The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1878-11-06
A Jaguar Story

that my husband led you through
the woods this morning, one would
have thought you'd been glad of
rest, and here 1 find you writing
away like any abogado" Qawyer).
So speaks, gliding out with the sup
pie grace of Spanish blood into the
veranda in which I am seated, my
charming hostess, Sonora Diaz, one
Of the most piquant little tropical
beauties that Murillo ever dreamed
of, though sadly marred by the Gus
tom (unhappily almost universal
among the bellies of Paraguay Of
carrying in her smooth, olive cheek
quid of tobacco that would astonish a
man-of-war's man, and "chawing" it
ever and anon with the relish of a
Down Easter over 'plug O. real
Jeames' River"
"Well, really, sonora, after all the
wonders I've seen in this fairyland of
yours, had need write them down as
fast as I see them, lest, as your pro-
verb says, one nail should drive out
another!'
And, in this, there is certainly no
eXaggeration.
Senor Diaz's rancho stands on a
gentle slope, overlooking the broad,
| smooth sweep of one of the countless
tributaries Of the Parana, on the OPP
posite bank of which the wild grass
surges up in one huge green wave to
a height of ten or dozen feet. The
house itself is Of the characteristic
type common to all parts Of Spanish
America - the cool, shady veranda;
the long, low front; the painted walls
and cross-barred windows; the spa
cious patio or courtyard; the flat,
parapeted agotea rooD; giving quite
a fortress-like appearance to the
whole building. For several acres
around it, the cultivated ground, like
battalion of soldiers in the heart Of
a mob, displays its long, even lines Of
feathery sugar-cane and huge, BAN
ner-like bananas, in striking contrast
to the dark, impenetrable masses Of
untamed jungle that shut it in. A
very paradise, in truth, were there
not snake under every leaf by day,
and more mosquitoes than air to
breathe at night.
"You flatter our poor country,
senior, with the courtesy Of your ma
ton. But, as see you are putting by
| your writing, I will task your gall
lantry so far as to beg your help in
} watering my flowers, for it is not easy
for me, with my lame hand, to man
age that great watering-pot
"Be pleased to use my hands as
!, those of your slave, sonora. when and
/ wherever you may need them. By
e the-by, am wrong in imagining that
you promised me a story connected
S with the laming of the hand of
which you speak? I would not will
ingly be troublesome, but when you
have leisure"
"With pleasure, senior; it is very
a kind ofyou to interest yourself in such
r trihe. AS soon as the plants are
y watered, I shall have the honor OF
! serving you a cup of coffee on the
balcony; and then, if you are good
GHOuSA w tllO w llCul ~, uA4C 1UOl y
e is quite at your service
+ And accordingly, ten minutes later
y I find myself sitting in the verande
# over cup Of such coffee as I have
s not tasted since leaving Arabia, with
e little Lolita (Dolores,) my hostess
n only daughter and my especial pet
!" nesting at my side; while the sonora
deftly rolling up and lighting a papel
n cigarette, begins as follows:
e when we first came here, senior. {
n good many years ago, the place was
i very different from what you see it
My husband had got grant Of lanC
from the Government, which wa
: glad to give away ground about here
I, to any one who would take the trouble
d to clear it--and we'll it might! For il
;, those days the nato dungle) reached
a right down to the waters edge, ant
20 such black, horrid tangle it looked
j. of briers, bamboos, Spanish bayonet
1t wild fig, Llama, pirijao, locust-wood
e and what not, that felt as if
- daren't even go step into it for fea
e. of being lost altogether. But m,
lg husband and his poems went manfull
to work, chopping, telling, roofing
Y, fencing, digging, all day long, excep
70 Just in the worst heat, and many
ot d, time I've seen them come back S
e. e. tired out that they just dropped dow
le to sleep where they were, and it wa
lg only when they woke up again, thre
or four hours later, that they had an
:; thought Of food. ... .....
o. However, bit by BIT, began to ge
the ground in some sort of order; bu
even when we had cleared it, and be
gun to plant it, we had still plenty c
IL enemies to fight against. The ant
n. n, were tho worst; for, apart from tn
i;s' havoc which they always make In
plantation, they have q way Of rur