Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1889-10-04
CHIgUIRlgUlTA.

MY name is tnlqulFlQulId' my hoIlc
is in Arizona, near the borders of
Mexico. My father is an officer in the
United States army.
When | was tiny girl without
name, Sonora Martinez an aged Span
ish woman, came TO see me. | opened
my big black eyes and smiled on her
She murmured "Chiquiriquita," which
is the fourth diminutive of chico,
small, and means very, very small. My
mother called me ChiquiriQuita, then
my father adopted the name. Then
the garrison people followed their ex-
ample, and finally / was baptized Chi
quiriquita Belmont.
There was only two Americans eX-
cept my father and mother whom l
cared for One was old Gen. Ames. |
had known him always. He taught
me to sketch, and read Spanish and
German. He often reproved me for
wasting my time.
II am only little Spanish girl" l
told him, land love TO swing in my
hammock and play on my guitar, and
sketch dark-face children
The other American | cared for was
DR.. Warner, the surgeon Of my fathers
regiment. | also liked the mules, par
ticularly Jack and Juanita, two gigan-
tic ones. was fond of John, my pet
ostrich, who followed me about every
where He was a head taller than /.
His feathers were lovely, gray and
brown. Michael, my fathers servant,
put up hammock for me under some
shade trees near the house, and one
beside it for John, and we swung and
slept in them nearly half the time.
/ have spoken TO DR.. Warner. What
the rainbow is to the dark cloud it
spans, what the fountain is TO the des-
ert wanderer. what the moon and stars
are TO the midnight sky, that he be-
came to me. TO him-I was only his
colonels little daughter.
One morning i was idly swinging in
my hammock, dreaming, when
heard the sound OF horses hoofs, and
Edith Ames. her beautiful face looking
TO me like the picture of st. Cecilia in
the old church, rode by, accompanied
by DR.. Warner. She was a grand
daughter of Gen. Ames OF the fort and
had come to spend the winter in our
southern land with her grandfather.
/ felt as though the air grew cold.
threw my arms around John, who
was asleep in his hammock beside me,
and pulled his feathers so harshly that
one soft gray one fell TO the ground
from my hand
That afternoon my mother was to
give a grand dinner party in honor of
some guests at the garrison. When |
Il, \ 10. I'll
entertainments attended with much
ceremony, and visited some of my
Mexican friends; but now / enjoyed
them, for / was sure to be taken in
by my friend, DR.. Warner.
That afternoon Inez, my mothers
maid, dressed me with unusual care. L
fancied | looked my best In n creamy
white dress with cloth of gold roses,
my favorite flowers, for decoration. |
had almost forgotten my anguish of
the morning.
The guests gathered, and, as | went
about from group TO group, L fancied
that the blue-gray eyes OF DIR. Warner
followed me with appreciation. | was
looking forward TO the dinner hour, eX-
pecting TO enjoy my usual pleasant
chat with him. Sans black face SEEM
ed that of an angel messenger as he
announced dinner. The guests follow
ed my mother to the dining-room. DR.,
Warner crossed the long parlor and Of
fered his arm TO Miss Ames. watched
them until they disappeared, then /
quietly left the room.
No one noticed me. | almost flew
over the burning sand. Blue above me
was the sky-blue as the eyes | so low
ed. Coudless and pitiless shone the
sun upon me. Life looked long and
limitless as the great desert SO near
me at that moment, and just as DESC
late.
No one cared for Chiquiriquita!
On, on / went so wretched and mis-
cradle that even a moments rest SEEM
impossible, toward the dear old church!
AS drew near, to my excited fancy its
gray walls seemed like heavenly city.
] could almost hear the three great
iron bells in the Overhanging roof, ST.
lent for over fifty years, ring out clear
and soft for the fair Castilian bride of
200 years ago, then chant, deep and
low, "a requiem for the sanity dead.
l pushed open the huge door, enter
ed the silent church. and threw myself
down before the picture of the Madon-
ma. My eyes rested on the face of St
Cecilia, her golden hair floating about
her, her beautiful hands sweeping a
harp, her eyes turned heavenward.
Then / cried out:
"Oh, Edith Ames, why did you
come? | was so happy. WhyP Whyp"
"WhyP Why?' came back to me
from the dim rafters.
Exhausted, l fell asleep on the cold
stone floor. When / awoko my eyes
rested on the agonized face OF a martyr,
aud I thought of the tradition that the
pentents of long ago walked through
the or 'el prickly pear hedge, just out
side the church, and found great COM
fort in the act.
ran outside the church into the dry,
hot air. / walked upon plant with
cruel thorns. / clasped one To my
breast, where the golden roses hung
withered, until my white dress bore
marks OF IFS cruel impress.
was so absorbed in my grief shat /
did not hear the sound OF approaching
wheels until q carriage swept around