The times., 1898-11-21
LITTLE GIRL IN PORTO RICO.
Cniooked-FOr Incident Arouses
Dropping America spJrfts.

Cn1OOked-FOr Incident Arouses
Dropping America Spirits.
The American Commissioners of Evacu-
alton had been in Porto Rico's capital
perhaps two weeks. Admiral SchIey and
Gen. Gordon were stopping at the Hotel
Inglaterra, while Gen. Brooke the senior
member of the commission was with his
escort OF regular cavalrymen and his staff
at Rio Piedras, suburb eight miles
away. 1t was lonely at the hotel There
were. besides the Commissioners and
their STATS. dozen or fifteen other
Americans about the place, mostly cor
respondents and merchants, who were
following closely in the wake OF the army
and navy for business reasons. They all
hobnobbed together in brotherly sort
OF way, but the language all about them
was Spanish-which none understood ex-
cept Adrniral Sehley. The proprietor of
the hotel was Spaniard. the cooking
was essentially Spanish, the one bath
room was also essentially Spanish, being
very dirty, and altogether, despite the
courtesy of the Spanlards and the ma
uves. II was not very peasant Every
one was longing for home. All wanted
to feel again the fresh, keen breezes of
the States, to have their blood reviyified
and cieansed of tropical enervatiou. They
wanted to see the Stars and Stripes sup
plant the red and yellow flag of Spain
which still floated tauntingly from every
public building. and to hear the strains
OF the music which stirs American pa
triotism. instead of listening to the rapid
time beats of the Spanish quickstep In
truth, everyone was homesick and gioried
in the fact.
One evening after a particularly bad
dinner the Americans had gathered in the
interior court of the hotel to talk over
matters and wonder when, IL ever, the
ionged-for embarkation of the Spanish
soldiers was to begin. They occupied the
great wicker rockers which are ranged
in square around u big settee in the
center, whereon was placed a huge palm,
always and forever breathing forth the
pestiferous mosquito. which continually
showed its good taste by preferring
American to Spanish blood. There are no
windows in this court, and bedrooms
also without windows-open of on all
sides. that mosquitoes once in there
never get out; but that has nothing to
do with this particular evening. Admiral
Schley was naturally the center of the
group. Next him sat Gen. Gordon. while
the generals son. lieutenant in the ar
my. and Lieuts. Sears and Wells and En-
sign McCauley, of the admirars staff
were close by. All of them were in uni
form.
Conversation was tagging a little. for it
was very not and the mosquitoes were
particularly objectionable. Nostalgia was
gaining rapidly when there entered a
dark-haired, dark-skinned little girl who
looked TO be no more than thirteen years
of age. She must have been older. for
later it developed that she was wife
With her was her husband who on this
occasion was mistaken for her father
They had just come from dinner and in
proof of it had toothpicks in their
mouths-a custom not inconsistent with
good breeding in Spanish or Spanish
American countries The little girl stroll
ed nochalantly to the peano and her
husband took a chair by her side. Run
ming her fingers lightly over the keys she
played some Spanish air. the music of
which was on the rack before her For
a moment then she stopped and ripple
OF polite applause ran around N. room
The girl turned half way on her stool
smiled pleasantly, and shifting the tooth
pick TO the other side of her mouth again
touched the keys with her fingers. And
what thrill went through every Ameri-
can In the room as the notes of The
Star-Spangled Banner sounded forth
Here was a breath of home coming un-
expectedly. to some of the men who had
helped to make this home a place of
winch 10 De proud. With common i'm
pulse they rose TO their feet and stood
in silence until the hymn was ended. The
little girl faced around again. smiling at
the applause which greeted her delicate
compliment.
We thank you, said the admiral IN his
| sweetest way. and everyone bowed.
The SpaniaTds had heard the song and
they peered from their rooms and peeked
into the court from the hotel office. not
/ sourly, but in wonder at this defiance
/ of their flag. But no one said a word in
/ opposition, no doubt accepting the situa-
i tion as part of the transformation then
/ in process. Not for many a day had that
! song been played in San Juan because
! even to hum IT on the streets would have
! served as a signal for the mob to rise
/ But this little Porto Rican girl-for
though married she was no more than a
ehild-had broken the ice anc thereafter
there was always the solace of American
music for the exiles