The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-01-05

Not only all day have logged along but also
all night The travellers choice is between
two discomforts: one in the cart, the other in
bed. TO sleep at some of the wretched inns
would be horrible. All is epitomized in three
words, dirt, filth, and disease
These wayside inns are places for transfers
to stop at night There is accommodation for
BEAST, and little better for man. There is a
big door through which the animals are taken
inside. At one side is a sort of recess which
serves rs kitchen. Stable kitchen, and stor.
aser room is often times one and the same, each
occupying certain portion. The teamsters
stretch themselves ont on bag of grain or
anything else convenient, cover themselves
with blanket, and are soon fast asleep.
However convenient this kind of life NAV
be, it hardly strikes the American as ideal com
tort. AS for myself | have preferred Jogging
along all night, getting what sleep l could be.
tween Jolts, to risking such accomm odation as
these "posadas" afford.
At times one can get comfortable bed. but
the next question is food. One cannot fast
when roughing it across country. But it re-
CURES pretty strong appetite to persuade even
the ieast iastidious that the ordinary dishes as
served are palatable. A superfuity of garlic
and oils makes them anything but pleasant to
the smell or delicious to the taste
Yet this is the way these country people live
All thelr ives. 1t seems that anyone ought to
be able TO live day or two the way millions
have lived from generation to generation.
miserable little villages are frequently passed
| whlch bear sad air Of decay. From the
donkey that stands with his head and ears
dropped, as II meditating on the unpratefplness
OF mankind in general, to the dog that sneaks
! along with his tail between his legs az If in.
wiling Kick by way Of variety, all bears the
same look of listlessness.
| AS said above, things are not over cleanlv
On Gil hands are evidences of filthy persouaI
ana pqoiic habits that speak i'll of the popu-
lace. FoVerty looks out from every loophole.
Yet poverty need not stife all attempt at i'm.
provement or decoration. A rose busb bero .
tree there. bit of fancy work, done at odd
| hours, all show commendable taste and cost
little more than tho trouble of doing. Yet here
in Spain, where the sun shines SO fierce in
Summer, trees are exceedingly scarce. Thew
seem to be the farmers aversion 80 the greater
| part Oh Spain consists OF vast stony, treeless
tracts.
One town through which passed took the
premium for filth. 1t bad been raining. and
| the mud nearly rolled in the open doors
Refuse of all kinds had been ground nm in IL
| SO that the odor was most offensive The
houses were dirty, and the people likewise,
Diseases were frequent especially of the eve
, ana skin. lnattention to sanitary laws could
be the only cause. Blind and half. blind pconle
were everywhere; besides the number of red
watery, and mattered eyes was truly appallinp
The different trips have been a rendition to
some extent. If anything, there was more
poverty in the south of Spain. Even here.
where fruit can be had for song, where every
seed blossoms under the sewers hand. many
have scarcely enough rags to cover their naked.
ness.
Inc faces of the children especially are the
color OF the earth in which they burrow. for
| many live in little excavations in the hillside
Nothing can be seen of them but chimney,
a door, and it is luxury to have window.
Ia such palace they may rest secure from
their dreaded enemy, the sun. There thew
may Toll to their hearts content in mother
earth, which they SO love in a way, fortunately,
unknown to most people.
| N. O. WINTER,