The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-06-10
LOTTERY TICKET No. 5000.

ana mad Just escaped with our lives from an
epidemic, recruit health and strength in
the salubglous climate of Tenerife-that
beautiful island province of Old Spain.
We bad money to spend; as why should we
not, coming from the Gold and Ivory Coast?
and only required the health to enjoy it. We
had great animal spirits, too, notwithstand-
ing q manifest attenuation of our material
persons, and were thoroughly determined,
cdgpere diem, not day should pass without
its excitement-some excursion, or picnic, or
supper party, or something.
We waited on the Governor-General,a and
were received with a flourish of trumpets,
rather inconsistent with his Excellencys oc-
cupation, rs we came upon him, coat off,
looping the dead leaves of his favorite tree
camelia. Then his Excellency and suite re-
turned our call, when we happened to be out,
which was better luck, I must say, than
repetition of the painful interview that had
taken place in the saloon of Government
House, where broken English and worse
attempts at Spanish had almost confounded
and angered us into something desperate.
Still this was insufficient excitement for
emancipated coast officials. We required
fresh stimulant-som novel and start
ling and extravagant.
81 have it" said the Governor one morn
ing, to our great relief, as we sat at break
fast, silent and moody, around the table
Cruz, '.just the very thing! What can be
more wildly, intensely delightful than--than
gambling?"
The ladies shuddered and looked dis
mayed.
81 don't mean that we should drop into the
casino next door and stake our sovereigns on
the nte-table; but why should we not go in
for the lottery?"
''What lotteryP" we all asked in breath.
"Why, the Madrid great prize lottery; see,
here is all about it,"
And then he read aloud an English transla-
tion Of a circular setting forth the advantages
and inducements OF ticket in the great
lottery of the year; highest prize e2o,O0
sterling, and $50 other prizes, ranging down
wards so low as f10, but nothing short of
that amount; the ticket itself costing the
moderate sum of e7. ---
''Now there are six of us" ne went on;
lord, to take the seventh share, it will only
come to a pound each-not much to lose and
80 much to gain. What say you all?"
OF course we agreed; and forthwith our
chief sailed forth to confer with our host and
to purchase the ticket.
''Its all right, have livery we'll went
in time, for it was the very last left; how
lucky we are!" exclaimed the Governor on his
return a few hours later; and he fourished
the lottery ticket before our eyes.
81 hope it will stick to us, remarked the
Judge, doubtingly.
''It is sure to be prize, prophesied our
sanguine Irish friend, the Commissary-G Gene
raj.
"Atall events, never venture, never have, '"
added hopefully; but the ladies remained
silent.
"And now" continued the Governor,
tfsince we cannot possibly learn the result
for some weeks, suppose we pass the time
elsewhere than in this hot city. We have
seen all that is to be seen;4 and, for my part,
i am sick of the cathedral, and the crowded
plaza, and the mole, and Nelson's wound.
We want rest and refreshing breezes in the
highlands; let us betake ourselves to the
mountain brow, to Oratava, the villa of the
Peak"
The proposition was hailed with the de-
light of people who had nothing better to
suggest; but difficulty presented itself at
the outset in the fact that none of us, ex-
cept the Chief Justice, understood word of
the language, and in a Spanish hotel we
should be all adrift.
However, in our distress and psrplexity o
deus eG qldehSna presented himself in the per-
son of an English-speaking Spanish gentle
man who came to call upon us; aud, on the
case being stated to him, he informed us
that he was himself desirous of visiting Ora
tava, and would gladly do so in our company.
Accordingly, next day saw us all vending
our way across the island in an omnibus
drawn by triangular arrangement, of first a
mule, as leader, then two mules, and then
two horses in the shafts. The day was bright,
warm, and exhilarating, the pace rapid and
the scenery exquisite and sublime; more espe-
cially when we reached an elevated plateau
that commanded full view of the far-famed
peak, and the iron-bound coast-line far as the
eye could reach washed by mightiest breakers.
But have no intention of being descriptive;
abler pens than mine have failed in the at
tempt to word-paint this garden of the Hes.
perides; am only lingering en- route in g
tantalizing mood, to pile up your agony as
regards ''No. 3060."
Our days passed pleasantly at Oratava
There were gardens to visit, ferns to collect
and an antediluvian tree to gaze wonder
ingly at in its grand decay. We took Ions
rides, too, in the neighborhood; and ac
tually handled the lava that, in days of yore
had swept down the sides of the great noun
tain. We descended into the sultry low
lands, and we climbed the snow-capped Peak
thus diyersifying our temperature within th
hour
i'FOr there may be snow on the mountain-top,
While there's heat in the valley below"
Time passed unnoticed by all except b
two of us mvaalf and our worthy friend an