Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-11-24

sank, these diaphanous clouds were dyed a
light amber color, through which the pur-
ping mountain slopes shone gloriously
where they fell to the Canadian pines, as
yellow as buttercups at the head of the
Icod valley.
Later the clouds and all the spurs of
Telde, where there was no snow, grew
abruptly black. There was an air of in
describable awe about the towering phan-
tom that thus brooded over the town so
early, and was yet so majestic that nothing
could seem more removed from the intru-
sion of restless mortals. All the world
was by this time in cool shadow of hurry
ing twilight-the mountain spurs, the
pine woods al. lbs base, the fields of tobacco,
barley, and psHatoes about the town; and
the reddiA roofs of the houses, interspersed
with palms and dragon-trees, all sloping
gently toward the sea-all the world ex-
cept the peak of Teide itself.
As for the peak, it glowed with crimson
light until the moon over our heads was
lustrous enough to read by.
When this memorable scene had passed,
we descended TO dine. The company was
scant but courteous, the dinner excellent
and the wine enlivening. 1t fell to my lot
to settle dispute about the comparative
worth of English and Spanish wines. An
elderly gentleman, whose education had
been neglected, was surprised to find that,
in defending the vintages of England
which he confessed he had never tasted
he had been whipping dead horse; nay,
rather horse that had never yet been
foaled. | dare say, however, he mistook
the pale ale of Burton, which is in every
wine shop in Tenerife, for a strain of the
British grape.
Toward bedtime new diversion offered.
The hostess remarked that she had
daughter, and upon such a possession l
congratulated her.
Moreover" continued the good woman,
"she learning the French, and speaks it
little. Not so well as the senior speaks
Spanish, but better than not at all"
'Then," said l, 'the poor girl must have
very few words at command"
"No-it is not So" replied the landlady,
laughing civilly. "Would the senior like
me to fetch my daughter p
She was well-grown girl of eighteen or
so, and she brought her grammar with her.
There was nothing for it but to sit side by
side at the book, and test each others ac-
quirements The mother meanwhile pro-
duced her lace work, and with a Joyful
expression Of the face, sat on the other side
of the table, now and then profering a
word of encouragement when the child's
wits were woolgathering or centering in
her smiles and bushes. For, though the
girls cheeks were bepowdered-ay and
her very ears-So that she was as pale as a
corpse, the blood showed through the
powder, and her large dark eyes put these
foolish artificial methods of adornment
much to shame. Occasionally citizen
sidled his head into the room, but l fancy
a glance from the students mother told
them all, one by one, that they might go
elsewhere for the time. We spent pleas
ant hour, and at the end of it | wished
Dolores sweet dreams.
4" / did not think the English had so
much patience" said the hostess, in COM
ment upon our labors. | of course assured
her that patience was needed rather to bear
the cessation than the continuance of such
gracious tasks.
The third day of our travel was Palm
Sunday, a festival of great honor in Tene-
rife While dressed | watched the popu-
lous gathering of town and country folk on
the greensward in front of the church, and
in the Plaza de la Constitution beneath my
window. The women wore silk handker-
chiefs of gray colors bound round their
heads, and poised on their crowns were tiny
straw hats, fit for large-sized doll. Other
wise, their dress was not singular-clean
prints being the common material
thereof. There was more actual dandy
ism among the men on this Sunday
morning. One young buck for example,
in a tight-fitting white and black cotton
jacket, large crimson neck-cloth, and
snowy pants, pranced superbly into the
plaza, twirling his mustache while he
managed his horse. He carried in one
hand broad fan of palm foliage, and
most of the others also bore palm leaf in
sympathy with the day.
l entered the church with the rest,
when the hour of mass was rung. Every
foot of standing space was soon occupied.
The women went to one side by them
selves, and very lively was the effect of the
hundred of kerchiefed heads-purple, yell
low, crimson and blue-from which the
small straw hats were removed. The men
were hardly less reverent than the women
during the function. The two or three
exceptions were spruce adolescents VINO
thought it no wrong to lean against
column, and chatter at their leisure But
even they were not without a cutting from
a palm The futter of fronds in all parts
of the church cooled the air amazingly
Drawn from side to side of the choir
was a thin veil of gauze, to symbolic
the veil of the temple. In the
course of the function of the following
Friday this would be rHthlessly rent in
twain, and afterward the sorrowful efiigies
of the crucifed Christ and the tear-stained,
heart-broken Virgin would proceed down
the aisle and out into the streets of the
town toward Calvary, where, amid much
sobbing, the burial scene in the cave of
Arimathea would be enacted. But to-day
the veil seemed to cool the heated church,
like the palm leaves.-AU The Year Round.