The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1897-05-06

by get ravishing glimpses of verdure and
beauty within; the patio with its central
fountain, palms and flowers, and often
with statuary and other works of art.
Towering high above the low, white
houses are the domes and towers of more
than d score of grand, old churches, the
cathedral dwarfing them all. Many of the
Older sanctuaries cover whole squares and
are richly adorned inside-and their gar
dens were once marvels of beauty. But
all suffered terrible set back when Die
tator Barrios-uncle of the later president
of the same name-banished the clergy
with ruthless hand and confiscated to the
State as much of their property in money,
lands and edifices as he could find use for
Thus it is that almost all the public build
ings in Guatemala's capital-post office,
custom house, prisons, barracks, colleges,
etc are transformed ecclesiastical edifces
1t was, indeed bold act on Barrios part
to deal the church such blow, for be-
Ioic l4idl llIliS IL was IOlu VI div uilC
now it is absolutely powerless.
The Gran Hotel, in which we are doni-
ciled, is said to be the best one between
Mexico and Peru. 1t is the Palace Hotel
of san Francisco, on a lower but not
otherwise smaller scale, being two-stored
and enclosing an inner courtyard, filled
with peach and palm, orange and bread
fruit trees. There are balconies all around
the court, overlooking this interior garden
with its fountain and flowers. The bal
comics are enclosed with glass in sliding
panels, because at this altitude, though
III the tropics, the nights and early morn
ings are often quite chilly. This beauti-
full building was once the private residence
of a very wealthy family, whose head
was banished by the elder Barrios for sup
property was turned over to the State
and his daughters, who were born in this
palatial home, are now poor seamstresses.
The hotel is kept by German, and is
always full. Several members of the
diplomatic corps and most of the foreign
merchants reside in it permanently. and
just now a French Opera company has
swelled the number. The proprietor and
his clerks speak English indeed, nearly
everybody we meet in Guatemala is a
more OF less accomplished linguist, as a
knowledge of English, Spanish, German,
French and Italian is essential to doing
business in this cosmopolitan city
The climate is little short of absolute
perfection-the very finest in the world,
as many assert, never rising above so de-
grees and seldom falling below 60. There
is hardly 10 degrees difference between
summer and winter-more properly
speaking, between the wet season and the
dry: the atmosphere Just adapted to
gardens OF roses aud pansies the year
around. And such roses and pansies as
you see in Guatemala can be found in few
other places on the globe. We are in the
last days of the dry season, and need give
no thought to weather probabilities in
planning our excursions ahead, because
it is certain to be bright sunshine every
day. The rainy season begins in May and
lasts to the middle Of October; but there
are never any long dreary rain storms,
such as often at1lict US at home in April
and November. Every afternoon, at
about the same time, a tremendous
shower washes the face OF nature clean
the streets run rivers, and it seems as if
the very gates of heaven are opene d
wide. But presently the sky is blue and
clear again, the water quickly runs off, and
everything is brighter and sweeter than
before. Most travellers prefer the wet
season to the deep dust OF the dry months.
although it occasions considerable delay
while waiting for the clouds to roll by.
and the torrents sometimes render the
roads difficult and often dangerous to
traverse, with their bark bridges over deep
barrancas, and often no bridges at all.
FANNIE BRIGHAM WARD.