Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1892-11-09

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"Do these ladies speak English?" asked
Arthur after he had bowed.
"No, not dam word"
"That's too bad"
"Oh, never mind, trent. talk enough.
Take the trouble to sit down." said Gar
cha. "These ladies my wifes."
'sYour wives!''
"Yes: what's matter?"
"Why, there are six of them!"
"Oh, forget one. Inez. my daughter
other five wifes."
"Why, that's bigamy!'
''Oh, yes. very happy; all love me very
dam much. very good man bydam.
Wait moment, open bottles, then we
take drink.
'How in thunder is it, SEXTON" asked
Arthur. surprised to the utmost limit.
..that you have five wives?'
"You want to hear that story-how !
get married?" =
Il should say SO. Five, by thunder!f
Eyes, five bydam. l tell you story.
You see that lady in corner, that Marce
lima. know her long time. She widow
when | marry. She have house, she
have money. | go to see her. | say,
Good days, Marcelina.' She say, Good
days, Don Vicente l say, You very
pretty, you very nice, you got very fine
forms'-all that say. She say, Much
thanks Then say she lovely encanta-
DORA She say, Much thanks Then
one day l say, "Marry me, beautiful
woman And she say, With much
thanks, mister l go to priest. l say,
sPadrecito, want to marry He say,
Fifty dollars l answer him, 'Oh,
padrecito, she dam ugly, only thirty dol
lars He make me no contestation.
81 go to Marcelina and say to her,
oh, beautiful woman, lend me fifty dol
lars She want to marry very much
lust like widow, all time want to marry
quick. She lend me fifty dollars. l
make count of money, put thirty dollars
in one pocket, twenty in other; then l
go to priest and count out thirty dollars
and put him on table. All white money
Ono, two, three, four, thirty dollars
beautiful money. The padre bydam he
look very hard at that beautiful money.
When see that l put it in my pocket
and say, Padre Serafino, you got any
cognac?' He say Yes, got leetle.'
Then we take drink, wait while, take
two, three more Then tell him: Pa
drecito, don't think bydain get mar
ried. drink thirty dollars cognac.' He
say that very wrong, very hurtful; he
marry me for thirty dollars preference
to see me drink SO much white money
That make me think when he drink he
like money more. Then say, Got any
more cognac, padrecito9' Got leetle.'
He more generous now after have take
drink. He bring out half bottle; we
drink and finish bottle.
"'Well. he say, Son Vicente, you
good boy; | suppose l marry you for
thirty dollars. say to him, No, padre
cito, she dam ugly; you marry her your
self What you say that for? he say,
angry; don't you know priestY Yes, l
know say; you not got thirty dollars?
He look very sad and say he no got a
dam cent Then take out from other
pocket twenty dollars and count very
slow-one, two, three, four, twenty.
He very astonished. That only twenty
dollars he say: 'other time you have
thirty dollars
"'No.' | say. very serious, very truth
full face, i never have thirty dollars. l
count five dollars two times, make sound
like thirty 'Madre de Diosr he say,
how you astonish me-! Then he make
big groan. .Bueno, give me the money,
and marry you for twenty dollars, and
he have water ii eyes when he pick up
bottle of cognac and see all gone.
.You see very good merchant, very
good beezness man. You lend me hum
dred dollars and bydam astonish you
quick That way | marry la encanta-
dora Marcelina.
That fat woman over there. She
ugly bydam. but she have house and
money, and feel herself and me and
daughter and other five wifes, SO it does
not importance me SO much dam ugly
fat. treat her dam fine: she have most
money of all.
By this time the sexton and the women
were about finishing the second bottle.
Arthur was very much interested by
this insight into Mexican life.. He had
read his Bible, and remembered that In
the early times men had many wives; so,
though surprised, he was not shocked at
the idea Of man in foreign country
having five wives, all living in harmony.
The Mormons in Utah even have many
wives, The faces of the Mexicans seemed
oriental to him. and, in addition, the
sandals that the mass of the population
wore and the way the women had Of
covering up their faces as they went
along further impressed him as being
oriental. All this worked upon him.
Everything was SO different, so strange
70 this verdant young man, fresh from a
New England village. that he was dazed,
and while he did not take all that the
Mexican said as absolutely true the very
position that the sexton held lent him o
certain dignity and trustworthiness in
Arthur's eyes.
Meanwhile the sexton and the women
kept up jabber in Spanish. Deering
did not want to disturb them, but the
story of Gs.rcia's first marriage had
whetted his desire to learn more, 90 he
touched the man on the shoulder,
Excuse me, SEXTON" he said, "but
you told me about only one wife"
'.Ah, yes; but the ladies very dam
tired. Mescal all gone. Can't tell any
more story today"
''Do they want any more drinkf'
Certainly, always! Hot climate in
Mexico" answered Garcia,
"What does 1t cost?"
Zone dollar"
Arthur took his purse, which held
four dollars, out of his pocket and
opened it slowly; then, still hesitating,
took out dollar. This hesitation the
Mexican did not allow to continue; he
put his hand over Arthur's, and closing
upon it took the money and handed it to
the youngest woman of the party, say
ing in Spanish, run, girl, two bottles
mescal, bread and cheese.
"You want to hear about my second
wife-all right. One day Marcelina get
very angry with me because Task for
money. get mad, too, because she no
give it. Then l think. I know old
woman with three COW. She fifty year
old-too old for me. l sixty, like wife
x,~oX,4., b,,t cbo b,x,o fhroo cow rO