Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-02-15

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nearly an hundred alcobas was occupied.
Dim lights shons from the open doors or the
paneless windows. Here and there could
be heard low and earnest converse between
chulas, or chulas and chulos. Oaths, impre-
cations or drunken shouts filed the place.
Here the thrum of . guitar; over Yonder,
the sobbing of some woman; near, the click
OF the castinet; beyond, dancing or baeeha'
nalian song. We came to the third gallery
and entered a near alcoba. There was no
light. Ruperto remarked upon it, and
added: ut ID easy got" Then he spurned
something in corner with his foot. A lit
tie cry of surprise and pain, but with not q
reproving tone in it, was the response. He
then demanded light, and the chula that
had been thus a1feetionately awakened sped
from the room and soon returned with 3
pewter lamp, lighted and burning brightly.
The mite of thing looked at her chulo with
wonderment in her great lustrous eyes at the
presence of the stranger, but he paid no at
tention to her inquiry save to order her to
inform her companions In the old fonda
that Ruperto and guest desired entertain
ment.
'Love requires little spleudOr in Spain, y !,
remarked Rupefto, as his eyes followed
AAAhC oIOuuu bhO OSbOlubC d1SVDus - NiAS
stomach is full, the purse not all skin, the
vestidos excellent, the heart light and ones
anna obedient, wha need for more ?''
REMINDERS OF A PAST CENTURY.
Considering my surroundings had no in
clination toward argument, and tempOrized
as VOlubly as my limited Spanish would
permit, making up for lack in that regard
with smiles, shrugs and antics of excellent
spirit and humOr. Through the open door
could distinguish numerous female tones
of surprise and meFriment, and male voices
of petulant protest, the result Of Ruperto' 8
chula's mission. Lights began to grow
more frequent in the old patio; the tuning of
q few musical instruments were heardj now
and then oastinets olattered staeeato as in
portent of coming possibilities; my own
companion disposed of his huge capa, and
prigged himself up bit, and in short
time the little messenger returned. notably
improved in her own appearance, and with
the one word "Ahara" (''noW') fell in be-
hind US, as we passed out upon the gallery,
like any other well-governed slave. We first
went from alcob& to alcoba around three
OF the galleries, paying our respects to
those found within, being received with
such courtesies and with so many 'gracias, -
that it swept ones faneies to the romanees OF
the Spanish knighthood of middle ages, or
seemed as though one had been transported
in trice to some wonderful masque of Span
ish nobility In rags. In one alcoba, chulo
was sleeping off the effects of fiery aguardi-
ente, his tawdry fnery obscured by his huge
capa which covered him entirely, his loyal
chula waiting at his side to minister to his
slightest drunken whim or need. In an
other, three bright-eyed chulas were at work
deftly plating ser6ns or pouches for donkey
backs IRON the rushes they had themselves
gathered along the upper banks of the GAUGE
Nuevo river. In another, a gay chulo re-
cliRed against the wall accompanying his
own not uumelodio1s song upon the guitar,
while his chula sat near, cross-legged like d
tailor, working as for dear life at joining
huge untanned skins Of pigs in which the
native wine is stored and by the wine-car.
riers conveyed on donkeys or hand-trueks
from door to door.
HER HUMBLE AND ONLY HOME.
Everyone of these nearly hundred
rooms was the only home the ehula ever
knew or knows. Whether she labors az
criada or servant at some inn, works at a
factory IA hours day, or wrings from end
less toll within these rotten habitatiOns q
weekly pittance, every peseta is wTehehed
from her by her knightly chulo, the return
for which Is the privilege of idolising her
owner, blows, kicks, and at last, the knife
for from her aleoba she never goes, save in
service Of her ehulo, and to the Campo Santo
with q knife-thrust at her throat or heart as
q seal of her loyalty even in death to her
vile master, who holds her life as less worthy
thing than that of his pet game-coek or
dog. And RuPert0 was proud to make this
clear to me, in the rusty old dining room OF
the fonda where q number of these un-
fortunate beings had gathered for music and
dancing obedient to mis- whim of entertain
ment.
''SeeP' he said gaily, grasping his own
chula by her Iuxuriant hair and Whifling
her fercely about "Seer'-he ran his
fingers into her pretty mouth and pulled her
tongue from it, as one would handle an all
ing horse-"Carlota once spoke impudently
to Ruperto. Zi-i-i-i-i-pr" here he Viciously
tapped his knife-''the tongue went half in
two! Is it not so, little sanee-pot?"
ISL, 81, SenorP' radiantly from Carlota.
AHA, 'si, ST. senorita mea! And the next
time"-here the brute spun the girl away
from him among the dancers ''the next time
it will all go, and the beautiful head
with itl''
All this may be attractive to painters,
dramatists and poets. The ehulo may be a
picturesque rogue, his poor slave, the chula,
a woman of fateful passion, ravishing beauty,
pathetic history and all that. But confess
to loathing beyond expression in the con-
temptation of the reality in this sort of
romantic" life. Spain is horribly honey
eombed with it.
THE SPANISH WOMAN AN ANIMAL.
The chulo and chula principle extends far
beyond these degraded types into highest
grades and classes. Woman is merely an an
imal in Spain. She Is the creature of man $
whin, as cockade is worn in the hat, ro-
sette on the collar, q bahble on the sleeve.
1t is easy to account Tor Spain's decay. No
nation can live where the home is not all
but the sweetest shrine; where the person,
the rights, the possibilities, of woman are
not willing and sacred charge upon the
honor of its men.
Travelling hither, less time will serve you
at Valladolid than answered for me. It is q
dreary and sodden old city in the center OF a
followed, teInpest-blown plain. Bleak and
wild are its surroundings; wild and bleak
are its GALES and plazas. In an hour or two
you may see all it has to show. Over there
in the Plaza Mayor, Philip IL, who was
born here, held his first great auto de fe
Cervantes lived, when publishing Don Quix-
ote, at IA Gale del Rastro. Columbus died
at Gale Colon. And the facade of San
Pablo, in the most marvellous picturesque
all Europe can show, is here besides. That
is all. save filth, bugs and quaint Asturian
peasants shivering about the vile bodegas,
or EhuattinG within church DOrehea ard