New-York tribune., 1897-07-11
"LITTLE BROTHER"
A GIRLS ADVENTURE IN A MEXICAN
TOWN

ordered out their carriages IL they had block
e 90. used to look upon her with amazement as
she ramped down their steep streets with fine,
swinging. hee-and toe gait
She was picking her way one day among the
verdors in the plaza, stopping in a while to
give some whining beggar or tattered monstros-
ity a centavo when She felt her skirt pulled
Looking, she tiny hand held out and .
childish voice piped the sual formula for aims
The little creature was no taller than q child OF
four. But the face! 1t was old and withered-
The eyes were sunken and old. Miss Stanley
pulled back the rebozo-the hair was gray.
"A dwarf" she thought with little feeling of
repusion How old youT-
"Fifty-four." piped up the thing Then.
true to her sex, 1.-THE priest will tell you fifty
eight, but l am not; only fifty four" She
said her name was Rosita-
Rosita it appeared did nearly anything for
living. begging preferably. although that is
somewhat overcrowded profession in Mexico
Sometimes she sold chickens vegetables on
commission. She had another source OF income
being pensioner the bounty OF a young man
. centavo a week-but she confessed sadly he
n ade her jump for the coin, and II he held his
arm out straight she might jump in vain- she
could not reach it
THE brute. said Miss Stanley. Rosita did not
know the meaning. but she looked up. pleased
That was good. the English lady was taxing an
interest in her. for the expletive sounded profane
and profanity from a feminine source Indicated
strong emotion, which she construed favorapiy
The poor in Mexico are always hungry. and
Miss Stanley, knowing this falling took Rosita
TO q little one-room restaurant The menu was
confined strictly to Mexican dishes
Miss Stanley noticed that Roslta put half her
dinner to one side, wrapping the carne and
frijoes in tortllas. When she came to dulce
OF some tropic fruit boiled in a syrup OF cane
sugar. her little wrlnkled eyes looked wistful.
How can l take some to my little brother"
abe asked
Miss Stanley asked another question: is TINS
food you have put away for your brother"
Yes" answered Rosita in her squeaky voice
-I take all the care of him. We are alone. and |
work for him. He is locked in the room, now
see" and she held up the massive key peculiar
70 Mexican doors.
WHY is he locked n?" asked Miss Stanley, as
she directed the mozo to put the dinner In
couple OF ollas for Rosita to take to her brother
He has combats with the children in the
street. and 1 afraid some one will get hurt.
she answered
Miss Stanley watched her trot away. laden
with the dinner for her brother. So little and 50
cid. unlike many dWarfS not buiky-lndeed,
pitifully thin 1t was not until she reached home
That Miss Stanley remembered she had not asked
how old the little brother was.
She often met Rosita after that. sometimes in
tne Jardin where the roses nodded overhead and
violets bloomed under foot and the band played
softly and sweetly Mexican bands do. Rosita
would dart from the oircling stream OF pelado
into the inner circle. where the quality walked
under the trees or sat on the iron benches. Miss
Stanley could seldom resist the little dirty, badly
worked square Of drawn work held out by the
tiny hand.
Sometimes In the plaza, where the vendors
saIled their various fruits and vegetables with
onk drawn, wailing cries, Miss Stanley would
addeny hear at her elbow the shrill squeak OF
,osdta as she praised tie virtues of an attenu-
= led hen. "Muy gordo, nna!-take t-weigh II
your hand-it is heavy beyond belef!' she
would Insist holding up the unattractve bundle
, q feathers TO the child"
Constance Stanley had father or mother
and living with brother who was endeavorins
To effect the drainage of the richest silver mine
h the world" she wandered unchecked through
th. crowded. narrow streets Of the ord town
. with a young c1iada her only safeguard
/ She had often longed to explore dark street
n plunged downward from the paved ana
f,,zed one 1t was damp and murky. A
lrcase of stone, with crumbling adobe walls
and three stories high. AcrOss the streets
ROW width nuttered strings q washing. The
men. with their red petticoau and blue rebo-
made bright blots Of color. The men loafed
ont lean and ragged 1t reminded her of
snles. The doorways swarmed with babies and