Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1896-08-13
AT A SPANISH HOTEL.
The Natives Trife Too Polite fo
Comfort.

"rhe Lights and Shadows of the Al
hambra" in the Century. She thus de
Scribes her experiences in Spanish
hotel near the Alhambra:
The breakfast hour, however, varied
according to each ones fancy. 1t was
only at dinner that all the boarders sat
down together. Generally we were not
more than six or eight to gather round
the lamp-lit table, and j. and l were
the only foreigners. The others were
natives of Granada who had left its
heated streets for the cool grove or
else Andalusians from near towns tax
ing short holiday. They were, if any
thing, too friendly; for, though our
conversation with many was limited
to "BuenaS dias" and "Buenas tardes."
this and bow We're expected every
time we met. To us, of less polite
race, 1t became something of a nuiS-
ance. With a few friendliness went
further especially with an amiable and
pious family from CadiZ, who We're our
neighbOrs at table for fortnight. The
mother and two daughters We're always
yelled in their mantillas. if by chance
we saw them i'll the morning on their
way to or from mass. But they were
never without smiles for us, and the
father spoke some English He was SO
extremely civil at all times that we
were the more surprised one evening
when he lost his temper outright
Il like everything in your country
except your wine," j. told him. in an
swer to a leading question; for we
never could get used to the vile flavor
of pigskin
He turned upon us in fury. What!
not like my wine? But it is good-the
best. l send it almost all to England"
The trouble was, he was a wine mer-
chant, and he could not be convinced
that j. meant nothing personal until we
mad kept awake the long evening with
him over bottle of his sherry.
Then we had bride and groom from
Malaga, and the groom also spoke
English. He told us they had come that
they might, during their honeymoon,
hear little birds sing, and wander un-
der green trees, which we thought A.
pretty sentiment until it had been re-
peated to every man, woman and child
In the hotel. From the beginnin., Of
dinner to the end one of the little g'rls
from Cadiz would keep up ceaseless
cultural prattle. Those occasional man
dolins would rouse the bride into a
tiutter of excitement; it was Il song OF
Malaga they We're playing, she would
then lean over to explain. But their
tranquil gaiety never Jared: it seemed
as much part of the summer silence
as the chanting of the cricketS in the
, grove.
, The arrival of the Marchioness was
the first shock that shook us out of our
> slumbers. She lived in Granada; two
of her children had whooping-cough,
and she had chosen the hotel as pleas
D ant hospital for them. / never knew
a any one to pervade a place as she did.
! II we went to sit in the rockfng-chairs
in front, there she was with her whoop-
ing babies; If we hurried back into the
hail. she was at our heels! and we
could not retreat into the dull, gloomy,
uninviting sitting-room that she and
her nursery, whooping and yelling. did
not follow. This was bad enough. but
what mattered more was that she turn
!, ed our peaceful garden into sick
room, and our dinner into public re-
=, ception. BY the second course one
child or the other always began to
whoop, and had to be carried away,
purple and choking; by the third there
y was a great Gathering of horse-hoofs In
the road below the terrace. ana the
= Marquis would pull up his horse. and
the Marchioness would rush to lean
over the balustrade and give him her
. harsh, voluble report; he was afraid, II
seemed, of the cOntagion which he had
passed on to us so cheerfully BY the
, fourth party of friends would troop
into the garden and young ladies and
priests and expansive dowagers would
make circle round the table, and
watch us as we ate. suppose 1t would
d have been dreadful breach Of Spanish
etiquette had they been asked to dine
g or, If asked, had they accepted! 1t was
o detestable. The whole atmosphere
Il the whole feeling, of the hotel and Its
= gardens was changed But the Other
9 Spanish did not like 1t bit better. Ev
II erybody grumbled, everybody com
d planned. and with heroic effort tho
r manager got up enough energy to tel
n the Marchoness she must go. and W.
y all dozed back into our accustomed
II habits.