Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-10-10
A BIT OF ROMANCE.
How an Indian Girl Became the Wife
of a Rich Coffee Planter.
THE SEQUEL OF A STORY.
The Man Who Seemed Least Interested Turns
Out to BE the Hero OF the Denouement-The
Surprise of the Narrator and One Of the
Listeners at the Result.
Correspondence Of The Evening Star
SAN JUAN DEL NoRry (GnrYrowS).

Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
SANJUAN DEL NORTH (GREYrowS),
NICARAGUA, September Is, 1891
kNVENING AFTER EVENING THE SMOK-
- ing room of the steamship Aguan had been
crowded, and on our fifth day out from New
York We seemed to have exhausted every SUBJ
lect OF conversation that could attract interest.
Most OF the passengers bound for Nicaragua
were greatly interested in that country and
were attentive to any remarks concerning il.
Mr. Hendricks, who had lived in the tropics for
some years, finally related an incident which
excited interest among all of us. perhaps from
the graphic manner in which it was told, as
well as the facts of the occurrence.
Il was going up the San Juan river some two
years age" he began, when saw a beautiful
Indian girl standing on the deck Of the steamer
with face SO forlorn and hopeless that she at
tracted my attention. Turning to the ca plain
l said: Ihave seldom in this part Of the world
seen SO sad a face as that
AN maybe if you were a,tlnjun gal an
mad walked nigh thousand mile TO meet
your Teller an foun' him married, YOU wouldn't
feel Just jolly yourself was the retort.
The answer and an abundance of time on
my hands made me determined to know the
history of that poor Indian girl" continued
MIR. Hendricks There is seldom seen a form
SO erect, carriage SO modestly proud and
countenance so noble in expression as then be-
fore me. We were 80 near the rapids of Castillo
that could have no further word with the
captain. More slowly the steamer neared the
old town of a hundred houses and huts work
ing its way through the seething foam and by
the dangerous rocks that showed themselves
here and there above the rushing waters. The
old Spanish fort came into full view as we
rounded a bend in the river and "reminiscences
OF the place were exchanged. for il was here that
Nelson-the famous Lord Nelson-lost battle
when attacking the fort, garrisoned by a scant
number of native soldiers commanded SO the
story runs, by the aged mother of the COM
mandante, who had been killed early in the
bombardment. There are variations of this
story, another version being that it was the
communicates young daughter that defeated
the great Nelson.
MOTHER AND DAUGHTER.
''The brown, time-colored masonry of the
fort, rare and picturesque relic of the Span
ish conquerers in Central America, vanished
from my vision when l heard a subdued sob
almost at my side. Looking around found
the Indian girl who had attracted nv atten-
ton weeping on the arms of an old and feeble
woman who had stepped aboard the steamer
as it touched the wharf. Nina mia, nina
ma (my child. my child. / heard the elder
utter feebly, and turned to leave the two alone.
IheIe are SOME Things In TINS W0riQ tnat are
sacred even to the lrreyerent, and he is surely
heartless who is not touched by the sorrows Of
the weak and poor The bent form OF the old
Indian mother, clothed in rags. was supported
by the younger and stronger as they sobbed
together. l now noticed that they blocked
the narrow passageway between the ratings
OF the stairs and the smokestack and with
drew to the farther corner of my coral from
which there seemed to be no escape. SO re-
NAMED quietly endeavoring to pay no atten-
ton to the couple, yet unable to keep from
hearing every souSd that came from their di-
rection.
In quaint Indian Spanish the girl was telling
her mother her sorrow. She nov spoke in an
undertOne. and SO distinct that every word
could be heard can only repeat the story in
a general way, as then gathered il and as
afterward learned it from some native passen-
gers on board who had been acquainted with
the young Indian girl In her mountain home
In Chontales she had grown up under the care
OF her mother, seeing only the faces of those of
her native village. She had idealized the play
mate Of her childhood and they had been con-
slant companions. Growing older she became
a much-sought beauty of the neighborhood
the cane hut of her mother being the point to
which many of the young men of the town
guided their steps when the day drew
to close; but the favored Roberto
had no reason for jealousy. Felicita
reserved her smiles for him. Her
daily life filed with the little
duties OF the house. grinding corn, helping her
mother make tortillas or bringing water from
the brook near by. The exercise of the latter
work: carrying water jars on the head, well
as all other burdens, gives to the women of
Central America that erect carriage which is
always noticed among the poorer classes, and
is perhaps the cause of their rather ungraceful
step, often giving them a stumbling gate. But
as she was about entering womanhood her
playmate had reached a mans years. and, what
is most unusual for one reared in his locality.
became restless for change and took the first
opportunity to effect it. Once away he soon
forgot the charms OF his old playmate though
they had understood that some day they would
go up to the little Catholic church together
there to be married by the priest. There she
took much pleasure in bedecking the images
brought to the service of some one on the
calendar. The church and the service
always brought to her mind the marriage serv-
Ice. that mystery which meant so much to the
young Indian girl-meant a holy something
above and beyond any ceremony. though the
ceremony always brought it wildly to her
mind. Her quaint hope was to have the church
bells ring from morning till night on that day.
with the bang of fireworks adding to the din,
those being, according to custom, the chief
features attending the ceremony.
GOING TO her REcREANr LOVER.
''But it was different with him whom she
was linking with these scenes and who was al
"ese ASh ShAci taoubhs ditcT no tuClr
home. He had soon forgotten her, soon made
a record which he would have been heartily
ashamed of had he been capable of shame
But the young girl could never believe him
other than she was and SO il happened while
wondering that he should never come back to
her she heard that he was sick in San Juan,
with no one to nurse him. Her first thought
was to go to him, but then her native instinct
told her he should have come to her long ago.
Her mother would not allow the girl to leave
her home, but time formed her resolution and
she star ted out alone, and walked down the noun
tain road toward San Ubaldo. So deep was the
mud she could scarcely wade through it, as it
was at the end of the wet season. In a palm
basket she carried a little store of cheese and
tortillas, and she had exhausted the food long
before she reached the Great lake.
Here she worked until she saved
on the steamer that every week stopped there.
1t required a months service to get enough
money to pay her fare to San Carlos, the town
on the hilltop where the lake empties into the
river and there she stopped until, a native canoe
starting for San Juan, she secured her passage
to her destination and during three days foated
down stream. great bundles Of crude rubber
being the cargo of the little craft. Arriving at
San Juan she repeated here and there his name
81 learning where he lived, and there she went
filed with anxiety. If he cared nothing for See
ing her he at leastfeigned polteness to pretend
he did, introducing her to his companiera a
rather buxom Jamaican, and then asking il he
could do anything for her.
''She began her return journey a. soon a.