cangl
SIGHT q the object pointed out by GestEua q
but before he could reply 70 her Ie ,at 8
Was c -. ~ bush made sudden moy
men. az I'D 4be lort bright barrel OF z musk