The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1896-09-05
THE PASSION FLOWER.
By b. b. DE LUNA

The gardens are tangled. the ruins are
old and gray. hardly one stone standing
above another. The bells are silent and
covered with moss. Even the grave
stones which mark the resting places
OF the dead are dull and dark; the
names being almost illegible. All is
quiet. all IS sad. all K deserted. save in
one place. where. climbing on broken
arch glows in unwonted luxuTianoe
the warm briIiiauee OF the passion
flower. 4 thing Of life amidst the PM
versal death. thing Of beauty amidst
the desolation. Quiyering in the wind,
burning in the sunshine. whispering in
the moonlight. L springs from = grave
apart from all the rest. a grave scarcely
recognizable as such. save for the fallen
stone. upon which can be family traced
one word-a word which once drove the
city mad. a name which lives in song and
story. the name sChonita.r
The people shake their heads over the
tale even now. and in the soft moon
light evenings the dark-eyed maids
lightly touching their guitars. sing
with tender pathos Of Chonita. Chon-
tia. the won1rous dancer. the beauti-
full. the gar.
Never were eyes 50 dark and tender.
never were lips 50 red. never was siren
more bewitehing. NTH her dainty feet
she danced INTO the hearts of all who
saw her. The whole city went mad.
Men died with her name on their lips.
Still she laughed and danced. Cruel
Heartless2 Yes. but, ali. the most
beautiful thing On earth.
The young maids hated her. for their
lovers forgot them after one look into
her dark eyes The mothers cursed her,
for love of her meant death to their
Sons. The priests feared her, for. 20
them. she was the very incarnation of
evil: the devil who tempted their dis
ciples TO sin. Yet what cared Cnonita +?
Tears. prayers. curses, alike fell IN
needed on her rosy ears One smile
from her lips and she set at naught
all priestly TEACHINGS. One glance from
her eyes and the teachers themselves
could not resist her.
Dance on little feetl Over the hearts
Of men. anywhere. everywhere. In all
Of Mexico there is but one Chonita, and
life is short, Dance on. dance on. the
waves are not more light. Soon will
all be over. The music, the passionate
pleadings. the cry from a thousand
adoring hearts: "Braya! bravo, Chou
tia. Chonital" Soon the curtain drops,
the lights are out. all is silent. Not for
thy beauty. thy wcndrous grace, thy
cruelty. do they remember thee. Not
these the burden of the songs the dark
eyed maidens sing-ah. no. Chonita,
One day there came TO the city a
stranger. Americana the people
called him. and ne was tall and fair and
handsome He. too. saw ChOnita, End
after one glance al her radiant beauty,
he. too, loved her. That was nothing.
Was she not the idol of them all? But
the moment that she looked into his
ewes, her heart awoke and so she learned
what lore was.
Night after night she danced, each
time more wonderfully than the last.
All, how they loved her. adored her.
But she heard no longer their shouts
Of praise. she cared not for the lights,
the music. She danced but for his eyes,
his love. Alas, ChOnita!
The days passed quickly-ah. 50
| quickly Then over the sunny land
| broke the dark storm OF war. Awakened
from their dreams. forgetting love,
their idol, all. save their country, Mex
ico's sons responded 10 her call. At the
first whisper of the coming strife. the
stranger. too, fastened away; his coUn-
try also demanded aid; and with him,
but all unknown 10 him, went Chonita
/ Tor loves sweet sake.
Disguised as his servant, her lovely
face darkened with dyes. her beautiful
hair cut short. through all the hard
times that came she followed him. Her
little feet that had danced so merrily
rested in the stirrups night and day.
Many a time her life stood between hiln.
Many a time her hand. once covered
with jewels, showered upon her by the
| passionate sons Of her native land.
turned aside their flashing swords lest
they should harm him.
Naught did she care for peril OF pri-
Walton All would she bear, though
reared like a tender flower
| Only 10 be near him, 10 look upon HIM
even II all unknown Only to hear from
his lips the careless praise a master
! gives a servant She, the adored; she
whose kisses he had once begged for
An. welli Soon IL would be over. soou
she would tell him. Then he would
know how she loved him. Then she
would be happy. Wait, wait. Alas.
alas. Chonita,
Already. though she knew it not
he had forgotten her and the days gone
by Already there had erept into hi.
heart love more pure. more holy. A
maiden Of his own land haG won hin
with her gentle ways. A maiden whom
when Texas should be free. be would
call his wife. A maiden with eyes a:
E blue as his own. whose feet had always
I trOdden sedateiy. He had never really
I loTsd before; al. no,
Chonita watched him jealOusly. Ia