Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1898-10-08

At last the incessant, quavering
gabble of the three carpinteros, COM
bined with their marked odor of
opium, sandal-wood and warm hu-
manity, drove me outside until the
work should be finished
found at the door a crowd of
natives beside my clerks, who, it
seemed, were candidates for the posi-
ton of punkero, or coolie, whose duty
it is to keep the fan swinging during
business hours. Considering the
narrowing monotony of the work, his
pay is very low. They were all boys in
various stages of dirt aud nakedness,
except one, whose appearance attracted
my attention.
He was a tall, old man, neatly
dressed in snowy shirt and trousers,l
with fine, intelligent face. His hair
was nearly white, which indicated q
pretty ripe age, for Filipino's head
seldom shows signs of grayness before
he is fifty, and I never saw one in the
least bald.
"Does that viejo-old fellow-want
10 Uo puuheio! aShcu oooo, Vho
chief clerk.
Isl, senor," answered Jose, with a
grin like an open piano, che says he
does"
"He doesn't look like it," said L.
"Mira-look here-viejo, canst thou
not find better work."
''No, senor," he answered, respect
fully. "I have wife and crippled
son to support, senior, and I hope l
may be allowed to serve your grace. "
The old mans Spanish was pure
and good, and his replies to the few
questions I asked betrayed an educa-
ton far superior to that of fthe ordinary
native. I was puzzled to know why
he should be an applicant for posi-
tion generally considered beneath the
dignity of any one but half-grown
boy from the wilderness; but he was
very reticent in respectful way, and
lodged my questions most diplomatic
ally.
At last decided to try him, partly
as curiosity, for no other office in the
place was ornamented by punkero OF
such yer erable and dignified appear
ance.
So I told the others to su-lu-clear
out-and ordered Jose, much to that
worthy's amazement at my choice, to
install Miguel, as he called himself,
in his position as soon as things were
ready. Furthermore, l told Jose,
with emphasis, to see that the other
clerks attempted no "skylarking" with
the old man.
When I returned found the punka
in place, and Miguel maintaining his
dignity wonderfully on three-legged
stool, with the cord in his hand, which
he began to pull as entered, filling
the room with refreshing whirlwind
Thus old Miguel became fixture
in my Office. and performed his lowly
task faithfully and we'll. He was
always at his post when arrived in
the morning to greet me with "Buenos
dias, senor!" He tugged patiently al
his cord till 1 donned my jacket and
riding -boots at five o'clock, the sigma
for "Buenos noches, senor" and his
departure.
The old mans one drawback
that only at first-was a persisten
tendency to go to sleep at his post.
tried to cure him OF the habit by saw
ing off one leg of the stool. This KEEP
him awake an hour or two, but he soor
found that by propping one edge o
the stool against the wall, he coult
still take little nap, and was Obliged
to have another leg of the stool Gu
of. After that ha l no more trouble
for the effort necessary to balance him
self on the one-legged stool kept th
old man awake.
It was SO unusual to see man o
I his age doing such work that my bust
ness friends used to oremark upon "H. ;
Punka Methuselah."
Now and then his wife would com
in to see him-a dear old coffee-col
ored lady, with brilliantly colored skir
and starched mantilla, while her white
!, frizzly hair was adorned with an i'm
mense horn comb. She was such
dainty old creature, and the courtes,
with which she always favored IN
was so like that OF duchess of til
last century that I could never hesi
tate to rise and bow with the utmos
gravity, which performance create
the widest hilarity on the part OF tn
! first Englisha,An who witnessed il
and had lad time at the club tsbl
that evening.
She would invariably inquire, i
funny Spanish, if her husband wa
doing his work to my satisfaction, an
I as often assured her that he lei
nothing to be desired, whereupon sh
would pat his shoulder in approva
and they would converse in their ow
language. all g's and MS apparently
One afternoon, toward the end G
t June, there entered the Office an oil
. Chinese merchant, Quin Leng b
name, who long before had lived j
the Philippines, but who now reside
at home in Hongkong, and cam
: across the troublous China Sea occ'
sionally on business trip.
After the usual long g-drawn gree