The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1892-12-15

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y VbkHI IS dropping lids and q
' large nose support
ing spectacles which stopped in the
middle OF it and did not descend to
, the point, thanks to the cord with
which the bows were tied about his
temples.
He was always smoking and cough
ing; sitting in the sun in the morning
with his head leaning on his hand.
He would spend hours watching the
spirals OF smoke.
At times he listened attentively to
the story OF some peddler Of beans or
the explanations OF stolid peasant;
bending over his paper, he lifted his.
eyebrows as a gesture OF careful at
tention, tried his pen, shook it if it
was overful OF ink and wrote slowly.
At the end OF each paragraph he plac-
ed his pen in the tray and read what
he had written, while his client show
ed his approval by the most profound
silence.
His desk had belonged in its good
days to school or court. A faded
curtain, like soiled screen, protected
it from sun and wind; upon its lid
lay the portfolio OF shabby leather
and the rude inkstand, next to the
sheet OF clean, glossy, ruled paper on
the surface OF which the dirty, hairy,
bony hand OF the amanuensis was
writing. 4
ne'What letters does he writer" I
have often asked myself. Had he
possessed any literary ability he
might have written q volume upon
the secrets he had discovered. How
often a letter contains q fragment of
great sorrows, OF unknown tragedies;
blighted hopes and undiscovered
crimes! The evangelist WAS the
secretary of the illiterate, the conf
dante OF the masses that knew not
how to write nor read. He was one
OF the many types that are disap-
pearing before the march Of pro-
gress.
He lived by writing, grave, reserved,
giving advice again and again and
even carrying his abilities to the
solution of arithmetical questions.
His home was the portal of Santo
Domingo, that open-air museum. I
have frequently amused myself in the
mornings by watching the exhuming
OF articles for the sale. The owner OF
this market is @ man who at the
same time that he affects an air Of
Importance as dealer in antiquities
devotes himself to poor clock making
mends umbrellas and repairs shoes
One morning I was looking for g.
magnifying-glass, i'll remember alright,
when saw O. friend of mine bidding
farewell to Don Lucas; he made me
accompany him to the corner and on
the way told me that this Don Lucas;
was of good family but had been left
in poverty. He had been school
master until a short time before but
had fallen in love with the daughter
of the alcalde and been nearly killed
at the hands Of a certain desperate
Of those parts, and that our man, in
spite OF his apparent reserve and his
forty and more years, had succumbed
to feminine charms.
After that morning each time that
Ipassed in front of the evangelist [
looked at him with interest as he bent
over his work or looked sadly into
space as if he were dreaming of the
daughter of the alcalde He seemed
to suffer, as he was very silent, held
no communication with his neghbors
and always wore pensive air.
On more than one occasion / have
faIf L. L
letters were dictated by. those who
demanded his services, but when, on
the pretext ofsearchiHgf for scutcheons
and knobs, I stopped near his little
table heard naught but scraps OF
letters wholly devoid OF interest.
One day saw a stout mttron in
starched skirts and a new rebozo APP
proach his table. She seated herself
i'll a splint chair and said.
"Good morning, senior"
Good morning, sonora; what can
| do for you. s,..s
"Well, senior, you must know that
my compadre of lxtlahuaca is taking
charge Of my daughter, because, al
enough she has father who is nv
lawful husband, we have quarreled
and he does not look after the girl.
Although am poor, senior, am
proud, and they tell me that Petra,
my daughter, is often with certain
Cayetano, who, with your pard is
q bad man, senior, and do not wish
my daughter to be lost, senior, be
cause swear to you before God that
/ have trained her we'll. Yes, senior,
am poor but am not bad mother
A person who saw this told me Of il
and this same person said also that
the one my daughter loved was 4
schoolmaster who, they say, was oil
most killed for her sake. wish
senior, that you would read me q
message that they have sent me from
my country, SO thnt / may know
e senior, what has happened to her." Is
Saying this, she unfolded u paper
ard drew forth 9 letter which Dor
Lucas read aloud: