Sacramento daily record-union., 1888-10-27


ital, this oldest city in Central America
looks ancient indeed, with its imposing
but ruined churches, empty streets and
tumble-down palaces, whose yard walls
were Quilt as high as themselves. Having
seen better days, the place wears an aspect /
OF shabby gentility, appropriate to Its
changed circumstances, but truth eompels !
the admission that its latter-day denizens |
are somewhat stupid aristocracy, out at !
elbows and hopelessly gone to the "dem-
milton bow-wows perhaps rendered the |
more naughty, sullen and useless by recol-
lections OF ancestral grandeur. 1t is diff |
cult to see how they manage to exist, be-
ing altogether too proud to. work, though |
mostly poorer than Jobs typical turkey.
The bluest blood Of old CASTLE is not sin
gular in this popularity, however, for
broken-down gentility in other parts of
the world, has been known to live-the
Lord knows how-mainly on the pleasures
of memory.
The oppressive quiet of the town fills
one with superstitious fancies Riding up
very long street, probably without en-
countering q single person, you come at
length to the alleged hotel-which has but
one merit, thato observing the> eternal fit
ness by matching its surroundings. Arch
itecturally, the Cartsgo inn is preten-
tious affair, but ruined, comfortless and in
/ tested with vermin, Its long, narrow pas
sage-way, is paved and arched like a fun
mel and smells like tomb. Mounting a
! trembling staircase in the dim and dis
tant rear, you find vast, moldy interior,
whose gloomy halls and shadowy rooms
/ fpll of .,,,1 4t.-
flesh cannot endure such uncanny com
pany-to say nothing of the execrable
cuisine and lack Of the commonest neces-
sarics.
Therefore, expecting to remain some
time, we rented one of the partially re-
paired houses Just above the plaza, on an
elevated terrace which rises with the slope
CT the volcano. With the assistance of 4
sleepy mozo imam servant) and sleepy
) female, we soon transformed this rookery
) into delightful home-a beautiful blend
ing Of the partical aud practical of South
ern sloth and Yankee energy, Old Spair
| and New England. Our casa-which
by the way, is one of the best in Cartago
yet rents for only $6 per month-has beer
: built nearly three centuries. Though
destitute of every convenience and literally
| overrun with lizards, centipedes, scorpi
ons, ct AL, it has oyerbaancing charm:
| which make us loath to leave it. In re
ality we have but little to do with thu
: house, except at night, by dayligh
2 writing, reading, or dreaming the happy
r hours away" in the cool and shadow
garden.
D Life never seems real here, but as if W,
e and the sculptured faces upon the cute
] II,
gether, waiting for some gay Prince Charm
/ ing to come along and awaken us. Fame,
/. the tagging hours of endless summer time
| spent in hammock, curtained from tn
l sleepy sunshine by the palms and pome
S granates of a Moorish patio! No wonae
e we sometimes feel ourselves surrounded b
' an imaginary throng of dark-eyed beautie
j and Castilian hidalgoes, who went to dus
e century or more age especially whel
= evening breezes rustic the leaves and rip
5 pie the fountain, it requires little stretcl
d of Imagination to hear whisperipgs in tn
t air-to see the carven faces assume ney
r expressions with their. interchange c
= "reminiscences; or in the deepening twi
e light under the olive grove to distinguish
Ave Marias, or the muttered exclamation
h "San Juan Bautista y San Jagow
: One may easily ascend Irazu, if so in
II clined; but there is little to render
e worth while-a tedious horseback iourne
y of two days, TO desoate nights and tn
!, brink of an awful abyss. The main crate
e is described by those who have seen it a
Il an amphitheater, with broken walls, 80
/ feet in circumference, descent of whic
If should not be attempted, for Though goin
!, down would be easy enough, like fallin
o from grace in moral sense, to ascen
l. again would be impossible, on account {
constantly-shifting lava sands.
1t have several times gone up the noun
Il tain far as the highest hut-a pleasar
e days climb, starting early and returlin
$ before nightfall. Passing down Cartago
RS principal street, you cross directly in fror
it of the Cathedral, and Immediately tn
Is ascent begins. Soon hight is reache
/ which commandsa glorious view of villag
Il valley and river. A long way up the side
II of the volcano are particularly favorabl
lr for cattle-grazing, and, strangely enough
r while the plains below are almost unappr,
Of priated, these steep pasture grounds al
d divided into patches, each with its hu
es occupied by people in charge of the cattl
n | cannot tell you the altitude Of the highe
1t hut, but it is near enough to the sky to 81
g yoar teeth chattering with cold, howevt
hot the day may be below The mn
as hovel, clinging like birds nest to ii
n edge Of wild ravine, has no opening bl
ID the door, and no furniture but rude tabl
re a bench, a big picture of the Blesst
1e Virgin, and two ox-hide stretchers whic
/ serve for beds, Yet happy husband an
C wife live here, and with them abides lo1
Of the heavenly guest. Their childre
1t play eontentedly near the brink of tt
le precipice, and wee baby creeps to Il
L door and gives you smiling welcome.
)r FANNIE B. WARD.