The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1892-05-07


And ln diffusion even more intense.
So shall Join the choir invisible,
Whose music is the -laduess OF the world.
George Eliot.
JUANIT0.
There lived at Seville, in the faubourg
Of Triaua. youth of some sixteen years
rallied 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 a fritter purchased half price
from a strolling vender, and doing for a
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, aud
a 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 huh
fights,
But alasl 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 a superb
corrida of bulls, with Mazzantim 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
muImured prayer TO the Virgin de la
Esperanza, to whom he was greatly de-
voted, Moreuito 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
heap of fodder,
The morning was magnificent. Against
a blue sparkling sky the slender rose
tower of the Giralda stood ont with the
clearness of a delicate cameo the streets
already We're full Of people arriving
from the country to view the process
sions of the Confradias and already,
too, on the square of the Toros, a 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
promenlding and strutting the tagging
before me 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
IL III
sun, he turned aside into the Plaza de
la Constitution, where the professions
would probably come to q stand, and
finding under one Of the portals of the
Audiencia a corner full Of shadow, he
decided to rest there while awaiting the
passage of the Confradias.
He that sleeps well dimes well, D." says
the Spanish proyerb, and Morenito, in
default of breakfast, treated himself to
good, thick slice of dozing, Soon he
slept and slept profoundly and, my
faithl 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 Q dreamy smile
over teeth as white as almond kernels
an opinion shared in by a couple of
tourists passing at the moment, young
people and doubtless newly married-at
any rate, a couple of lovers-one knew
it by the way they held each others
arms.
"Ahl see him, the handsome boy." said
theyoung man to his wife, stopping
second TO contemplate the sleeper; what
a picture he would make-that pose par
ticnlarly; that open, outstretched hand,
as if waiting for aims 20 fall from
heaven. See it,"
From heaven, yes said the young
wife, smiling; but a 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. II was
a five franc piece that the young man
drew from his purse and lightly laid
upon the open palm, which mechanical
I 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 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 10 him in a voice sweeter far
than honey dew
"Juanito, thou hast never forgotten
one single time To pray to me each morn
. and arsaFrfrfr In s.N
piety, and in honor of the resurrection
OF my son, wish TO reward thee Thy
desire is granted, thou shalt go to the
corrida Sunday
At the same time the virgin shook
into Morenitos palm the petals Of her
Lilies and roses, which in falling turned,
each leaf, into a piece Of money, and
which caused him such joy that he
rubbed his eyes and sat up; and 10!
from one of his hands-oh wonderful
miracle white piece escaped and fell
with silyey ring 90 the stones.
He could believe neither eyes nor ears
at first He stopped and raised it. II
was a beautiful new and shining five
peseta piece! The virgin, then, had not
deceived him! She had told him the
truth-he could go to the corrida on
Easter morningl
One leap and be- was down the steps
and running with an his legs for the
Plaza de Toros
suddenly as Le turned the corner Of
the Gale San Pablo. he ran against a
young girl Of the Triana fauboug, whom
he had known since childhood, and who
yvns called Ia C1ata She was male and