Morning journal and courier., 1889-11-23

This lugubrious song about @ Lisbon mar. ket maiden awoke me from restful slumbe1
 on the morning after my arrival at Ponts
 Delgada. A young woman was singing in
 the patio beneath. The wind, balmy and
 warm as in our June mornings, pulsed into
 and out of the old alcoba, sway ing the COT.
 tinas pleasantly. It was queer place, but
 dreamful and idyllic as one might wish te know. found convenient for use water fol
 washing in huge vessel of pottery such ai
 had seen on the strange craft from St.
 Mary's in the harbor, wash bowl of pewter, centuries old, and coarse linen towel ample enough to have formed respectable toga in lieu of other garments. The one chair, or stool, of the room was constructed of rawr hide thongs over a hollow frame work SO ponderous that curiosity as to it's possible service as a drum possessed me. With my two hob-heele1 shoes 50 we'll succeeded in beating resounding reveille upon it that, in 6 twinkling, Senhor, Senhora, Senhorits and a delegation of wonderful numbers from the street responded with great alaerity and trepidation. In the name of the Virgin, was Ssnhor in perila No, only in good health, and like the average American, characterize tically lively. They were relieved and so was |; they of alarm, protestations and blessings, which, in the Azores are delicious, cheap and musical, and myself of small change as an agreeable back-door out of an embarrassing dilemma, which in turn engen- dared much excitement in the street below Putc &ho al n3o <I> maiden was resumed; certain odors stealing from the. patio disclosed that my breakfast was being prepared, and other odors from the street told that the populace had invested my money in tobacco possessing qualities of unusual vigor and penetration.
 Both scenes furnished little Azorean pic- lures in their way. Below the balcony stood the aged Senhor, Manuel, my host regular jarretta as to his old fashioned dress, and grandly conscious of his dignity in the pos- session of genuine traveller under his roof. With Manuel a score of swarthy arrieiros or donkey drivers, and coeheiros or cabmen, were humbly arguing and pleading for op- portunity of profit from his guest; as many market women loitered to enjoy the argu- ments and learn the outcome; while double the number of bright, happy, but half naked children squatted upon the ground or grouped themselves in all manner of uncon- sciously grotesque pastures and made merry comment upon the hidden estrangeiro who carried thunder in his baggage and beat the timbales that he might scatter money among them. Nearly all were smoking odd looking and vile cigarettes rolled in corn husks, which, whenever vehement periods of pro- testation or argument were being approached, were invariably deposited with great dignity and precision behind their swarthy ears.
 The bit of interior in the patio or court was also odd and charming. It was tiny place with stone floor. All sorts of quaint utensils and furniture were scattered along it's sides. A narrow gallery ran around the entire second story, with here and there a bird in cage and semi-tropical plant; on one of its sides some pretty vines crept up against the old walls in a vagrant, luxurious way; while the roof of half round tiles ex- tended distance over the galleries, leaving generous opening to the sky above. The whole interior, while picture of medi@val quaintness. was structural compromise be- tween the closed abodes of northern climes and the lovely half garden house court of the tropics; suggestion of snugness and protection from whistling winds, and as true a tribute to zephyrous airs and genial sky and sun. But opposite my chamber, along the shadowy end of the ceurt was the surest sign of equable cline and summery days. That was my breakfast cooking in the open air-not upon stone, nor in fire place, nor yet by any of the ruder devices our Ameri- can grandmothers knew. Heavy Hat stones furnished sort of raised rocky dais as high as senhora's knees. On this furze fagots were burning in two tiny fires no bigger than your fists. Above one of these on a trian- gular piece of iron something was grilling. Above the other in copper pot held there from long distance by wooden pike be- heath it's bail or handle something was stew ing. Between bars and snatches of senhori- ta's song, the maiden of ample bust and hips, with arms akimbo and hands pressing against the sides of her scarlet bodice, cons verted herself into human blow pipe, feed ing the flame of furze with such blasts from her powerful lungs as would for the time completely hide the two females in a kind of volcanic shower of ashes, the volumes of smoke swirling away towards the clouds through the ever open roof of the court. Thus for an hour came song and smoke and strange dissolying views of breakfast, wo. men and fire, when gray old Manuel most ceremoniously conducted me to my almoco or breakfast, set, l was interested to find, in his songful daughter's boudoir, which, among ether common objects of use and decoration,