News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1888-08-02
SHE BELIEVES IN MET TEMPSYC-
HOSTS.
A Widow C1ings to a Turkey and
Won't Go to Her Husband

San ANToNN1IO, TEX.-Justice Leila
Maque of the Eission Espada came to
town to-day aud related to interested
auditors very queer tale of the neigh
borhood. One year ago Antonio Jimens,
ikely-looking Mexican of the lower
order, married q young widow, Eliza
Valdez, who is described as being re-
markably handsome, and prior to her
last marriage quite ardently desired by
such youths as had the good fortune to
be acquainted with her. The ceremony
was of the usual kind with this happy go
lucky people; the black robed padre join
ed them, there was q supper, some whis-
key, some dancing and music, and much
guitar playing. The festivities were kept
up till late hour, but ended at last.
The impatient bridegroom approached
his prize, requesting her to make ready
to accompany him to their future home.
He was disagreeably astonished when
she burst into tears, threw her arms
around her aged grandmother's neck,
and refused to go with him. Arguments,
protestatiOns, wOoings, anger, were of
no avail; she intended to stay there, and
she stayed, giving no explanation furth-
er than that she was compelled to refuse
to live with him. Jimens took himself
off il high dudgeon, but returned next
morning to renew his pleading. He
achieved the same result, and was left
involved in the same mystery, the deeper
as his recalcitrant spouse was a widow,
and might have been reasonably y suppos-
ed to have long ago overcome any stub
born maidenly scruples.
The state of affairs has not altered.
Jimens lives by himself, and Mrs.
Valdez, or rather Jimens de jure, if not
de tact0, lives with her grandmother. She
has developed, however, a very singular
mania which explains her queer action.
Like most Mexicans, she believes in the
doctrine of metempsychosis. With her
it is not matter of philosophy, but of
superstition. There is q pet turkey
around the place into which she asserts
that the soul of the deceased Valdez en-
tered on the night of her second mar
riage. She tends the bird with the most
devoted assiduity; will not suffer it for
moment out of her sight has it in her bed
chamber at night; follows it about like a
slavish nurse; talks to it in terms of eX-
travagant endearment; is i'll when it is
i'll; reioices when it is well again, and
gives it the choicest food which her limit
ed means enable her to procure. Under
the influence of this intense and I'M
natural attachment she has wasted
away, and is no longer the buxom and
blooming beauty of o year ago.
It is a belief among her friends that
when the gobbler dies she, too, will seek
consolation in the tomb. The idea is i'm
movably fixed in her mind; all attempts
to disabuse her of the nonsensical i'm
preston are resisted with tears, some
times with violence. If the unconscious
object of her attachment strays from her
side, as, being an active bird enough, it
sometimes does, she becomes nearly un-
manageable, and runs wildly from place
to place seeking and calling it. This
fantastic version of "The Quick or the
Dead" excites much interest in the
Espada section, and Mrs. Valdez re-
ceives numerous sympathizing callers,
with whom she is entirely affable, until
they endeavor to show her that she is
making a fool of herself. st. Louis
Tlo50oc1rJf