The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1891-11-12

city, and TO these the people 20 respectively in
happy groups, saluting where ways meet or
| approach, chattering and laughing, and max
1 ing bath something more than a solitary and
/ puTitanical penance for the sin Of throwing of
NTH. Aud as consequence Of the popular
matutinal movement all the people rich or
! poor, 60 20 breakfast pleasant and pleasing, in
body first aud then in mind.
BY the time we awoke with the first chirp Of
a bird the first morning, Tomaso had our bath
trough ready az tho door 10 bring in. The
first or carly breakfast Of bread and batter and
coffee was at seven; and soon after we started
on our ride with Senior Seiias It led south
ward from the city toward tho low mountains
/ through good country road hankcd partly by
| cocoa palms. but more frequently by the various
\ fruit trees of tropical orchards, including the
f juicy mango, the richly sweet saPodills, the
lime, sweet orange, date palm. custard apple,
\ guava, tree grRpe, sour.sop, almond, fig, and
! half dozen other varieties. few, If any, OF
| which are known TO the most of my readers.
These orchards appeared like thickets from
4 short distance, but beneath their yariegated
! ROOF OF shade they were bowers suggesting the
Eden of fable, with long, cOOl.looking per-
spectives that seemed 10 lead into a twilight of
peacefulness and bliss. Near or far within
| them were dwellings OF one high story, dull
white or pale yeilow-brown in color, with tiled
roofs, wide-open doors open bay windows with
protecting bars aud long vistas Of open courts
or patios; and through doors or at windows
were glimpses Of dark.oyed senoritas and chill
dren, the smallest often naked and not
ashamed
At "a distance OF about two miles by this road,
on both sides Of which flowed n clear stream Of
iuigating water for the orchards and gardens.
almost hidden by innnmerable wild flowers, we
hanked a spur Of the mountain, divided herd
/ OF C0rO goats from whose carcasses come almost
all our tabled Curacao kid y aud came out
upon little valley lying in a mountain circle,
aud threaded by river which had been partly
made lake by a natural dam, composed Of a
thin layer Of hardest rock
UPTILTED TO A PERPENDICULAR,
and showing distinctly all the way up one side
Of the mountain 20 its summit. Away from the
little lake 10 the south there was an emerald
green natural meadow, with a near fringe Of
Tall and willOwy trees and far one Of mi
mosas mingling with the denser growth Of the
mountain forest
But IL is not possible 10 give by words a salts
lying idea Of any such scene and / am not
trying 10 do that, but simply thinking my visit
over aud letting thought trickie through a
I typCwritlng instrument. What escapes through
the brain 10 become visible is almost always
/ aud necessarily the thnnest our memories or
minds possess leaving the cream Of all behind.
10y the foot of the mirror akeet is built the
works which aid in supplying the city Of CorO
with It's abundance Of Cure water through iron
pipes made in the United States. The old
monks had 10 be content with water from this
same source, carried TO them on donkeys. to mix
with their Aercz wine or amontlladO, If they
felt called upon 10 mix two good things with
the risk Of making poor one; and il is prob
able the water fOr common use was secured in
less purity and with less labor from a nearer
/ aud more stagnant reservoir But their water
involved no iobbeTy Of half million, as Is as
serted OF the present Improvements. and 50 il is
hoped that 10 the pure all things were pure
lt was in the evening, the time for visits in
hot country, that we visited Senior Seijas at
his home. His wife was an American girl. that
is, born in the United States-for let 10 be
known that all South Americans Justly claim
10 be as truly American as we-but as she had
spent all but the first Of her life in Venezuela,
she could only speak clearly 10 us through her
kind, sincere eyes, and not in words spelled as
they are never pronounced. Only one thing
need be recorded Of that pleasant visit, which
will give an idea Of the customs Of the people,
aud 50 Of Coro with the rest.
WE HAD SEEN 80 CHILDREN
In the house previous 10 our arising 10 take our
leave. The Sonora spoke 10 her husband in
Spanish, aud he interpreted to Us, "WouIdn't
You like to see the children" Upon our cor.
dial assent, we were ushcred into a rather large
room, where a single lamp burned dimly, and
which seemed 10 contain little furniture. And
when the light was frightened we saw-well,
ID was not much, certainly. 20 a bachelor for
instance but Ii was probably the largest part Of
the riches this young handsome, aud wealthy
couple possessed. How softly they approached
the center Of the room, 50 that we too went
tip toe.
There in twin hammocks that stretched
across the room were suspended two little
girls, apparently Of two aud four years, each
gathered up ia her separate pericarp Of linen
hammock strands like a bali blown rose both
sound asleep, aud both naked as when first
given 10 the light" as our Spanish sisters
beautifully say.
suppose the only first possible thought at
such a sight, brought about in such a way, was
Of the infant Christ; and when looked up 10
the face Of the happy mother aud saw the
tender look there somehow the Madonna came
into my not over susceptible mind, aud rather
wondered whether motherhood has much Of a
tendency 70 develop MadOnna-like charms in
the majority Of women. If it las, II is a pity
that ID often seems 10 be thwarted
The vision we had seen was the prcttiest and
best that we could have probably 10 close a
day. With il fresh in mind we went back 10
our top-heavy posada, full Of grown females.
empty Of little children, OVERLOOKING with de.
corons but languid assiduity 10 make one room
Of guests sustain the establishment, including
the incOnscquential cigaret smoker. There
without then thinking just these thoughts. we
hoped 70 sink 10 sleep with a vision Of cherubs
before Us, even extending in perspective 10
some who still swang in silken hammocks Of
our care-checkered love. But things have ways
Of their own, which are not our ways; aud so
when T0maso liz MS 10 our cots, he also seat
tered our visionary mood by excaiminr. as he
rctreated from my resting place mira, Scnori
dos milo! Tn alacran 4" See, sir! Nv God
a scorpiOnl %
Now some people have a prejudice against
the friendly scorpion, aud perhaps il is not nj.
together unlonnded. lie is not pretty 10 look
upon, as may be judged by the accurate picture
Of him IN the initial 10 this article He per-
scVerinRly iniests houses where he has never
been invited.
lie CEEEps UP WALLS,
and blunderingly falls down head over heels
upon those not prepared 10 heartily welcome
him. lie goes 10 bed before you do and takes
the middle Of the bed between the sheets. And
] where there Is one, il Is &C least proverbially
certain there arc two. And then he IS incon-
! siderate and cross. III you carelessly disturb
! him, be will fight back rs though you meant il.
/ Only touch him and he will fling up his ever
ready tail clear over his head. aud hit You with
4 IL II he can-Rnd be can. And there + a horny.
i hard, curved, sharp hook at the end Of that
4 tail, which Is constructed on strictly-businezs
7 principles, and no fooiing For when the tail
i ~ HhOppcd over against you the shnrn hook nj
\ the Intentional end catches on, and az the
same time IL pfescribes a h8me1ugtlir aosa ~