Smyrna times., 1886-06-09

am more IMAM Que JuOuSdLu lullCo
still from the city of Mexico. We have
too small an opinion of the extent, the
resources, and the power Of this storled
and glorious land.
Make it part of our Republic? No.
The sooner that notion is disposed of
the better for us and the better by n
great deal for the MeXicans.
What they need and must have Is a
hole in the mud hut for the light to
enter in at. What they want for soul
and body is simply light.
These great, brown, lazy Mexican
mountains that | was wandering over
this morning, after brisk ride on q
" burrO;" are full of strange little set
Elements, without single hut with
light in it. Yet they are clean; as
clean as they can be with four or five
lazy dogs, Il pig or two tied to the door
by one foot, four or five goats, a sheep
or two, and all that sort Of thing.
/ never yet came upon such land.
The relations between the mud and
the man. seem hardly interrupted.
And l am told they die as lazy and pa
tiently as they live. Not far from here
little town was attacked last Winter
with the smallpox. Four thousand
people died and not murmer was
made by any one. No lectures, no
subscriptions. Not even a paragraph
in a capital newspaper, thousand
miles or more away. Nor did the
priests abandon them or turn aside
Let the truth all be set down. The
Mexican is not coward Priest OF
layman, he will not run away.
And will not the railroad waken the
sleeping people with its scream and
rumble? 1t has not yet done so up
here in the mountains, whatever it has
done elsewhere. You can see them
ride alongside the railroad track al
day long. They are satisfied, They
sit on their horses, dogs at their heels
like the old cavaliers of Virginia, con-
tent to remain as they are proud, i'm
perlOus, true, honest, and extremely
| foolish.
From this point up to FL PasO, the
| Texan line, you see thousands anC
thousands Of thousands of cattle
These cattle are owned mostly by The
governor of this State Here is wealtl
enough to set all these miserable peO
pie on their feet; divide un This llu'i
distribute the cattle, settle up thr
whole state. Nothing Of the sorr
seems possible. I have met the sons o
this cattle king and governor Of state
They are most polite and cultured
They speak all tongues, | am told, am
are perfect gentlemen. But this is tn
proud old Castilian notion of things
And there is little help for the lane
while they and their notions dOminat
in Mexico. And they will dominat
until the people break them up, anC
they will not break them up, until tn
priests give them permission.
And what is the romance in all thi
round of life? Why, every day is
dream And he it remembered tina
beggars are permitted to dream, an
children too can dream. God has give
rs all this the poor man can dreaI
and romance and build just as loft
castles in Spain as the rich man; an
50 life goes on here in one cOntinua
round Of romance.
Yesterday the little adobe hotel i
which | have settled down was throw
into a feverof delight The son of tn
landlady had fallen in love with til
daughter of men who keeps donkey
to hire across the street. And wh;
was done? Why, the boy told h
mother; and the mother then ran an
told the father. Then the father tol
all his relatives, and the mother to
8 all her relatives. And chen a big tall
, that lasted all the glorious moOnl
/ evening, was held II the mother
, home. And - it was nat thiS cup
{ happiness was handed around, al
, every one Of tn IS two simple hOus
was made most happy. And set
[ down as Il fact that no secret marriag
- or great open marriage of state eithC
| that have ever heard OF, ever gave
0 much romantic delight and genuil
r. Joy. l was asked to share in the ft
D tivities-innocent enough, asses mi
= and toliers mostly, by way Of refres
r ments-and l was asked to look at t
5 little blushing bride, and asked to giv
5 her blessing in English. How eve
one delighted in wishing her joy, th
1 sweet and simple daughter of the M
5 from whom hire my donkey.
c And 50 life goes on here, a thOusal
e miles from New York, with the gret
4 sleepy old mountains of Mexico sht
ting out the active world of trade a
!. toll and hard, patient. sober life
# quin Miller in N. Y. Independent.