Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-01-29

cheeks. She had been left at home
to gladden. the eyes and cheer the
hearts of her parents whilst the boys
were away at college. Good old Dofa
Maria, her mother, was a typical ma
tive California woman of the olden
days. No better hearted nor more
whole.souled person ever lived. No
stranger ever found his way to the
rancho but received generous well
come; no questions were asked;
no references were required, but
splendid welcome always awaited
him. The laborers on the hacienda
all came to her with their numerous
troubles, and sickness and suffering
found in her prompt alleviator.
Many and many time, when the
dreaded smallpox had made it's way
into all the country around, had good
Donna Maria tenderly nursed the
humblest boregero as kindly and as
fearlessly as though he were her own
flesh and blood. Now she was just
at the age when she began to smoke.
1t is a queer trait in the character of
Mexican women that as soon as they
have passed the meridian of life they
smoke the inevitable brown paper
cigarette. They take to it as naturally
as a man does to fine Havana. To
unsophisticated Eastern eyes it looks
remarkable queer to see women
smoke, but almost invariably when
Mexican lady has reached that age
when the weight of declining years
begin to tell and she enters upon the
declivity that leads to the end of life,
she enjoys good, quiet smoke inn
mensely. 1t is no unusual sight in
any Mexican home in California to
enter an adobe dwelling and see
two or three women seated on
the floor enjoying comforta-
BILE siesta, putting contentedly
away at cigarettee. Good old Dofia
Maria loved to sit out in the court
yard of the dwelling house-the air
heavy with the perfume of orange
blossoms and the choicest flowers
growing in reckless profusion all
around her, and then, in the soft glow
of calm summer evening such as
only Southern California has, watch
the rings of smoke go curling up
wards, as she puffed away at her Gig
arctic, meditating fondly upon the
homecoming OF her querido muchachos
and what grand and good men they
would be.
And on the morrow they would
be home, bringing with them a college
handsome, big, broad-shoul-
dered Jack Lawler-to be initiated
into all the pleasant mysteries of
ranch life in Southern California.
Old Don Miguel had made big pre-
parations to celebrate their home.
coming. He had given all the labor
ers holiday for a week in honor of
the return of the boys, and arranged
to have a gran fiesta of mirth and
merrymaking. There was to be a bale
| (dance) and all the neighbors for
miles around came focking to the
rancho. There were dashing young
cabaueros in broad-brimmed sombre-
ros trimmed with silver braid, gay
serapes thrown carelessly over their
shoulders, bright colored zarepas
wound round their waists, wide,
broad-fringed pantaloons of various
colors, slashed wide open at the bot
tom, and natty, high-heeled boots
completed their costume. Piquant
.SeNoritas flashed about the premises
in quaint costumes, with shawls of
various colors thrown over their
heads, covering all but pairs of roug-
ish black eyes that danced with mirth
and mischief. The old Dons came
thronglng in to take part in the vari-
oun amusements, gamble on the horse
races, bull fights, cock fights, and at
the monte tables. Their wives were
there in force, good natured, laugh
ing SeNoras, with as much fun
in them as in their daughters
Straightway the first thing Jack did
was to fall desperately in love with
Carmelita Don Miguel's only daughter.
He managed to secure waltz with
her at the bale and had glimpse of
Heaven as he foated round the room
to the tune of delicious and quaint
Mexican waltz. Eduardo and Rafael
had resolved to give Jack all the fun
he wanted, and with that end in
view they had instructed number of
Young Senoritas to keep continually
breaking cdScar0nes on Jacks head.
These were ball favors made of egg
shells filled with bright colored bits
of paper that fell all over the hair
and cleaned and glistened in the
lamplight with splendid effect. They
were gently broken upon the head Of
either sex, as compliment to their
charms and delicate manner of ex-
pressing their preference for one
another. The first thing Jack knew,
a modest little lady came tripping up
to him and gently broke cascarone
up n his head.
"What in thunder is that for ?" the
astonished Jack muttered, "Wonder
if it's rotten?" and he snuffed sus-
piciously at the egg shells on his coat.
While he was attempting to solve this
problem another maiden broke an
other upon his head.
"Bl George, this is queer: great
country, this,-smash you with eggs ;
wonder what's got into these people p"
and he glanced helplessly about him.
The boys were off in one corner in
tently watching Jack and enjoying the
whole affair hugely. Urged on by
these two worthless, Senorita after
,Senorita broke one cascarone after an
other upon Jacks head; po fellow,
he stood it as long as he could, until
in the middle of delicious waltz with
Carmalita, mischievous and slightly
jealous young damsel smashed an
other on his hair, and this time
Jack got mad, stopped dancing and
glared savagely around him. He
didn't know what to do. He couldn't
speak Spanish, but he remembered
word he has heard somewhere SO he
stamped his foot down upon the
floor yelled carramba. The music
ceased and everyone stopped dancing
to see what was the matter with
Jack and there he stood in the middle
of the floor with a black frown upon
his countenance and industriously
brushing the eggshells and haper from
his hair. Everyone burst out laugh
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