Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1896-04-09
IN WARTIME.

IN WARTIME.
Just below the dam the water wheel Of
Euzebio, the miller, creaked noisily in
its ponderous revolutions, while from
the opposite bank the mill of Anselmo
growled a muffled accompaniment
Friends from childhood, the lives Of
these two old widower millers Of 70
gave silent contradiction to the popu-
lar axiom concerning men of the same
employment.
And the picturesque beauty of the
spot Behind Euzebio s mill the pasture
ground sloped gently to the rivers edge,
and, crossing it. ran the pathway down
which the mules were driven, laden
with grain for the mill. Along the bank
a row Of tall poplars threw fantastic
shadows upon the placid surface Of
the millpond. The river slipped easily
along between its sandy margins, now
glistening in the sunlight, now hiding
itself within the recesses Of some cane
plantation and emerging at length to
fall in clear and transparent streams Of
sparkling water upon the wheel, which
churned them into snowy wilderness.
In summer, when the water was low,
the two old comrades used often to visit
one another, boldly crossing the stream
by the stepping stones below the dam,
but when the autumn rains had swollen
the slow moving river into noisy tor
rent they were obliged to content them
selves with calling from bank to bank.
Sometimes Euzebio would say:
"Speak louder, Anselmo. Idon't hear
you."
"What do you says" the other would
ask. advancing to the rivers edge and
leaning forward anxiously.
And Euzebio, making speaking
trumpet Of his hands, would shout:
II don't understand.
When they finally succeeded in max
ing themselves heard, they would agree
that the water wheels were more noisy
than they used to be, and that the river
had never been SO turbulent. All, yes
1t was the creaking Of the wheels that
kept them from hearing and not the
weight Of the years pressing upon their
shoulders!
Euzebio had son, fine looking fell
low of 20, tall, we'll built and as
straight as an arrow. A great worker,
daybreak would find him already busy
in his fathers mill. "He tolls like a
Moorp' the neighbors would say ap-
provingly. Every one liked Simon. and
he was general favorite at the merry
making Of the neighboring villages.
Sometimes after one Of these gatherings
the priest, staid and solemn parsonage,
would come to demonstrate with Euze-
bio upon his sons behavior of the night
before, whereat the old man was accus-
toned to shake his head reprovingly and
cast down his eyes, whether to better
express his condemnation or to hide the
twinkle in them no one ever knew.
And Anseimo had daughter, Mar
garida by name, a. pretty girl Of 10,
with that sweet, natural beauty of the
country, and her loneliness of face and
form was but a fitting accompaniment
to a gentle and loving disposition. Mar
garida and Simon had been playmates
from babyhood, but when the girl had
reached her fifteenth year this childish
intimacy began to give place to maid
emily reserve Oh her part and to an atti-
tude of chivalrous devotion on the part
Of her companion, while in his heart
deep and earnest love was slowly
springing into life.
Margarida would feign annoyance
whenever Simon summoned up the cour-
age to speak of his love and Of the pain
her indifference gave to him, and with
frown on her pretty face would
abruptly change the subject The maid
EMS disdain Of her lovers pleadings,
however, merely added fuel to the pas
sion that famed in the heart Of the
young miller.
Margarida, he said to her one day,
"if thou wilt not marry me, ! shall
have to die bachelor. -
"Thers are plenty Of girls, Simon"
''And see thee become another's
cried the lad. with tears in his eyes. II
don t know what should dot would
kill me!'
And was Margarida so cruel as really
to despise the love of her childhood s
friend and playfellowp Wait awhile;
we shall soon see how far woman g
love and devotion can CO.
At the time Of which we write war
had just broken out between the follow
era OF Dom Pedro and Dom Miguel.
When the terrifying news reached the
village, the mothers shuddered as they
looked upon their sons, returning weary
from the pillow.
Nobody knows the number killed,
said the messenger 1T is the end Of the
world r.
The next day squad Of soldiers en-
tered the village, and, marching to Euze-
bios mill, drew up line, while the offa-
Ger in command, with couple Of pri-
Yates, entered. A few minutes later the
horror stricken neighbors saw them
march away with Simon in their midst,
with bound arms like felon appre-
hended Of justice. The father tried to
follow them, but age and weakness held
him back. Hearing the cries Of the peo-
pie. Margarida came running to the
spot, and when they told her that Simon
had been Impressed into the service q.