Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1889-10-10
CHIQUIRIQUITA.


United States army.
When / was Il 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. l
had known him always He taught
me to sketch, and read Spanish and
German. He often reproved me for
wasting my time.
IL am only a little Spanish girl" l
told him, land love to swing in my
hammock, and play on my guitar, and
sketch dark faced 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 head taller than i.
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
came to me- TO him-l was only his
colonels little daughter.
One morning was idly swinging in
my hammock, dreaming, when l
heard the sound Of horses hoofs, and
Edith Amos, her beautiful face looking
TO mo 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 l
was q child had fled from these grand
entertainments attended with much
ceremony, and visited some of my
Mexican friends; but now l enjoyed
them, for i was sure to be taken in
by my friend, DIR. Warner
That afternoon lneZ, my mother
maid, dressed me with unusual care. L
fancied looked my best in 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, fancied
that the blue-gray eyes OF DR.. Warner
followed me with appreciation. l 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. DIR,
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. Cloudless 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 l went so wretched ard mis-
cradle that even a moments rest seem
impossible, toward the dear old church
As drew near. to my excited fancy it,
gray walls seemed like heavenly city
/ could almost hear the three grea
iron bells in the overhanging roof. ST.
lent for over fifty years, ring out clear
and soft for the fair Castilian bride oil
200 years ago, then chant, deep and
low. requiem for the sanity dead
pushed open the huge door, enter
ed the silent church. and threw mysel
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 {
harp, her eyes turned heavenward
Then l cried out:
''Oh, Edith Ames, why did yot
Gomez was so happy. Why? WhyP'
"Why? Why?' came back to me
from the dim rafters.
Exhausted, | fell asleep on the colo
stone floor When awoke my eyes
rested on the agonized face OF a martyr,
and thought of the tradition that the
penitents OF long ago walked through
the or 'el priclSly pear hedge, just out
side the church, and found great com
fort In the act.
ran outside the church into the dry
hot air. l walked upon plant with
cruel thorns. | clasped one TO my
breast. where the golden roses hung
withered. until my white dress bore
marks OF It's cruel impress.
was so absorbed in my grief that