Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1892-04-21
JUANIT0.


called Juanito el Morenito.
Orphaned of father and mother, he
had grown up sturdily as a wild weed
that pushes itself forth from the stones
of the Triana pavements, sleeping some
times under the beautiful stars, some
times in the stable of posada, nourish-
ing himself upon a handful of sweet
acorns or fritter purchased half price
from a strolling vender, and doing for
living a thousand and one haphazard
jobs, the most lucrative of which, per.
haps, being the sale of programmes at
the doors of the theaters.
A handsome lad, too, in spite of his
tattered garments, with luminous eyes,
smiling mouth, close curling hair, and
deeply sunburned skin that had won
him the surname of Morenito. How
ever, for that matter, there was really
a strain of gypsy blood in his veins, and
like all gitanos he was of an independ-
ent nature, loving vagabondage for its
endless freedom, and crazy about bull
fights.
But, alas! the morning of the holy
Friday saw Morenito waken in morose
and gloomy humor. All during the
Passion week the theaters had of course
been closed, and he, in consequence un-
able to continue his business of pro-
gramme selling, did not at the moment
possess a cuorto in his pocket.
All the more was he sensible Of his
poverty, as ON Easter morning superb
corrida of bulls, with Mazzantini and
Frascuelo as spadas, was to be held in
Seville; and now, seeing the emptiness
of his purse, he was going to be deprived
of his favorite spectacle.
But may be after all it was not too
late; fortune perhaps was still to be
found in the streets of the city. Hope
returned with the thought, and with
murmured prayer to the Virgin de la
Esperanza, to whom he was greatly de-
voted, Morenito shook the rim of straw
that alone remained upon his curly locks,
and hurried from the stable in which
for the night he had made his bed upon
a heap of fodder.
The morning was magnificent. Against
a blue, sparkling sky the slender rose
tower of the Giralda stood out with the
clearness of delicate cameo; the streets
already were full of people arriving
from the country to view the process
sions of the Confradias, and already,
too, on the square of the Toros, long
tail of purchasers eagerly besieged the
Office "of location"-a sight that, you
may readily believe, did not lessen the
bitterness Of his keen regret.
For four long, weary hours Juanito
beat the pavement of the Rue de la
Sierpes, shifting the odor of the fritters
and cinnamon cakes sputtering and
browning in the boiling oil, or following
in the wake of the toreadors slowly
promenading and strutting the tagging
before the cafe doors, nodded as if they
had been melted and poured into their
short velvet jackets and tight fitting
breeches.
Vainly had he racked his brains seek
ing an honest means of gaining the nee
essary pesetas, vainly sought to affiliate
himself with the vendors that cried the
programmes of the professions and the
names of the different brotherhoods.
All the places were filed in advance;
they rebuffed him everywhere.
At last, unable to stand it longer, his
stomach empty, his back broiled by the
sun, he turned aside into the Plaza de
la Constitution, where the professions
would probably come to stand, and
finding under one of the portals of the
Audiencia corner full of shadow, he
decided to rest there while awaiting the
passage of the Confradias.
''He that sleeps well dimes we'll, says
the Spanish proverb, and Morenito, in
default of breakfast, treated himself to
a good, thick slice of doing. Soon he
slept and slept profoundly, and, my
faith! but he was handsome sleeping
thus; stretched full length on the broad,
white stones, one arm doubled under
his black curly head, the long black
lashes sweeping the brown of the cheeks,
the red lips parted in dreamy smile
over teeth as white as almond kernels
an opinion shared in by couple of
tourists passing at the moment, young
people and doubtless newly married-at
any rate, couple of lovers-one knew
it by the way they held each others
arms.
"Ah! see him, the handsome boyr' said
the young man to his wife, stopping a
second to contemplate the sleeper; what
picture he would make-that pose par
ticularly; that open, outstretched hand,
as if waiting for aims to fall from
heaven. See it'll"
"From heaven, yes" said the young
wife, smiling; "but better surprise
still, Fernande-the aims, give it your
self, some money in his hand that he'll
find when he wakens."
Lovers are always generous. 1t was
a five franc piece that the young man
drew from his purse and lightly laid
upon the open palm, which mechanical
ly half closed itself at the contact of the
cold metal; then, smiling at each other,
the couple passed on their way.
But Morenito continued to sleep, and
while sleeping to dream. He dreamed
that by q ladder the color Of heavens
own canopy, the pure Virgin of la Es-
peranza descended to him from the
skies. On her head was crown of
lilies, in her fingers lilies and roses, and
she said to him in voice sweeter far
than honey dew
"Juanito, thou hast never forgotten
one single time to pray to me each morn
and evening. In recognition of thy
piety, and in honor Of the resurrection
Of my son, wish to reward thee. Thy
desire is granted, thou sEalt go to the
corrida Sundayr
At the same time the virgin shook
into Morenitos palm the petals of her
lilies and roses, which in falling turned,
ZACH laaf into q tliana 10 ,,,o,,o,, o,d