The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1872-01-25
Types OF CastiIian vagrancy.

Types OF Castiiian vaqrancy.
From Lippncotts Magazine for January.
Nagrant life preponderates III cities.
The minority are h, used, the mai iority are
nomadlc. Such, at least, is the case in
Madrid, the city where | am now writing
BY vagrants | mean all those waits OF So
ciety who swarm and cluster in the open
air and get precarious subsistence by
other means than legitimate labor-the
gultar-twanger, the Moorish slipper-ve
er, the water-carrier, the newspaper cricr.
the sturdy beggar, the blind, halt. Grip
pied, crazy, lazy, the street walker the
founding, the thief.
We will stroll along the Carrera San
Geronimo and out into the Puerta del Sol
The Carrera is lined with stores. the up
per stories being occupied as dwellings.
and here and there a clubhouse or hotel.
Just beyond the Hotel Russia sits all day
long on a doorstep a wee, little woman.
handless, vet ever busy in plying the
needle by means OF her wrists, on one of
which is tied leathern thimble With
nconcelvahe effort and patience she con
trlves to do the most delicate, intricate
embroidery and needle work under the
wondering eyes OF the public, and thus
earn scanty but honest livelihood by
her painful, persevering industry. Let
rs in Gods name drop a silver real in her
lap As we 60 by. Children there are in
plenty thronging the mouth of the street
as IT broadens into the Square-little shoe
less, hatless, scabbv scrambling wights
with Just sufficient rags to hide ndecen-
cy, and with shock heads OF sunburnt
hair. Il mass of tow torn and ragged from
lis warfare with the weather With hun
gry scan they descrv a stranger in an in
stant, and make at him with outstretched
palms. asking aims in the name of DloS
Getting this on failing. down they squat
again upon the wavside tagging and
play away al Spanish pitch-and- or
Jerk about a cork on bit OF string, or
shng pegtops into copper coins until the
latter are bent and hollow like a cup
sometimes a whole days iob--or roll and
wrestle under the feet OF passers-bv. un-
Needed and unhurt in very insigniticance
How and where do they live We shall
see anon.
The Puerta is Il teerning field of fiery.
fletce lmportunacv. The stranger here
is pushed. iostled, and followed by every
imaginable form OF solicitation. A dirt
begrlmed woman, with nearly all yes
ti9es of humanity, let alone womanhood,
etfaced from her person. with staring.
iamlshed eyes gaunt, gaping Jaws. huge
tangs tor teeth, a skin of tanned leather,
and knotted, vice-contorted frame cries
out in voice like that of hyena the
daily papers for sale: "La-a-o Iqualda.
a-ad Ehl-l Inporcial-l-2! La-a-a Cor-
respomdentta -a-a" The first is the work
ingman's oracle; the next that of the
quality the last a mongrel sheet, with
contents culled from all the daily prints.
Oh, it is enough to split ones tympanum,
that hoarse. quick racking croak Toss
her II cuarto and let US scanper out of
earshot As soon as possible.
What silent stately form is that in long,
close, clinging robe, sandals and scarlet
tez' Moor from Tangier perhaps.
with morocco slippers to sell His
wares are adroitlv arranged in the form
of Mohammedan crescent, the toe of
one shoe inserted in the aperture OF an
other, and each pair of different gaudy
hue-some worked with quaint designs
in gold thread on the front and all queer.
broad and short in the foot, and altOgeth-
er unchristian These he bears with ease
upon his arm extended high above his
head, striding past with all the airs and
graces OF Spain's whilom infdel ruler,
who, by unrighteous. inscrutable fate,
has been robbed and despoiled OF his her
editary rights. And we wonder if under
the dominance of his swarthv, dignified
race. despotic and disdainfu as they are
poor Spain would or could be any worse
OH than She is at present. AT least she
might have been spared the shame and
torture OF the lnquisition which roasted
thirty thousand heretcs alive Just outside
the walls Of Pope serving, Protestant
broiling Madrid
"F'oStoros 4 dos cuartos - Matches,
two quartos a boxD Here is a girl-child
of about thirteen summers and IA half,
with tray of wax matches in tinted box
es tied around her waist. She is pretty,
has nut-brown face, with rosy lips,
white teeth, heavenly eyes and ample let
black locks tumbling down her plump
neck and shoulders, like the raven tresses
OF Maid Marion. Her bust, however. is
remarkably developed for 30 vonng a
girl, and instinctivelv glancing down
ward, we .'ken the reason why" For at
her feet, grubbing in the dirt and not
whit cleaner, crawls fat, chubby, ink
eyed little urchin, all but nude, and
chuckling roisterously with the delight of
having Just constructed with success a
model mud-pie after the universal infan-
tile receipt the wide world over, who
glances up at its child-mother and glibly
gabbles "Mamita mamita " with roguish
glee. Let us stop and speak to this child
the mother-child | mean-for an in
stant, and learn her story, which is that
of fallen womanhood every where.
Little girl, I will buy box of your
matches"
"Muchas gracias, senorito"
chow old are you ?"
81 know not, neutrality-suspicious. a doZ-
en- years 81
Are you married ?"
'No, senorito.n
And yet that is your babe 9''
Isl senorito-mine truly"
"And its father?"
The girl, half conscious-and only half
of her fault, flashes her ewes full in our
face and drops them to the ground with
out a blush 81 do not know senorlto.n
''Have you lover? ?''
Isl senorito-Pedro
.What does he work at ?'
'Pedro is caballero." with dignity
land does no work"
is he rich, then?'
''Ah no. senorita," ="
why, how does he live ?"