New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-07-14
The ventero Of the Ronda.

IL Ssucti tttiuu. ADtsy aEt Heiz6IHl1y pttthtstl
all over in the gayest colors, in order, we pre-
sumo, to attract the attention of the herds iof
wild cattle roaming about the country for
more than once during this trip we remarked
various old knowing bulls eyes ogfing us as We.
passed along, seemingly inclined to indulge in
the game Of G prisoner base, by rushing at
the back Of our vehicle. Whereupon was daubed
most extraordinary bouquet Of unknown
flowers
" "Ventas 9 in the mountain districts ere, for
the most part, like huge dog kennels, construct
ed Of mud with very low door ways, although
there are, few and far between, exceptions to
the general rule.
Those small sized Ventas are, however, far
preferable to the larger ones to be found in vii
lagos, ando the high roads, for there is DECEIT
about the latter not easily to be forgiven by the
weary traveller They are mostly situated
upon elevations, their white walls glittering jim
the sun, the conicaI topped towers dazzling the
! sight-every thing, in fact, promising good
cheer and a comfortable nights rest to the
beholder. But the weary traveller, "a entering,
finds ita complete Jardin des Plantes, (without
its botanical attractions and SMELLY being the
| abode of man and beast, on an unfathomable
soil, as difficult to navigate as Chat-mouse it,
self
The Venta at which we arrived belonged to the
humber class, and was situated IN magnificent
valley, watered except in very dry weather.
| By branch Of the river Majaceites At the
back OF this little miserable hut was q patch Iof
cultivated land, on which some Indian corn was
! growing in perfection.
The surrounding scenery was grand and i'm
posing, hemmed in by mountains over topping
one another, until lost in the wide expanse; the
| romantic effect of the whole view could scarcely
4 be surpassed. An old Moorish watch tower
hung from an adjoining perpendicular rock aud
seemed to speak Of the by gone days Of chiyalry
and war. The steep and rugged mule tracks,
(apologies for roads and scarcely even practica-
Bile for mules,) the haunt of goats and Gibraltar
smugglers, appeared like the fbers Of sone
gigantic spiders web The sweet-scented oddrs
waited by the cooling breeze, the warhiing of
the birds, Offering up their matin- song during
the operation Of pluming their wings all sug
gested to our somewhat jaded travelling party
the prospect Of q few hours welcome repose
The Ventero, d tall, thin, muscular looking
old man, with sharp, keen eyes, and q scanty
crop of grizzled hair, like o badly matched
barn after snow storm, came forth TO meet us
| as the last sound of the driver conducting the
foremast calesa died away in an oft,repeated
echo.
! We hastily alighted, ID order to inspect the
| accommodation offered by the Venta, which wc
found to be scanty enough Its stock Of furni-
4 ture comprised five or six cork stools of unso-
phisticated construction, a tumble down table,
ling protuberance, that might have been dug
out Of the ruins of Herculauenm. This was
filled with fresh water. and by ithupg . m5st
4 questionable tin or copper utensii, by way oi
/ Iadle To this We made instant application, and
satisfied cur thirst, willie our companions as
hastily seized three equally useful articles from
a row of small red earthenware pipkins, with
comical-shaped bottoms, fixed in kind of pam
try shelf, which. from the constant evaporation.
\ keeDs the water extremely cool = ~ =
Our Irish companion, like a good hearted
troapief, bethought him of the hard worked
caballos, who had been dragging us up hill
, and down dale, to the imminent danger of our
necks and their legs. He would not trust 10 The
shombres. but personally superintended the
unsaddling of the beasts, and the conducting OF
them to the manger, where they speedily went
to work at the straw and barley.
This done, he lrsjoinea US, and, with the as
sistance of the Ventero, we began unpackiDe
our provisions outside the Venta. under splen-
didpurple grapevine Fowls, hams, fish. melons
and bread, were all laid out before us, and
three or four bottles Of wine were popped inf
the earthenware pipkins to cool We eagerly
commenced our early meal, inviting the Venters
to join us. ~ as#
Our repast concluded, the conversation be
came highly interesting. consisting ofanecdote
of robbers and smugglers, so that we did no
feel inclined to initiate our snoring companions
The Irish lad. who had been somewhat of
traveller, and who had, from clese observation
and study, obtained a smattering Of many liy
ing languages, discovered that the Ventero spok,
with q peculiar accent, and consequently in
quired if he was native of Spain.
{. No, sir to our great establishment, re
Joined the host in broken English 81 am al
Italian, and will, if agreeable to you, give i
narrative of my life, and you can be my bio
grapher.''
To this we oil readily assented, and hayin
informed him that we were oil ears, he began
g My name is Georgia Folketti am q ma
tive of Rome, but left there quite n lad, in th
latter part Of the last century, to settle dow
upon some land whichWe had inherited in It'll
: neighborhood Of Grenob1e! At the age of eight
y cen ! married an amiable lady of that plaes
and shortly afterwards had the misfortune
lose my father-nay mother having died when
was child. This new loss was severely fe
both by my wife and myself, for ! at first fotln
: that was unequal to the task of superintend
ing and eultivating our little estate. However
by dint of perseverance, soon became perfebtl
competent to the task, and three years after
wards l thought that was not only the hap
piest man in the canton, but one of the best an
most successful farmers sS
2.s became the father of three children, tN
boys and girl; and after the tolls and fatigu,
of the day, knew no other pleasure than iIl ii
oooiouy " my NaNoA WV esAAse PASsey, pAen
ing, little family.
"a While smoked my pipe, caressed the chi
s dren, and related the various incidents of Il
ID day, my Marianne would sit knitting, and SIN
= lingly encourage the hopes painted to them
! happiness to come. Then would she rise al
imprint kiss on my rude cheek. We were, i
: deed, very happy. M
9 -. You must know, senores, that when a You
man was reckoned somewhat a good looli
L l. sort of fellow. Our happiness was not destin
- to be of long duration, for just at this peri
Napoleon, from severe losses, continued to ma
II repeated calls for assistance, both at home d
: from his allies, and I, unfortunate, (beng o hi
: uralized Frenehman,) was included in the co
is scription.
be &c Never shall forget the evening of my j
~ turn from Grenoble--the fearful state Of ankle
RS in which found my dear Marianne, Who, que
\ ing the fatal truth in vain tried to copee
- tainted in my arms. All that night she suffer
oo severe relapse She was already weaken
( through a severe illness, though / tried all
-, my power to comfort and console her, sayi
that only should be obliged to leave her 10
!. fortnight, that--thst, in fact. senores, scar
is lly knew what I said. Ityas all Of no avail, j
uas towards the following midnight she expired
!. my arms, in presence of the parish priest, al
II friends, and my poor children, who, too vog
re, to understand the fatal truth. played laughii
4 ly round about the deat bed iike.sweet 9
M rubs eseortfng her poor soul 70 the reainasabo
il But when aware Of the truth, when aware Of