The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1885-02-19
A Mexican Fitting.

You should see Mexican family en-
voyage at the end of harvest. Leading
the burro van is the sub-youth of the
household. He is discontented because
his eldest brother has gone to the Pes
cado races; but on the whole takes il
out quite silently-on the shanks and
other visible parts of the two
grain submerged burros he is driv:
ing. A rod or two rearward follows
the matron-astride. A baby. eloquent
with the mystery and milk-famine OF
the occasion, is tightly muffled to her
hack in a blanket, whence the ample
folds of which its unarticulated protes-
tations but family issue. Clinging be-
hind are the little boy and girl. bearing.
with compressed lips and heroic half.
gasps, the pain of their unaccustomed
sitting place-for they are 1.-THE little
man and woman of the family" you
know! In her left hand this lady car
ries parasOl; in her right we'll
which she nickingly touches up sore
place on the burro' right shoulder. Her
feet are tied into the straps of the sad
dle-the stirrups being too long-and
with her heavy, buckskin-bandaged
shanks-which show short and are So
she fearlessly thumps the side of the
burro until he groans and staggers
but patiently keeps his accustomed
pace. Next-the old man! His burro
is loaded with household parapherna-
liza. Among these, a cat, sewn up skin
tight in cotton bag, head protruding,
ears laid and eye-whites active, yowls
and Kisses as she swings along, balanc-
ing the family eagle on the other side.
This gentleman, like the cat, is ''done
up" and resentful He continually
pecks and snaps his beak at his own
reflection IN the brass kettle overhead,
transferring these attentions to the old
man when the latter approaches to
maui the burro, or varying them by
nipping his animate but thick-skinned
conveyance. The old man is the live
lest member of the party. Listen to
him a moment:
"Tsuk-tsuk suk-suk"-(that means
get along lively. ''Sha a a" (mind
now. Stop eating. will youP No?
Very well, then?" Whack! '.Suk suk
what are you about nowP o yes!
very well!" Whack-bang = .'there,
now" What, at it again? Wa ma
mir Gust waltz. Whack-bang. whack
-"aha! humr' The old man. still jog
ging along, breathes himself. having
whack-banged with all his muscle. OF
this lull the burrO takes advantage
which shortly teammates the old boy.
'So-hor he exclaims. "YOu cause of
cogitationr' Whack You slave of
faggots' -whack-..You anger of the
god" bang -'lnsect-long cared tur-
tle--take atr'-whackity
'.and thatr' Bang. The last blow, hit
ting the gambol joint of the jack. caus-
es him to twist out of the trail with his
hind feet and progress sidewise. .'Here.
now" shouts his prosecutor, as he
skips around-quite nimbly for his age
toward the head of the brute, get
in there. you one-eyed, wOrm-paced
breeder of vermin, get in, say!' and
cutfity-cuff goes the stick down on the
long, flopI ing ears of the donkey. And
thus things go on to the end of the
twenty-five miles.
The story is told of one old fellow
who, in administering condign (?) pun
ishment to his burro. missed his aim
and knocked out the brains of his IA
vorite eagle. He then and there made
a clean sweep of the business. In his
excitement he killed the cat, broke a
couple. of water-jars, and ended up by
numbering the donkey.-FTGnk Curl
mo.