The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1896-08-06
MOORS IN SPAIN,
w. H. Eustis Lectures on a ViCtori-
Gus and Conquest Race.

| AluaulDTa! WINE lie laStS my
thoughts, with pleasing recollections,
will recur to thee, and when pass into
the great beyond who knows but what
my soul will hover around that shrine. I"
These closing words of William
Henry Eustis in his lecture on "The
Moors in Spain" at the Methodist
church last Friday evening were de-
livered after nearly two hours Of inter-
esting, instructive, romantic and care
fully prepared facts, and as the finale
was being uttered the people present
listened with bated breath as though
in the interior walls of the temple in
Granada, the last stand of the Moors,
and we're reading the mysterious Ian
guage of the Koran decorating the
ceilings, etc. Boabdil Ell Chico, the
last of the Moorish rulers, once more
assembled the hill of sighs and wept
over the conquest as Ferdinand plant
ed the Castilian standard over the Al
hambra. Once more the proud moth
er of the degenerate ruler was heard
admonishing her son for weeping over
that which was gone forever, and as
these sights we're brought to the i'm
agination of the listener tears went
out for the fallen race that had &C.
complished SO much for science, liter
ature, architecture, etc.
The speaker was introduced by j.
H. Bowers, who, in all exceedingly
happy mood, spoke of Mr.. Eustis'
ability, and of his travels through the
land in which Washington Irving
found so much to write about. Mr..
Eustis opened his remarks by stating
that he felt perfectly at home in Red
wood Falls, on account of having been
here so often. II have fallen in love
with you," he said, "and Redwood
Falls occupies the greatest corner of
my heart" Then he abjured the audi
ence to cease living, for the evening,
in this new land, this land of civiliza-
ton, ''forget that you are living in
this beautiful valley, this most bounti-
full land" and transport themselves to
old Spain with it's fields of romance
and history-Spain, the Mecca of
tourists, the soil of martyrs, the land
rich in science and literature, the
land where Hannibal took his oath
against Rome, where Caesar spilled
his last blood of conquest, the land of
the olive and the vine.
He never would forget the day he
crossed the Pyrenees, after bidding
farewell to the port from which Lafay-
cite sailed to join the forces of Wash
ington in America. He looked out on
the waters of the bay and imagined
that he saw the white winged ship oc.
cupied by Lafayette, with that great
French general and friend of America
penning the words to his wife that he
was going to fight for America that il
might become the safe asylum o
peace, virtue and liberty.
Passing over the Pyrenees the
) speaker gave brief description of the
quaint people-the Basque, who have
continued in the paths of their ances
tors century after century. "Innova
tion," remarked the speaker, finds nc
place in the home of the Basque. The
customs are the same as they always
have been. Science is given no place
They even follow the old custom oil
placing bread and wine with the dead
for the spirit in passing to the Other
} shore" To this the speaker added
humor by telling the story of the
Irishman remaining with the corpse o1
another Irishman over night, the form
> or taking the coin placed in the hands
of the dead to pay for a passage across
the river. AS the Irishman took the
coin from the dead he emphatically
remarked that his dead companion
was in position where he would have
to sink or swim.
The speaker then reached the coun
try of old Castile-the territory of Isa
bella, the charming queen, who reject
ed foreign offer of marriage and mar
ried Ferdinand, one Of her own coun
: trymen. The speaker thought thai
Isabella showed good judgment anc
J advised all American girls to marry
T Americans. He then told the story O.
the Cid, who won the greatest battle
+ of his life just after his death. Tht
: Cid was a terror to, the Moors ane
! when the latter heard of his deatl
they commenced battle. The body o