Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1884-06-04
STORY or \ DIRTHRIGHr.
CHATTER /.

CHATTER l.
am an old man now my hair is
white. nv back is bent. and the furrows
of age are on my cheek and brow.
Nearly sixty years have passed over my
head since the never-to-be-forgOtten day
when | Erst became acquainted with a
terrible portion of our family history.
The remembrance of my trouble llaunts
me still. and ! sometimes fear will hover
As A phantom near my bed when the last
scene OF nv earthly existence closes.
| WAS Younger son my elder brother
Inherited that which had belonged to
cur ancestors fOT generations. | will
expla!n later OF the nature Of his birth
right
Never were brothers more unlike than
Carlos and myself. People used to say
that be took after my father, who was
man Of rough exterior, iron nerves.
ant mlrNible will, and that resembled
mv mother in appearance and diSpOSi-
ton. | never knew my mother; she
died WkeE / WAS barely four years old ;
but | llays vague recollections of gen.
lie, soft-eyeC woman bending over my
bed Al night. pressing me to her heart,
and saying She was thankful that |. her
darling, was not the eldest son. When
came TO years Of reason, / too was
thankful for that circumstance.
We were SpAniards; no aIen blood
flowed in our veins, for Our family had
never lnterm trried with foreigners.
Tie house in which we lived was situ-
ated abUut three miles from Burgos,
and had come down ID ali unbroken
ne from ia,her 10 son for centuries.
Ii was low, Hat building, consist of
on'y one Story, and painted bright red
outside. There Was notning unusual in
The Internal decorations, ard the rooms
We're comfortably furnished. but no one
ever entered the house besides ourselves.
The windows opened upon large gar
den, around which was a field, or rather
common, about an acre il extent. The
Tho.e WAS surrounded by a wall, be-
yOnd which 1 seldom went.
Our family consisted of my fathoT.
my biOthtr, my: elf, and an old woman
"a distant connection of ours-who
acted is servant. Ny father always
Wore brown Uniform trimmed vita
red and yellow, also hat, with very
large beads, on which were embroidered
certain devices. These bright colors
made great impression on my childish
imagination, and, when, on one OF two
occasions, was taken TO BurgoS, the
uniforms of the officials | saw in the
stleets struck me as looking very poor
IL comparison.
From childhood was extremely timid
and sensitive, and this natural timidity
was Increased by my brothers. rough
and tyrannlcal conduct towards Inc.
When Carlos was twelve years old, he
was sent 10 a remote par. of Spain to
finish his edurat:on, and five wears
his !unlOr-acquirel the rudlments of
learning under the care OF a lady who
Kept day-SehUJi for boys in the neigh
bOThOOd.
"The Lad has abilities" my father
said, us he cOnlided me to the care of
the Sonora Loyados and, as he turned
to leave the room, he added, ''Poor lit
tie Alionso"-every one called me- poor
little AlfonsO"-'1s the younger son,
and Will hsve to decide on his line of
Life betInes SO the more progress lie
makes III his studies the better. Ny
eldest son las his career marked out for
him.
1eS, yes-l krowj j" answered the
Sonora III d voice ,hat trembled little;
and, as We went to the schoolroom, l
fancled her hand trembled too.
My goveTness was very kind to me /;
but my SchoOl-fellows seemed TO avoid
my company, and never invited me to
lOln IL their games. In addition to this
they always spoke Ill whispers when /
approached. think the Sonora was
sOrIy for me, for she would often call
me TO her when | was standing alone
In the playground. and, strsking my
curly head, say gently
Poor little Alfonso, poor little Al
fOnsO ~
The conduct of my companions occu-
pied my thoughts less than it would
have done had / not been too ailing and
tlmld for rough play but after a few
weeks began to wonder why | made
no friends among the boys like the rest.
l learnt tie secret on my tenth birth
day.
One Of my schOol-fellows, Fernando
TorOdeas, was kinder to me than the
others and asked him TO come and
spend the evening at our house, as it
was my birthday. He coIored, and
St2mmered out refusal. Ipressed him
10 come, and bring his sister with him
"a pretty little girl whom / had seen
once or twice; but to whom l had never
spoAen. He again refused. Then l
asked him the reason. After a little
hesitation, be told me the truth. Young
as was, | at once understood all that
Defore had been incomprehensible
70 me. l thanked Fernando for his
tIahkness, and was turning away when
ne seized my hand in rough boyish fash
Ion aud said
Never mind, poor little Alfonso !;
you can't help it, you know And, be-
sues. You are not the eldest son."
walked home in silence and, as
usaai, alone. My reflections were very
pilter that night; and, when I was in
ped and sure nobody coald see me, /
cried bitterly. From that day my SEN
slLiVeness increased tenfold, and l i'm
agihed premeditated sights where in
a,l probability none were meant. Soon
afterwards | left the Senora's school,
ana my brother returned home. l soon
discovered that his society was by no
means congenial to me, for he was
tough and rude in speech and brutal in
hIanners. This obnoxious behavior
was always more observable when he
anl my father returned from one of
sneir periodical absences. My only con-
Soldtion Was in books. for they diverted
my thoughts from n yself and my mis-
efabe position.
after time implored my father to
y. me seek employment abroad but he
tetused, and said I must remain where