Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1855-11-07

| 10 90 WIlalbFtl P'So@Nu WIN wv Nv
thing he saw or heard caused in him the least Up
convent. in order to see him; but they could fine
no clue to his idehtlty-where he came from o
what he had been.
After the first excitement about him had some
what abated. he one day suddenly pronounced, ir
distinct tone of voice, the name of Lierganes. -
This word he repeated several times, but no one
present knew what he desired to intimate by it
as the little town, obscurely situated in a remote
district of the kingdom, was perfectly unknown It
the uood monks. Recoect that the country wa!
Spain. that the century the seventeenth, and you
will not be surprised at this want of geographical
knowledge on the part of the holy brotherhood.
But it SO chanced that yonng workman in Ca
diz, hearing every one talk about this strange be-
inc. and the uninteligible expression he had made
use Of, informed his companions that he himself
came from place named Lerganes, and that il
was small town in the north of Spain, not ia
from Santillana This news produced great et
feet; and the wise men now began 10 conjecture
that as their guest had used only one word, and
this word the name OF village, the probability
was that he was born there. They thereupor
wrote TO the secretary of the lnquisltlon, himself
native of Lerganes, giving him all the particulars
! vi lllc dldiT. HIS penllGlldI '"'>A
ested himself in the business; as he happened &c
know something of the family of Maria de la We
ga. and had heard of the mysterious disappear
ance of her son Francisco he wrote to the widow
and her children to ask them whether, during the
last five years they had received any tldlngs oi
their missing relative. They replied in the neg
ative, and that every one, both in Llerganes and
at Bilbao, considered that he was drowned; tor,
that on the occasion of his last bathing IN the rlv-
er, after having been seen swimming down the
stream, all trace of him had vanished, ana MS
clothes alone remained on the shore
The secretary Don Domingo, reported this IN
telligence to the monks of the convent at Oadlz,
with whom he found the man-fish had now been
staying for some considerable period. After the
lapse of several months friar, also belonging to
the Franciscan order, arrived one day at the con-
vent. This friar, Juan Rosende by name, had
just returned from pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and
soon made acquaintance with the apparent ldlot,
whom he took under his especial charge. de
learned his history. and also what had occurred
wears ago at Bilbao; and as the good friar was a
bout to undertake journey on foot through the
provinces of Spain. for the purpose OF collecting
aims for the Holy Places in Palestine, he took his
dumb proege with him, thinking it possible that
he might turn out to be the lost youth of Lier-
games. :,
In this manner, the two companions travelled
through the whole of Spain on foot; and 1t was
only in the course Of the following year OoSO)
that they arrived at Santander. The friar now
went slightly out of his way in order to visit LII
erganes. The road thither leads across a toera-
bly hiuh mountain, on the other side Of which at
the distance of about one and fourth miles, lies
the little town. As soon as they arrived on the
summit of this mountain. whence the eye com
aands the range of the entire district below, the
monk turned round to his attendant, aud said
"llitherto have conducted you, my son; II is
now your turn to conduct me-"
The young man. without any hesitation or stop
ping to look much around him, thereupon led his
friend into the village and went straight on to the
house of the widow Maria de la Vega, his sup
posed mother. As soon as the poor woman saw
him enter the cottage, she ran towards hlin,
clasped him in her arms, and cried, with tears in
her eyes .Ah, yes, yes thou art indeed my son
CHARACTERIZATION art he who vast lost to me at
Bilbas!"
His two brothers, one of whom was the eccle-
siastic, happening 10 be at home, recognized MN
also at once with JOY emotion. They embraced
him. questioned him, and endeavored by every
possible means to get him 10 talk, or at least to
give scme tokens of sympathy, but this strange
beinr remained not only dumb, but as cold and IN
sensible as block Of marble. The wandering
priest now left his charge to the care of his iaml
Iy. and soon Quilted Lierganes; the general I'M
preston being that the youth had. through his
'ono residence in the sea- lost his intellect, and
with it all recollection Of his early years.
1t is very natural to suppose that the news of
Francisco's return should produce great sensa-
ton in the neghborhood People OF all ranks
hocked to see this extraordinary parsonage; IN
deed. several grandeS invited him to spend few
days at their castles, in order to observe him more
infinitely. Here he was closely examined, and
many men of the highest character asserted that
his back and some other parts Of his body were
covered with scales somewhat similar to those OF
fish; whilst other individuals, who saw him
few years Subsequently, treated this part OF the
story as fable As regards the rest OF his person
lie was six feet in height, neither particularly
thin nor stout; his figure was awkward the hair
of his head was of reddish lnge, and qnile short
| He had no color in the face and his nails were
entirely destroyed, as if the saltwater had corro-
ded them. lie could not endure shoes, and al
ways went barefooed If clothes were given
him, he would wear them; if not, he would go
with perfect indifference without them. And The
same as regarded his foud whatever was placed
before him, he ate without evnclng the slightest
preference for one dish over another; and It his
mother neglected to provide him with meat, he
never asked for any. Occasionally. he would ut
ter few words, but without any coherency, evl-
IDENTIFY meaning nothing by these sounds. lie
could find his way perfectly to places win which
he had been previously acqnainted and his pHn-
cipal employment consisted in carrying letters a.
bout the neighborhood. Hence we may conclude,
that although he never replied to any questions
that were put to him, he fully understood The or
ders he received lie was even conscientious IN
the discbarre of these commissions, and The send
er could always rely upon his pnnclualliy. Once
he was despatched with letter from llerganes
to Santander. A broad sheet Of water, traversed
by ferry boat, interrupts the way between these
two towns and on the present occasion the ferry
boat was missing, whereupon he immediately
witbout reflection. walked into the water. and
swan across to the opposite shore, arriving at
Santander in very wet condition; but on being
questioned as to what had occurred, he gave no
answer. and without saying word, delivered
the letters correctly, and then returned 10 Lier
games.
His relations never thought Of finding any stea-
dv omnlovment for him again, as he appeared to-
talv unfii for even the most ordinary pursuit. la
this way. without speaking. and apparently with
o,t ,b;nk;ng he continued for nine long years to
live T under his mothers roof Both she and her
friends had crown quite accustomed to his odd
,ysys and he gradually sank into obscurity. Sud
denIy. however, he again disappeared from the
village and nothing was ever afterwards heard Of
him. Some fisherman pretended to have seen
fnmre bearinu strong resemblance of him in the
hsrho, Of Aslnrias; but this news was never con
6rmed. and no trace Of the missiog Francisco was
euar found. The probability is, that he again be-
ton. himself to the sea, Notwithstanding that his
ynntbtnl ardur for the water had long vanished,
and that he had, ever since his capture at Cadz,
evioced evil the most perfect indifference towards ev-
o'l"NNN Wv n.