The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-03-22


Spanish
Can I speak Spanish? My good girl.
I've been learning Spanish. of and on,
for the last thirty years. And I've got
no less than seven Spanish grammars and
five conversation books, not TO mention
dictionaries. OF course. 1 don't say 1 am
a proficient; but I know as much Of the
language as most people. And 1 began
three years ago TO read Don QuiXote in
the original And 10 go through Don
Quixote in the original is no child's play,
/ can tell you"
Have you finished it," inquired Meg,
artlessly.
But her uncle took no notice.
Il shall, Of course. accept Rivington's
offer" he went on. And Wen make up
party I shall take both you girls, and III
ask Markham and Jephson. Did read
YOU Rivington's letter? No Wen, lis
ten:
''Vulamanin, July dear Col. Challo-
ner.-My wife and l are going TO BARGE
Iona towards the end of the month, and
as ] know you have long desired to see
the Northern Spanish native as he is.
shall be very pleased if you and any
friends you care to take (the accommoda-
ton. stretched 10 its utmost, limits 10
five persons) will make use Of our little
cottage in the mountains at Nnlamanin
for three or four weeks. l don't think
you'll like it, but it will be an experience,
and out Of the run Of ordinary travel
The house is hardly weather tight, but as
August is usually "A dry month, l hope
that won't matter. As you tell me you
are Spanish scholar the language will
present few difficulties to you. But
should you or any of your party be at a
loss my foreman knows little EnglSn,
50 / daresay you will manage all right.
IL you can be al Nillamanin by the oJth
of July. we could meet you ana give you
a few hints ia various matters. II not
good luck and fair weather Yours SIM
cerely, John RiVington.
GLORIOUS, GloriOusr unused old email
loner. as he folded up the letter and took
off his glasses. "Ili write to Rivingtoh
at once, and ask him particulars as 10
the best route and all that. l fancy we
sail to Nigo or Corunna. And III go up
10 town ana order some light travelling
trunks in the Strand this very day. 10y
the way, girls, you'd better. come 10 me
in my study for an hour every morning
after breakfast, and I'll coach you IN
Spanish. You see, this Will be most
unique and interesting experience. we
shall actually be living the NE OF the ma
tives. untrammelled by CIVILIZATION or
or anything. Remind me TO send round
note to Markham, girls. III see Jephson
when l go up to town.
In answer to the note, Markham, who
was a near neighbor, came round. But
before he interviewed old Challoner he
asked ELISE to come into the greenhouse
for minute or two.
Their conversation was brief, and after
an interlude Markham repaired to the
study and had his quarter of an hour
with Col. Challoner, who, in a somewhat
preoccupied way, accepted him as a neph-
ew-in-law, and then proceeded to the more
important business Of discussing the pro-
teeted trip. to Spain
Some three weeks later the whole party
stood on the deck of the La Plata. Col.
Challoner's satisfaction knew no bounds.
He absolutely shone. His cherished dream
was about to be realized.
Dear old man." murmured Jephson to
Markham, hes as happy as a child. 1
nope Wen all get home alive"
Spain doesn't fascinate me-" observed
the other. But I've no doubt Wen put in
a very good time. Old Challoner's awful
iy funny, though. He's laid in a regular
aarsenals. Guns, hunting knives and Lord
knows what. myself have bought a
new revolver and a bowie knife, at his
earnest request. l shall probably use
them as dressing table ornaments. He's
been teaching his nieces to hit soda water
ow."
Yes? I'm glad wasn't anywhere
around" murmured Jephson
The voyage was not a brilliant epoch
Tor the weather was stormy and the bay
made itself unpleasant. Our friends
therefore, presenting somewhat limp ap-
they look happy as they sat at dinner in
the unsanitary hotel which Law within a
short walk of the quay. 1t was their first
experience of Spanish cooking and this,
combined with their late sufferings. in
duced them to leave the table with a con-
siderable loss of color
Inc colonel. to be sure, manfully strug-
gled for a time through such dishes as
were least upsetting TO the English stom-
ach, but even he at last gave in and fed.
In the morning things looked possible
once more. of faf
palatable coffee and rolls, they sailed
forth to inspect the town.
The glorious bay smiled blue in the sun
shine. A light breeze swept inland. The
coloneps pleasure was only damped by
the sickening efiluvia of the streets, which
II requires long custom and strong nerves
to ignore. But this, he explained, was a
detail; for was it not shared by the love-
hest towns in Italy? So the young people
grimaced in disguised silence
The shops of Vigo are not its special
features, but such as they are our trav-
elers explored them all. And now strange
thing came to light. Namely, that the
Spanish of that innocent old fraud the
colonel was lamentably defective and not
TO be understood by the average Spaniard
as exhibited at Vigo. This the old gentle
man accounted for by explaining that the
Spaniards of Vigo spoke a mongrel Ian
guage which no scholar could understand
very foreign to the pure Castilian of
Which he was master. 1t would be all
right when they got to Nillamanin, he
added, cheerfully, and pooh-hooed Mark
hams suggestion that the Spanish of that
secluded spot might be more mongrel still
On the following day they left Vigo, and
the colonel got through quite an apprecia-
BILE amount of strong language in the at
tendant interviews with walters and rail-
way porters. AT the station things were
at a deadlock when Jephson came to the
rescue. He knew about a dozen words of
Spanish, but he made every word tell
In due time our travellers arrived at
Nillamanin The English engineer and
his wife had left the preceding day, for
Challoner and his party were two days
behind time.
A group of blue-bloused natives. with
hats well on the back of their heads
gathered round, and made audible re-
marks upon the girls personal charms
The postmaster, also in a short loose blue
blouse, had taken the mail from the Off
cial in charge of the postoffice van. He
held the letters clumsily in his hand, and
examined each with interest. One fut-
tered to the ground and a villainous-look-
ing dog caught it between his teeth and
worried it. Two unwholesomely unshav-
en- priests kicked the animal cruelty, and
rescued the letter in three pieces. This
little incident rather impressed Markham
and Jephson. 1t promised well for their
own corresp ondence, and they whistled
The house of the English Senior, it ap-
peared. was about two miles distant.
Mules and ponies were to be the mode OF