The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1877-02-17
A MEXICAN PARADISE.


A MEXICAN PARADISE.
Such tranquil three days on the
Mississippi, which was as an autumn
flood, and revealed himself as indeed
King OF Watersl Such delightful three
days in hospitable New Orleansl Might
mo" cried the inexorable George.
"We have put our hand TO the plow.
VINO will turn backp Two day Of ab-
jeet wretchedness on the Gulf oil
Mexicol "Why were we born? Why
did we not die before we left solid
landp And then the lighthouse at
Vera Cruz.
$40, land! and all was we'll"
What splendid cityl Why had no.
body told them OF this queen on the sea-
shoreH Red and white towers, cupolas,
battlementsl 1t was all like story
book. When they landed, to be sure, it
was not quite SO big place as they mad
fancied from all this show; for this they
did not care. To land-that was enough.
Had they landed on sand spit, they
would have been in heaven. No more
swaying 70 and fro as they lay in bed;
no more stumbling to and fro as they
walked. They refused the amazed Mex
cans who wanted Them TO ride to the
motel. 10 walk steadily was in itself a
luXury.
And then it was not long before the
men had selected the little caravan OF
horses and mules which were to carry
them on their expedition of discovery.
Some valley of paradise, where man
could change his climate from mid
winter 10 midsummer by a journey of
mile. Did the consul happen to have
heard OF any such yalley2
Had he heard OF them? He had heard
Of fifty. He had not, indeed, heard OF
much else. How could he help hearing
OF them?
Could the consul. then, recommend
| one or two valleys which might be tor
saIep Or was 1T, perhaps, impossible to
| buy ioOt-hold in such an Eden?
For sale! There was nothing in the
country, 50 far as the friend knew 10
| whom the consul presented them, which
was not for sale. Anywhere in Quere-
| tare; ur why should they not 60 w the
Baxio? No; that was too fat and too
far off. There were pretty places round
| Xalapa. On, plenty OF plantations for
sale. But they need not 60 80 far. AnS-
where on the rise of Chiquihiti.
Was the friend quite sure that there
were no plumbers in the regions he
named?
Never plumbe in Mexico"
Any liie-lnsurance men?
"Not oue." The prudent friend did
not add, "RIsk too high"
Were the public schools graded schools
or district schools2
"Not public school in six provin-
ces."
Would the neighbors be offended if
| we 40 not call?
"Cut your throats if you did"
Did the friend think there would be
many tramps?
The friend seemed more doubtful here,
| but suggested that the occasional use Of
a siX-shooter reduced the number, and
gave certain reputation to the premis.
es where it was employed which dimin-
ished much tramplng afterward, and
said that The law did not object to this
method.
They returned to dinner Of fish, for
which Vera Cruz is celebrated. "If
| what the man says be true," said
lngnam,. 1--WE must be very near
heaven"
1t was in November. Oh, the glory of
that ride, us they left Vera Cruz, and,
through a wilderness of color, jogge d
slowly on to their new paradise!
"Through Eden four glad couples took their
way"
Higher and higher. This wonde and
that. Not blade of grass such as they
ever saw before, not a ohirping cricket
such as they ever heard before, hun
dred bright-Winged birds, and not one
that they had ever seen before. Hivhe r
and higher. Trees, skies, clouds, flow
ers, beasts, birds, inseeLs, all new and
all lovely.
The final purchase was of one small
plantation, with house large enough
tor little army, yet without a sta r.
Oranges, lemons, pomegranates, man.
goes, bananas, pine-apples, coffee,
lsugar-WhaJ did not ripen in those Der.
eunial gardens2 Hall mile above
there were TWO smaller houses belong
ing to the same estate; half mile
above, another was purchased easily.
This was too cold to stay in, in NoVem.
ber, but in June and July and Angus
the, temperature would be sixty-six,
without change.
They sent back the mules. A telegram
from Vera Cruz brought from Boston in
fifteen days the best books in the world,
the best piano in the world, few boxes
OF colors for The artists, a few reams oil
paper, and few dozen OF pencils for the
men. And then began four months OF
| Dl6SSeu llles NEVER gas Dill nor q
water leak, never crack in the furnace
nor man to put in coal, never request
TO speak for the benefit OF the Fenians,
never the necessity OF attending at prl.
mary meeting. The ladies found in their
wa ks these gentle Mexican children,
simple, happy, civil, and with the
strange idea that the object for
which life is gwen is that men
may live. They came home with new
wealth untold every day-of ipomea,
conyolvulus, passion flowers, and or
chids. The gentlemen brought back ev.
cry day new species, even new genus
Ia new illustration of evolution or a
new mystery to be accounted Tor by the
law Of natural selection. Night was all
steep; day was all life. Digestion wait.
ed upon appetite; appetite waited upon
exercise; exercise waited upon study
study waited upon conversation; con.
versation waited upon love. Could il
be that November was overf Can lite
run by SO fast? Can it be that Christ.
mas has Gomez Can we let lie go by SO