Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1894-03-09
MEXICAN LOVE.


two men who, in the space of a few days,
experienced pretty nearly all of the vaga-
ries of love.
The woman's name was Bridget. She
was a Mexican, and she pronounced her
name Breheeda. For living she helped
her mother wash and iron shirts, collars
and cuffs
She wasn't in the least beautiful, and
any jury in the country would have ac
quilted her of being even passable. She
had had the smallpox, and her face was
badly ptted. But there was something
about her that attracted the men, and le
had half the eligible Mexican men around
her all the time.
Bridget accepted the attentions of ev' "
man in the city who chose to lay them
her feet. The men all liked her beca'
she never trampled upon them, and n
another reason which will appear.
treated them all with the greatest cons l.
Grafton and respect, but never for one mo-
ment did she permit herself ever to enter
tain a warmer feeling for any one of the
young men.
Bridget was IA years old. Her mother
told her it was quite time she was think
ing of marriage She had frttered away n
whole year already and had had any num-
Der of good offers. The proud girl said to
her mother in Spanish "D-n all men
anyway. They are only good to chop wood
and sleep in the sunshine" The mother
threw piece of kindling wood at her
daughter, swore at her, and said:
"You will do as tell you. There is
Manuel. He is young he has five burros,
and he can make rs cents day. He has
an adobe house of his own with two rooms
in it. He is not jealous, and he is fool.
You will marry him, ehP'
The girl rose from the ground on which
she had been seated, throwing mud at a
little spaniel, which snapped at the pei
let's as if they were flies. She stretched
herself, took a fresh piece of chewing to-
bacco and said:
"Well, Manuel is as good as any of them.
suppose will marry him."
Manuel was sent for, the engagement
was announced, and the day set for the
ceremony which would make her and
Manuel enemies for life. Manuel received
the congratulations of his friends placidly.
He did not seem to care one way or the
other
His unsuccessful rivals congratulated
him warmly and showed not the least sign
of the hot Spanish jealousy one hears so
much about. Manuel went about his
business as If nothing out of the way had
happened. He drove his burros out to the
mountains and foothills mt night and re-
turned the next day with his wood, which
he peddled about the city. The discarded
rivals, as they lay in the sunshine, shud-
dered as they watched him at work and
congratulated themselves that they had
escaped.
"Ah, poor Manuel" they said one to
another, "see how he has to workp'
Manuel began about a week after he
became engaged to Bridget to get his
house in order for his bride. He lived in
an adobe house in San Miguel street, near
the old church. 1t was one of the old time
houses. The new style houses have doors,
through which a tall man, il he Stops,
may pass into the house.
The old houses, and Manuel had one of
them, have no doors on the ground floor.
Near the roof, which is made of logs of
wood cemented together with mud and
laid across the top of the walls, is win
dow just large enough for a man to crawl
through. A ladder reaches from the ground
to the window, and after the household
has climbed in the ladder is pulled in also.
Manuel purchased a new sewing ma
chine, bought magnificent large bed
stead, some red blankets and lot of 9th
ar things. He also went to Father Roman
yard. The old man built the oven of mud.
He made it round and very strong, so that
bread could be baked in it, and the dog
could sleep in it, and the chickens go to
roost in it.
Manuel's neighbors looked upon this as
extravaganza. They baked their bread in
their adobe houses, and the dog slept in
their house with them, and the chickens
went to roost on the roof, or in cold wealth
er inside of the house.
Manuel must have spent at the least
$40, when suddenly his happiness was cut
short. One evening, al out a week before
the day set for the wedding when he call
ed to see Bridget he found her in the com
pany of young man.
Bridget calmly informed Manuel that
she had changed her mind and had decid
ed not to marry him, but had accepted the
young man in whose company he theI
= saw her. Manuel did not become at al
excited. He walked out into the yard anC
began talking with the girls mother.
Her father had found it more conven
lent to locate in some other part of the ter
ritory because of slight discussion il
which a knife had taken part.
The old man, however, had left behinC
him for marriage portion for Bridge
three very able burros, worth at least 81
apiece, and 1t must be admitted that i
was not Bridget that Manuel and the 9th
ers loved. but these three strong, IS bur
ros.
Manuel asked the mother why he haC
been discarded, and the old woman repliet
that Bridget, who was very self willed
had decided that If she had TO marry sh
might as well marry a handsome maj
while she was about 1t. The mother de
clared that she had beat and belabored tn
girl until she was completely worn out
but could not make her change her mind
The old woman said that she was ver,
sorry, but that Manuel need not despair
He would easily find another girl-he wa
young and had good income. The trutl