The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-05-20
BYWAYS OF SEVILLE.
THUMB NAIL SKETCHES OF AWlTTX
4 AND GRACIOUS PEOPLE.

Tho Lazy and Picturesque Lie Oh the An
MISUNDERSTANDING Love Through Barred
windows-A Taberna Where tho Dark
er Side of Life Is Displayed.
Wandering homo through tho dark,
winding byways, you pass cloaled fig
ures whispering at tho iron bound win
dows. They are the lovers of Seville,
pelando In pava (plucking the turkcy),
as they call it. With tho lattice slightly
open, the fair Seyillana sits in her dark
encd chamber talking in whispered
tones to the gallant without. The old
folks, weary of the task of chaperonage,
after locking the daughter i'll q room
barred like prison cell, have gone to
bed, and for hours, sometimes the en-
trio night, tho affianced lovers look
through the grating into each others
eyes and whisper the nothings of love.
1t would seem cold comfort to north
ern swain, but the Spaniards say the
iron bars are q necessary evil there i'll
Spain. In Spain there are life and color
and picturesqueness everywhere, and
you think the Spaniard was born to be
an artists model
In the maze of tortuous streets about
the market one sees something of the
life of the people. There the white
washed houses arc outlined against tho
brilliant sky in rambling perspective,
and the graceful tower of some parish
church, its brown walls moss grown, its
bright tiles shining, rise sharp and clear
into the blue above. Dark maidens with
glossy hair and warm color in their
checks gaze idly from. the miradores
above upon tho countless people in the
streets below.
The cobbler hammers and stitches i'll
his smoky littlo shop without window
or door, glasses click i'll the bodega,
sleek cows with mournful eyes and
tinkling bells stand silently chewing
their cuds i'll the milkmans stalls, and
the dainty feet of shaggy donl1eys patter
Oh the cobblo stones as the patient lit
tie beasts, beneath their panniers Of
straw or charcoal, thread their way
through tho crowd. You wander along,
picking your way through the good ma
tured assemblage, until you reach some
little plaza with its church, where beg
gars sun themselves upon the f1agstones,
and the puestos, or booths of the street
pcddlers, with graceful, colorcd avn
ings, are scattered picturesquely about
the pavement. There the dazzling sun
light casts fantastic shadows ON the yell
low and blue walls of the houses, null
ticolored pots OF festoons of cotton
prints hang in the dingy shops, gallar-
dos-dandies of the street-gossip i'll
groups or oglo the passing maidens,
dogs snooze i'll sunny spots and crowds
of idlers cluster about some barrel Or
gan or blind guitarist. There is Il booth
near by where bronze skinned gypsy
is cooking molletes calentitos, sort Of
greasy flour cake fried in oil, and vino
puesto with its earthen jars, and hugo
bottles of red and yellow wine, and
there vagos loiter to eat and drink.
Ono can linger for hours in the streets
of Seville, watching tho people and
talking with them, too, for tho Anda-
lusian of the lower classes is the best of
fellows There is Il democratic freedom
i'll his manner, at once respectful and
cordial, which is unlike tho obsequious-
ness or boorishness of the common peo-
plo of other countries. He is slow and
even lazy, but he commands respect, and
nowhere can one meet such civility and
heartiness as is shown by tho Andalu-
sian peasant. But you must unbend and
meet him half way. He does not like
Saxon stiffness, and cordial word or
the offer Of II cigarette will accomplish
moro than handful of silver.
When you go into bodega of the
people where aguardiente is sold at
cent glass, the habitues all greet you
with word of welcome, and tho bar
keeper serves his liquor with courtli-
ness which is Chesterfieldian. They are
rough places. those common taverns.
There is one i'll particular, across tho
river i'll Triana, where the toughs of Sc
ville-the matones, they are called
gather to drink and quarrel They say
that every Sevillian who is spelling for
fight goes there, and many are tho
cutting affrays III which navajos are
drawn. With mantas wrapped about tho
left arm, tho duellists crouch and slow
ly follow each other around, Watching
tho opportunity for the fatal spring
just us they do III Carmen. This tabcrna
of the DULLES is low, dingy place,
spannod by high beams blackened by
ages OF cigarettes and dirt. 1t is omen TO
the street on two sides, and supporting
the corner beams is an old Roman col
umn which locks as though it may have
been standing since the time of Traian.
The floor is of dirt, and III one corner arc
II low table and three or four cane seat.
ed chairs. There arc dirty bottles on tho
shelves and coarse prints of bullfighters
on tho walls. Behind the bar is tho
keeper of the resort, low proved ruff
fan, with little weasel eyes, set close
together and knife slash across his I'M
shaven check. He looks n prince of cut
threats, but even he has kindly greet