Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1892-10-07
sTAUNToN, VIRGINIA, OCTOBER Z, 1ss

do. She never answer. One Gay Sne DrIH8
in d-n piece granite, very fine stone gram
tie, last all time. She give it to her father
and then she point finger to Campo Santo'
Don Marcos understand. He call Don
Miguel, his mayordomo, he say to him:
don Miguel, 60 get stone of this kind
rock and put it on grave of Juan Ell Peon.'
This Don Miguel do. He very patient with
his patron.
"a few days after on the Day of Saa
Juan, the twenty-fourth June, come
here. see Chonita with hoe cleaning the
ground, round Juan's grave. l run up,
that fifty-one year ago. l take hoe and
say: NO, no. do it, She give me a dol
lar and do it. Poor Chonital Pobrecita!
"Then she take hammer and small piece
iron and cut on rock. She cut very bad,
very Slow She no can see, poor Chonita,
that the reason so bad cut, eyes all lake of
sorrow, by d-n. Then l say help. She
say mo- with her hand. All day shework,
then / see: In memory of Juan ell Peon.
By friend All, poor girl, so sorrowful.
every year she come here San Juan Day
and give me dollar. Then every year on
Todos Santos Day she come here and put
roses on Juan's grave. Fifty-one year
clean this grave. Forty eight year she
give me a dollar each year. Then she die.
I clean the same lose three doilar, but
1 clean the same. When nan do thing
for forty eight year, by d-nno can stop, no
can. go on, clean the grave till die.
lose dollar each time, but go on. Ipoor
old man and lose dollar, butt go on, by
d-n. lose dollar"
He looked earnestly at Arthur, straight
at him.
"Poor Chonita, she dead now, no one
clean grave but me, three year lose dollar,
three dollar, but clean grave all same.
I lose three dollar, five dollar. ten dollar, l
clean grave all same"
Arthur could not well afford to throw
away money, but the old mans faithful
innocent steadfastness won him, and he
gave the Mexican dollar. He was SO
grateful that Arthur opened the leather
case and handed him the flask and cup.
He took three drinks before Arthur could
get them back.
"Ah. cognac," he said. "Bucno, you
want to hear more story?" he. asked.
Eyes" Arthur said.
''Then make contract, every story, one
drink"
Every WE'LL"
He turned around, and pointing to the
grave next to Juan's he said:
''This grave Chonita's I tell you that
story already. Give me a drink"
Arthur was SO astonished by his sudden
ness that he acceded. Then the sexton
moved off three paces.. Arthur followed.
Zone day." continued the old man, "a
poor farmer, Pedro Moreno, he return, by
d-n, from trip for lost mule and find his
wife Celsa in bed sick. She look at him
d-n sweetly. then turn down the clothes
and show him three little newborn baby.
He, very angry with establishment, say
quick:
"'What you do that for?'
"She look at him, poor Celsa, then turn
and look at the newborn baby, then shut
her mouth and die. She buried here. Give
me drink"
It struck Arthur that this story was
very short, but he gave him his drink.
''Her husband, Pedro Moreno, seeing his
wife dead. it broke his heart for cruelty,
and he die, too. Here his grave, give me
drink"
Arthur became suspicious. but the Mex
lean said contract" SO he gave him his
drink, and the sexton continued:
''Poor leetle dear, three leetle newborn
baby, no father, no mother, no sister, no
friend, but one old horse mule, they too
die. All buried here. Give me drink"
If the sexton had not been generous, in
his way, and given the triplets one grave,
Arthur would have broken the contract,
but he weakened and acceded.
'These grave here" the old man went
on, pointing to the mounds to his right,
mo got story, only dead. Fools, by d-n,
to die, and no leave story. Come over
there, I tell you very fine dead story.
very good. Good enough for two drink.
Give me first now"
Arthur did SO.
The sexton sat on the corner of the sar-
cophagus and became buried in thought.
Arthur looked over his head and saw the
following inscription in old German text
cut on a fiat marble tablet: