River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1881-05-12

slaughtered some of his cows and so
had enough for his own family, and
something for his peighbors, who, by
this time, came often to beg of him.
Ragged peasants wandered down
from the dry interior and gathered
around leo. living in hastily-construc
ed huts, and begging daily in the
streets. In time their wants became
so great that an aid commission was
formed in the village, and daily rations
were issued to the refugees. Jose gave
mora than one hank bin TO the com
mission, and many hungry man had
reason to bless him for his charities
Only, as the wear wore on, he gave less
because he had less to give. Some of
his owl cattle had died, and he could
hardly find water and grass for those
that were left.
But as t { trials grew heavier ray
of hope appeared. The sun had come
back to It's cid place, and soon the sea
breeze would begin to blow; a new
rainy season was Of hand.
Commonly some light showers fall in
November; they are called chuuas de
cqju, or caju rates, because the tree Of
farmer watched for these, and was dis
appointed when they did not come.
But never mind" he said to Maria,
there will be rains in January, or Feb
ruary at latest, and all will 20 WELL"
January and February passed on,
and not even a gentle shower came to
water the parched ground The farm
er's heart sunk within him, for already
a third of his cattle had died, and there
was no food for the rest. Still. for the
sake Of his family, he tried to keep a
smiling face at is hardly possible"
he repeated, that there should be an
other bad year; and they say that a
drOuth never commences until after St.
Joseph's Day, on the 4th of March"
The peasants were not so hopeful;
day by day parties of them passed the
house on their way to the coast, where
the government commissions were al
ready feeding thousands. They were
ragged and dirty, and half starved or
swollen with dropsy, brought on by
eating the unhealthy wild mucuman
seeds; on their backs they carried such
Of their little household goods as they
had been able to save from the wrecks
of their homes. Many begged at the
farmers door, and Jose always tried to
feed them: but his own cassava bas-
kets were almost empty, and the mar
kets at leo were closed, because none
came to sell. The cattle, lean and
dropping, wandered about searching
vainly for food and water, and giving
vent to piteous cries. Often the farmer
shut himself in his house that he might
not hear them.
He could not shut out another and
more terrible cry. One day man half
naked, with sunken cheeks and fam
ished eyes and protruding bones stag
gered up to the house and sunk on his
knees by the door way. For the love
of God, he groaned, give me a morsel
of food; | am starving"
With a cry Of alarm the farmers
wi dragged him into the house and
ran quickly FOR food; but as she sprang
back to his side and tried to put NOR
sci into his mouth, the mans teeth
closed like wise; tremor ran through
his limbs and he dropped to the floor
dead.
they mad heard of death from hun
ger in the interior, but this was the first
time that the terrible reality Of famine
had been brought home to them. Now
the farmer gave way almost to dispair;
he prayed only that he might save the
lives Of his family. Yet he determin-
ed to stay by his farm so long as any of
his herd remained alive.
Two days before St. Joseph's Day
there was great penitential process
sion at leo. The peasants, led by their
priests, walked together to the church,
carrying heavy burdens on their heads,
CRYING and cutting themselves with
sharp stones. Poor souls In their ig-
norance they hoped that the great rul-
er of the universe would lessen their
woes because Of their wounds. Do not
Judge them harshly, you who worship
at ease in grand churches. From the
depth Ofthat ignorance and semi-heath-
enism they cried as yo& | hope, may
never cry; with all the earnestness of
with the terror of despair.
God heard them as surely as he hears
you, and he answered in his good way.
| know not if the lash was lightened;
but knew that every one of those
peasants were better and stronger for
his prayer, degraded though it was.
All that day and all the next the
peasants watched the sky, crying every
hour for rain. When the morning of
St. Joseph's Day came, and not drop
had fallen, the streets were filled with
terrible wailings. Mothers held their
starving babies aloft that they might
appease the pitiless sky; strong men
das he'd themselves to the ground with
groans and tears and clenched hands.
For their superstition is that if no rain
falls before the 4th of March, St. JO-
seph has withdrawn his aid; the rest
of the year will be dry. They knew
that they could not live through anoth-
er dry year; they knew that there was
no food Even if they had money to
buy, they knew that even the rich were
ruined Do you wonder at their de-
spair?
Now, as by ore impulse, a great panic
seized the peasants. Deserving their
camps about the villages, they tlocked
to the highways and rushed in one wild
torrent toward the coast. So terrible
was this stampede that men who saw
it can hardly be induced to tell the
story. For it is not alone of weary
frames, of bare and bleeding feet, of
famished faces, 1t is a story Of child
rem deserted by their parents, wives
left helpless by the roadside, men stag
gering with weakness; n story of death
struggles and death throes; of unheed-
ed corpses by the road. OF the 100000
who made up the torrent, more than
100000 died by the way.
Terrible days those were for the
farmers family; terrible not only by
the starving wretches who pleaded for
help, but from their own helplessness
and sufferings One by one the cattle
were killed for food until only a dozen
were left. more than one was stolen by
the refugees-for starving Inen do not
often quarrel with their consciences If
they can fill their stomachs. Jose's
heart was sore for himself, but he could
not blame them.
After ten or twelve days the stampede