The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-07-03
Master MonteZuma.

The Emperor Monetezuma was a great
man, and historians have recorded much
about him, but of his earlier life, when
he was plain Master Montezuma, COM
paratively little is known of this rising
young gentleman.
Master Montezuma commenced his
earthly career as a crying baby, in the
year zone cane," which, when properly
figured down according to the Gregorian
calendar, would be about the year of our
Lord 1880.
No sooner had Master Montezuma
reached the fourth day of his existence,
than the nurse, under instructions from
his anxious mamma, took off what few
clothes the poor boy had on, and repair
ing to the baptismal font in the yard,
sprinkled cold water upon his naked
breast and lips, presented his credentials
in the shape of offerings to propitiate
the gods of war, agriculture, and so on,
repeated a prayer in which "the
Lord was implored to wash away the sin
that was given him before the founda-
ton of the world, so that the child might
be born anew" and told the three little
boys who sat zeal by, what Master
Montezuma's name was to be. The
three little boys left off eating their
parched corn and boiled beans, repeated
the name, and the little baby was chris
tened.
Now, if Master Moptezuma had been
a girl-which he was not-the offerings
would have been a mat, a spinning
machine and a broom, all of which
would have been buried under the
netate, the stone where ORR was
ground. As it was, the offerings were
implements of war, articles OF metal,
pottery, etc., and these were buried, as
near as they could guess at the location,
where they either hoped or feared there
might some day be a battle with their
enemies.
When Master Montezuma had eaten
and slept and kicked and cried for six
teen days longer, his parents took him
to the priest, and to the teacher, and
promised that he should be instructed
by these worthy gentlemen in war, poll
tics, religion and other branches of gen.
eral education. They promised that he
should be an Alfalqui, or priest, and
should also serve in the army as a SOL
der. In that little, wiggling baby, that
seemed all fists and mouth, it was i'm
possible to foresee the future Emperor
OF Mexico, whose name has since become
familiar to the civilized world.
Young Master Montezuma worried
along pretty we'll, and up to six years OF
age had done nothing remarkable. At
this age he was granted one and one-half
rolls at a meal, and commenced doing
little errands and picking up scattered
beans and corn in the Tianquez, which
is what the Me1icans called the market
place. $3.50
The restless spirit Of a military chief
tain now began to show itself in the
embryo warrior, and, by the time he
had reached his eighth year, discipline
became necessary to curb his growing
inclination to despotism. He was fast
becoming one of that class of boys who
think "it's too bad to be good all the
time :" and, no doubt, life sometimes
seemed hard to him. for the hieroglyphic
pictures often show him at this period
Of his life as shedding large tears.
Whether Master Montezuma was sorry
that he had done wrong, OF whether he
only feared being pricked with the ter
rible thorns OF the aloe with which emil
dren of that barbarous era were some
times punished, or was crying because
he was cold, who shall tell? 1t is hard,
sometimes, to tell what eight-year-old
boys are crying for, whether they live
in the Uuited States or in Mexico.
Master Montezuma may have been
better than most boys, and it may be
that his father was a better driver than
leader for his little ones. Some fathers
are. In any event, when Master Monte
yuma was ten years old there came
another opportunity for weeping and
wailing, and Master Montezuma was
submitted to the modification of lying
on the damp ground all day while he
listened to a parental lecture !; and this,
too, after he was twelve years old!
Then Master Montezuma reformed,
and became an industrious, faithful boy.
I have sometimes questioned whether
he wasn't hungry, and if he had been
better fed whether he would not have
done better. At fourteen years of age
they gave him two rolls at a meal, and
he was instructed in the art Of fishing
with q net.
When his fifteenth year came, Master
Montezuma found he would have plenty
to do. After this, old Mr.. Montezuma
had no trouble with him. 1t is curious
the more we have to do, the less liable
we are to do something we should not,
and-let III all study on that half an
hour, some day, and see what We can
make of it.-&. Nicholas.