The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1892-07-02
MODERN ARCADIA.
Life Is Sweet to the Simple Majorcsna
and Want and Crime Unknown.

ana want ana Crime Unknown.
In my trampings about the island
l secured entrance to many peasants
and farmers homes. From this !
found that all methods of agricul-
ture and homeside labor were Of the
most primitive sort and that there
were no idle folk in Majorca. Out
door labor of some kind is continuous
the year round All the women spin,
knit or weave, and l have never en-
tered a peasants cabin where moth
ers and daughters were not in some
such manner employed Hospitality
is charming, naive and whole hearted.
The plate of figs, basin of almonds
or basket of oranges, with the whole
some wines of the country, are ever
ready for the friend or strangers
coming.
l thought l had partaken of that
drink of the gods, horchata, in Cuba.
It is simply the pulverized kernels of
the almond, to which water and
sugar are added. Here where the
almond grows in the greatest per
lection every housewife preserves
huge jars of the finest nuts for hor-
chata. The old mortar and pestle are
here for their grinding. The shells
and brown husks are removed and
quarts of the snowy powder are liter
ally ''leached," the creamy liquid
tiltering slowly through. Then sonora
or senorita adds a spice of flavor,
tamarind or pomegranate, OF perhaps
dash of wine, with her own fair
hand. It is food and drink. And it
is no wonder that in Majorca the en-
tire peasantry live sumptuously on
daily wages averaging less than
twenty cents for men and fifteen
cents for women the year through
when every manner of natures most
royal food is at every door for the
taking, and in such bounteousness
that where it ripens it is valueless
and without price.
Somehow there grows upon one the
winsome notion that you have known
all these lowly folk before; that you
have seen their festas and known
their songs in the sunny wales of
Cuba, over in the glowing valley of
Guines; that you have come upon
their brightness and cleanliness
among the Alps of Switzerland; that
their generosity and hospitality were
met in Connemara and Donegal; that
their thrift and frugality have thei1
congener among the Pennsylvania
Dutch. and that their love of home
and simple village ways carry you to
the pleasant mountain wales among
the shining English lakes. Surely
they are an idyllic people in an idyl
lie land.
Want is unknown; crime is un-
heard Of There is no politics in Ma
jorca, and but one religion All
this in time may change. But as ]
know it, and you can know it, now,
little Majorca, fashioned in match
less beauty beneath a smiling sun, is
:no one land OF plenty anu content
Majorca Cor. Chicago News.
Origin of the Roman Numerals.
Silas B. Beach, in his treatise on
she alphabet, numerals and charac-
-ers, says: will now give you some
on the origin of the Ro-
nan numerals. Hold up your hands
before you. palms outward, thumbs
1t an acute angle. Begin on the left;
little finger. |; little and ring finger,
u; little finger ring finger and mid
lie finger, III; all the fingers of the
eft hand, I'LL; the hand and thumb
1t an acute angle form a perfect V;
,r, in place Of the Iii, as given
above, use the fourth finger from
he left, still holding the thumb at an |
acute angle, and we have the ".
Now pass to the right hand. The
.humb and hand held at the same |
lngle as before gives us vi; by using |
he index and middle finger we get |
he characters VII while the thumb
md the three large fingers make
)lain VIII. Now join the two VS.
made by the thumbs, inverting one,
md we have X or ten. Then use the
( with the last little figure before it
md it will give TX.
The combinations following X are
obvious. The forefnger of the left
land with the thumb at right angle
makes perfect L; the little finger
# the left hand curved toward the
humb, a c., the initial of centum
one hundred), and so on with the
hundreds. Now join the two thumbs
With the forefngers. or two VS. in
1erted (AN. and use them for the
ZOO mark and you have the hero
,lyphics complete. l little thought
hat the two hands were the founda-
ion of the Roman numerals until !
lad traced out three alphabets.
1ouis Republic.