New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-07-20
A QUEER SPANISH MERCHANT.

From me atlantic.
entered a small shop where great bulgng oil jars OF
dark shining green with deep proecn., rim and three
curved handles stood in rows the walls we're lined WIN
shc,e. bearing dark red errtcOta water cruises with
aper nccks and trcto lips others Of delicious cream
color. covered with graceful ncsed Design ana others
dccately beaded over vi raised pattern; some had
one akinbO. OF long eccentric spout lost my
head this display, and reckessy ordered big pieces
by the pair and smaller by the dozen Ny lm1Sna-
tor showed me the steps Of 4 familiar country house
lars holding Ocanders and pOmegran8te shrubs and an
old mahogany Sdeboard adorned with the vory-tinted
glad by small reproductions OF the more exquisite shapes
The gypsy merchant only degree more brown stately
~ my probability although am persuaded at
he had never made such sale before, FOR the Dill
pesegS was just twelve dollars The purchases we're to
be safev packed IN strong box srht down te mfer
ing ms prOmptness maze second expedition to the
Tr,n f. see If he had hern az good a. his word
enough there IN little grass grown yard were three
eases, about as large and ~ strong as common Tea
ton, bouse Officers not a whit less -v and sharp
rpsos rose 10 my mind, and said that there must be
hui "ne box. aud that strong one these would hdLdy
hnd together to reach the river The master OF the shop
lighted cgortL and began to discuss che matter hs
part Of the argument consisting In almost toaI silence
Presently mi, wife Joined u.s. then au Old man who was
smoking In the shop; then an oid wonan then thty
called tho carpenter At last there wero seven persons
sitting ON d06rtcp, or slowly pacing about the packing
cases ~ II measuring them for carpet 10 was pro
nounccd impossible to make lagcr or thicker boxes ana
that II mad, they could not be lifted by mortal men My
kind artist friend who played Interpreter WIN patience
that cXaspcrated me- represented mat SrahdPtn9S ana
round the world but the Splnarl, PAID no attention 10
ythng that We SAIL MohOsJ udn' o'Jc'upl'' luSuicI
aSc obstacles expressed in single @Ori, we're their
only answers For thrcuart OF an hour the debate
was carried on unl hhay broke OH hcgo.l4tions, nc
clarng tho Portland ITSELF not worth 80 many
words Tho Spauard mpcrtufbaby prOesscd himself
ready 10 refund the money ana lor' the N1lue Oh uo
cn.es which were tine bill but not To mako anuther
box had not brought the bill with me, and asked hiiu
to refer to hrs books for the amount IhGre wore NO
books no slate. memoranda Of any sort lIo promised
To call 20 the Fonda ds Madrid that evening see the bI
and repay the amount departed; scrPlcaI. unt pre-
ferrug lpsr the fHther Than more tlne' nut
that evening the grave shOpkccpcr presented himself
thr TRANSACTION was auuullcd. aud hc icpcl to my ~
urWcI regret, losing the pottery 10y sayiug thlt n"
must lose h4 cases IN LnEl7h tHcnl VII" was -linh
tnp bv said that he would take the hg green lars which
conld Ice shipped direct To- London the shopkocpcr an
swcred that to transport those AlA ANA hnhg moro lr
bnXc. must be mAlC smaller. which would not DE worth
his while; ana Wishing good cfonuf with thc utmost
cnurtoay ne returned CputCutrd to MA uuSnd wares
some friends VINO nave lived long n spain witnessed this
sccuc and found nothing extraordinary I'm II; they -aid
that most Spnunrls would rather -arAe than work. nud
mat even the industrious would rather lose much money
than take little trouble,