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

awakened even by an earthquake, and much
less by anything resembling wide enterprise.
Tickling the soil with a wooden plow drawn
by oxen yoked by binding a straight piece Of
wood firmly across their foreheads with ropes
or thongs, so that both heads must move to-
gether; thrashing upon a clay floor, with sheep
to beat out the grain by tFeading Of their light
hOofs; winnOwing with a hand-fan in the wind
transporting coffee by the million pounds. aud
cacl0, aud hides into the surgiHg whiTling
maelstrom between the 18th and both centu-
ries; sending the mails hundreds Of miles
daily by Indian runners-while these things
go on as matter Of course, how should you
expect the girls would carry water?
But all ways Of doing the everyday business
Of life have their pleasant side if one can find
il. While Juancita and Dolores and Maria
pose unconsciously at the fountain, they barter
gossip with one another, and keep keen eye
open for any stray Rodrigo or Ramon who may
happen their way. There little engagements
arc made and little pleasantries exchanged in
passing, and one may hear something like this
at times:
"Cuidad! Aqui vione Ramon" Careful
Here comes RaymOnd.)
Maria-Adonde va, bribon2 (Where are you
going, impustor2)
Raymond-A comprar dulces para su boca,
merea. TO buy sweets for your mouth, black
bird.)
Maria-Mentiral FL no tiene uu eeutavo en-
su bolsa, nj IN bOlsa a So nombrel Qu mas?
False! lie hasn't copper in his purse, nor
purse to his name. What more?)
And meantime the others have had a word 10
say by way Of chorus, and Raymond has care
lessly stroled very close to Maria, who moves
If to
PUSH HIM AWAY.
and hears from him what the others cannot
distinguish, spoken swiftly and low: "Al rim
con las ocho, este tarde, sin falta!" Cat the
corner at tonight, without fail = And the
mozo goes slowly on, whistling softly, while
MariaI turns 10 her unsuspecting companions
with the misleading though lightly spoken re-
mark, having a suspicion Of tenderness in the
last tone: "Qui CasquivanO-el!" what a
rattlehead-heJ Aud the philosophic mind is
apt 10 come 70 the conclusion that Affairs be-
tween the sexes also proceed upon something
like the ancient leyel-haye not lost their an
tique simplicity anywhere
IL was morning when We ratified through the
narrow streets by the new plaza containing a
liie-size bronze statue Of Gen. Falcon. once
President and took our way back TO the little
port, La Nea, for the return trip 70 Curacao
on a little cOasting schooner, stanch and swift
as a swallow. We had found people more
like the lotus-eater5 Of Homer, as interpreted
by Tennyson. on the little peninsula Of world
forgotten COr0-"The Choir than like goat
eaters, clad, If at all. in skins. Besides, we had
seen a cross worth going far 90 see aud a church
worth preserving from ruin both Of which other
travellers will 20 farther 10 see, with like pleas
ure TO our own.
1t is 10 be expected, as we'll as hoped, that
travel from the United States will be directed
more and more toward Spanish-Americaw where,
beyond our own country, our true interests lie
with whose people we have no competitions Of
labor aud commerce, aud with which our pOlti-
cal destiny IS in some measure united whatever
it may be, for the New World is ours, and we
are Republics