Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1860-11-22
Glll99l:3.4l5,1a. J. q 2l(7a
THE SPANISH PANnTr.
Or, Pepe Morales Wooden Hea;

soon after the Inqulsl;lon was suppressed in
Spain, certain man, whose name forget,
but whom we may call Juan De Ia Vega Y
rcy De los Bribones BY way Of shortness,
came to reside at Tarragona, which. If YOU
turn to your map and look for, Will not be
found very far removed from Barcelona OF
Valencia, and midway between both
Moreover, if your map be good one, you
will also find, quite close to the sea-coast,
place called Balagucr. Now this Juan de
Ia Vega rey de los Bgibones was gentle
man, il the police court definition Of the
same you will, therefore, for politeness
sake, put Don before his christian name
whenever you chance to address him, and
on occasions Of extraordinary politeness
you will be careful to put Senor before the
Don. This Juan de la Vega was a man
who ate, drank, and dressed yell, though
he was by no means merry. 4 certain
sombre gravity of demeanor seemed natu-
raj to him He was a man of few words,
severe, and sometimes repulsive He had
the habit Of cycling one askance and never
looking a man straight in the face when he
addressed him Altogether the Senior Don
Juan de la Vega was what the Scotch would
call uncanny,'
But the hidalgo had his good points, ac-
cording to his own way Of viewing the
case His house bristled with cruciGxes,
large and small his walls were covered
with the pictures Of saints. lie went to
mass regularly when at home, and confess
ed from time to time. The Senor Don Ju-
an lived well, as have said, though visi-
bic means of subsistence he had none.
This was not, however, a matter for ad-
verse comment or suspicion in country
where hardly anything fit to wear is made
at home, and whence every foreign thing
fit to wear is prohibited by the laws-peo-
pie managing to get foreign goods notwith-
standing. The sea was near; smuggler
ships abounded. The Senor Don Juan
might, nay, he must do little business in
the smuggling line; he must be a contra
bandieta This conviction is a passport to
respect in Spain among q certain class; but
nevertheless, for some reason which [ can
not explain, the Senor failed to conciliate
the respect Of his neighbors, much less gain
a hold upon their affections. Bit by bit the
fact that he was not a contrabandista came
out. That was clear; and being clear, the
question arose with redoubled pertinence,
what did the Senor Don Juan do? He
was destined to acquire bad name in the
end, as you will presently see but among
his vices | do not think drunkenness can be !
laid to his charge. He was not total alb
stainer either, as the sequel will make ap-
pear From time to time the Senior Don
Juan drank wine, and he drank aguadiente;
and in vino veritas you know, [ dare
say and SO it happened in the end that
stoup Of wine brought truth from out of
the reluctant mouth of the Senor Don Ju-
an de Ia Vega y rey de los Bribone8.
Hard by Tarragona, some good wild duck
shooting IS to be had; and seeing there are
no game laws in Spain, one need not won
der that wild ducks found their way some
times into the elias Of Tarragcna. 1t was
one balmy evening, the sun Just going
down; when party Of wild duck shooters
returning from their sport, happened to en-
counter the Senor Don Juan on a noun
tain path. Slung to his back was car
bine-a garniture which adorns almost ev-
cry Spaniard in travelling; besides, what
more probable on this occasion than that
the Scnor Don Juan had been wild duck
shooting like the rest?
Buenas tardes, good evening" Senor
Don Juan said one of the sportsmen,
touching his somLrero.
'Faya usted con Dios, God be with
you.) promptly replied the Don, touching
his hat also, and endeavoring to pass on.
Nay, not so fast, hombre interposed
second sportsman. 'Vamonos come, take
a stoup Of good wine continued he un-
singing cantaro, or gourd travelling bot
tie.
Now, IN Spain, where refusal to eat or
drink anything set before you is always an
offence, the mood dy-minded sombre Don Ju-
an had only to sit down and do as ne was
bid; there was no help for it. He quafed
good stoup, and seemingly, not adverse to
the taste of it, he quafed second, where
upon his lounge was, in a measure, united, !
so that he presently spoke imprudent words,
as you shall hear
q did not know you were a sportsman,
said one of the strangers, playing with the
Senors carbine
3 don't shoot birds, replied the Don
50 much he never would have spoken |
had it not been for the wine but there
was no particular harm in what he said af-
ter all, you see; because he might have
gone shooting wild boars or wolves. What |
if murders had been known to occur from
time to time between Barcelona and Valen-
cia, particularly at the pass of Balaguer?
Are not murders common enough in Spain?
Show me one mountain path on the Span
ish Mediterranean coast where there are
not memorials of them thickly studded
rustic crosses set up to hallow the spot, as
it IS thought. Could anybody aver that