The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-05-21
lGood Words.1


tGood words1
My rooms were on the second floor of
the house of rich peasant proprietor
at least, they We're second floor in front;
but the house elings to the hillside, and
an olive branch tapped against my win
dow. Of course, in a less favored eli
mate this would be unhealthy, but the
air felt fresh and dry all over the house,
as it faces the south. A fight of tiled
stairs led up to the dingy little kitchen
like that of peasants chaumiere--
through which I.had to pass into the
small room that served nae for meals, a
mere passage to the bedroom beyond,
where generally received my friends;
for there had an old armchair and
writing-table by the window, which COM
mands view that makes up for every
thing else, even the unsightly wooden
floors and scant furniture.
Next door lived a maker of espadril-
los-the sandaled and embroidered white
cotton slippers, with hemp soles. worn
by the peasants, men as we'll as women
the only shoes, indeed, they wear, a
proof of the dryness of the climate. !
arranged with the espadrillo-maker's
daughter, Angelique, to attend me, just
for few hours, morning and evening.
She fetched water from the spring, and
did all the scrnbbing and sweeping aud
cleaning up" but, Of course, I had to
undertake the chief part of the cooking
myself; this, however, was an amuse-
ment in the evening. The village post
man brought me everything that
needed from Amelie. l had only to
write a note to Nine. Abdon Mary,
grocer, and a most enterprising woman,
and she bought the meat, bread, OF
whatever l required, and sent all to nae
neatly packed in a basket.
Vegetables of all kinds could be got al
Palalda; among them, by-the-by, wild
asparagus, which grows on the noun
tains, and is delicious in an omelet. My
landlord, M. D., supplied me witt
excellent wood. He and his wife are de
lightful people, SO kind and obliging
But I could prose OH about them ant
about Palalda for a MONTH How pig
killing time came just after my arrival
and horrible cries reseunded; and how
everybody was helping everybody tt
make sausages and salt the meat, ant
many little acts of kindliness wer,
shown. And then all the carniva
mummeries, with the evening dane
in the little "Place," where the chic
musician "modulated in the Dorie style
on a pipe, and at the same tim
beat tiny drum fastened to his shoul
der; and the boys and girls wound roun'
the "pole of liberty" in the graceful in
tricacies of the Catalan dance, with
mixture Of viyacity and Of dignity en-
| tirely Spanish; the parents and old pee
pie sitting on chairs close by the walls
No loud laughter, no noise; just as pei
feet propriety and politeness as ther
could bc in Paris drawing-room! Yon
der see, man with the air of stag
prince, dressed in matador's jacket 0
scarlet and gold, with sleeves s!ashe'
with white satin, and, holding his han
in the dance, comes the belle of belle
(for almost all the girls are pretty.)
81 And here comes lad in his simpl
blouse leading my handmaid, Angeliqu
who smiles and bows to me, aud lool
. gorgeous, arrayed in dress Of white ca
leo trimmed with red, glazed cotton stu
aud on her head a Catalan cap, embro
dered elaborately by her own plump Ii
!, tie hands. She came to me that evenir
beforehand to show me her gown, as rad
ant and happy as if it were of satin, i
= stead of being made cleverly out of :
: old petticoat; and she implored me to
y see the dance, because "Mademoisel
! might never have an opportunity of sc
ing so beautiful sight again"