The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1894-08-02
CASE OF MOA B.ARRIOS
A Spaniards American Story. Written for This
Paper by Phillip Braggalan.
Copyright

produced slight variation of what
you Americans call chicken stew.
Won't that suit you:" she asked.
No." | answered., whim-ically de-
t.rmined to taste the Spanish di-h
once more in it, lest formation. Let
US get up the genuine thing. will
help you"
"All right" she responded. If Al
Ecrt and Mamma Eawers will assist"
Albeit Dawers wa there at that in
slant to reply for himself. lie was
big and trawny young man. heated
ami tired from a day of haying, but
good looking and amiable. He entered
into Il Q project with spirit, despite
! his fatigue. But when l insisted that
the Ola 20 lrida should be of an elab-
oratelv correct dcscript;o, requiring
, several hours t. manufacture, it was
! decided to time it late in the evening.
and ask a fc " of the young cOu le
! friends TO keep their appetite for it.
We had a III try time 1T the work.
! Upon Moa's crude formula | superim-
posed the extras to form a dish really
! tit for Spanish communication. Albert
went willingly here and there after
! sch ingredients As the house did not
already contain, and even his mother
r Taxed cO,.sid crable O. her grimm ,ss
/ rs she helped a little. and AlOa seemed
| hand-Omer than ever In the mill eX-
element of mingliny labor and pas
| time. The reader who is also a house
wife may ca to KIN W that we first
stew q some lean bcef AMI Eeas to-
g:ther: that simultaueO sly we boiled
Il fowl along with Il lite ham, sm oked
sau> ages and We yetablcs: that there was
Il seasoning to Il higher degree than
most American palates might like, With
s;if on. parsley, and bay leaves: and
/ that fina ly. after mi >iny all the
! materials, some hard-b lied eggs, arti-
f; chOkes, gIb!e:s and other things We're
added. All this produced a finer OIL a
podrida than the little restaurant at
HoCsac had ever before seen, and such
as wealthy Spaniards in their own
country are accustomed to eat. 1t was
clock in the evening EefOre the
dOZ III invited guests were seated at the
table, and the lateness OF the mca! in
sured vOraclOus appetites. We served
the result Of our cookery in a more
formal fashion, too. than the tavern
had been accu,t )med to. There was Il
dinner of several courses: b ginning
with a soup clipped from the gravy of
the OLA. strained from the meats and
poured boiling hot over slices of toast.
After thij the beef was served with
the Ieas. Then followed the fowl and
other vegetables. 1t was an un;c us
toned feast for the company, an they
on Oyed it SO genuinely and heartily
that the occasion proved more amusing
to me than anything else had en-
countered in my travels for a long
white.
! 1t was observable that Moa, although
h., <,,,+n into 1,c Of =,
affair, wa, not 81! the TIM: engrOs-cd
/ in it. | watched her closely. impclled
by admiration, and ..i~cerncd that she
mad spells of serious thought or recur-
! ring melancholy quite out of harmony
! with the general jollity. That led me
to he attentive to her, not with any
idea Of galantr:, but merely because
| she Interested me. The beverage
which acc ,mpani.d the meal up to the
last mouthtul WIS cider. and the Juice
OF tho api,io, was old enough to have
! developed a fair percentage of ale moi.
/ so that he drinkers felt its exhilara-
tim: but as a climax | insist d upon
brandy, which, as [ explained. woul
, take the place of the native Spa i,h
! liquor usually swallowed for digestions
sake after hearty ola podrida. The
m,n followed my direction readily, but
| lllc women were reluctant. anu IN the
! case of MCa | poured spoonful or so
into her gass and loosely insisted
that she should take it. She BANTER
in ly declined and then seriously re-
pulsed ME.
Il will not have it, and let that sat
isfy yOu," she said, in low but en-
pha' ic voice.
NO. she shall not drink it," Albert
added, in a savage whisper.
The demeanOr of tbs young couple
was such Il sudden alteration from
their previous ccrIiality that my face
expressed, although my tongue did
not utter, surprise and curiosity
Alher: saw this at once. and said apol-
ogct:c@lly:
Il beg your pardon, but to see A.oa
drink from a glass niled for her by Il
strang + would be something | c; ud
not stand. No am not jealous of
YOU. That int it at all. My le son
is gooi. Though, and tomorrow | will
tell it t. you. Don't let us say any
more about it tonight or think alb tut
it-for that would b. apt to spoil Noa :
30 d humor, and mine too"
The supper was already over. and
with much mcrrimeut AMI satisfaction
the party dis, ersed.