The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-11-28
A LitlIe Girl in Porto Rico.

a Little Girl IN Porto RICO.
The American commissioners of evacu-
alton had been in Porto Rico's capital
perhaps two weeks says the New York
Sun. Admiral Schley 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, a suburb, eight miles away. Il
was lonely at the hotel. There were, be
sides the commissioners and their STATS
a dozen or fifteen other Americans about
the place, mostly correspondents and mer-
chants, who were following closely in the
wake of the army and navy for business
reasons. They ali hobnobbed together in
brOtherly sort of way, but the language
all about them was Spanish-which none
understood except Admiral Schley. The
proprietor Of the hotel was a Spaniard
the cooking was essentially Spanish, the
one bathroom was also essentially Span
ish, being very dirty, and, altogether, de-
spite the courtesy of the Spaniards and
the natives, it was not very pleasant. Ev-
cry one was longing for home All wanted
to feel again the fresh, keen breezes of
the states, to have their blood revivifed
and cleansed of tropical excavation. They
plant the red and yellow flag of SPAIN
which still foated taunungly 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, every one was homesick, and Go
ried in the fact
One evening, after a particularly bad
dinner. the Americans had gathered in
no in Of To oil
matters and wonder when, if ever, the
longed-for embarkation of the Spanish
soldiers was to begin. They occupied the
great wicker rockers which are ranged in
a square around a big settee in the CEN
ter, wherein was placed huge palm, al
ways and forever breathing forth the pes
tiferous mosquito which continually show
ed its good taste by preferring American
to Spanish blood. There are no windows
in this court, and ,bedrooms-also with
out windows-open off # on all sides, so
that mosquitoes once in there never get
out; but that has nothing 20 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 army, and Lieut.
Sears and Wells and Ensign McCauley of
the admirars staff were c,ose by. All of
them were in uniform.
Conversation was tagging a little, for 1t
was very hot aud the mosquitoes were
particularly Objectionable Nostalgia was
gaining rapidly when there entered a dark
haired, dark-skinned little krl who looked
to be no more than Is years of age. She
must have been oder for later Il devel-
oped that she was a 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 strolled nonchalantly to the piano and
her husband took a chair by her side.
Running her fingers lightly over the keys
she played some Spanish air, the music of
which was on the rack before her. For
moment then she stopped and ripple of
polite applause ran around the room.
The girl turned halfway on her stool,
smiled pleasantly, and shifting the tooth
pick 10 the other side of her mouth again
touched the keys with her fingers. And
what thrill went through every Amert-
can in the room as the notes of THE Star
Spanged Banner" sounded forth! Here
was a breath of home coming unexpected
~. 10 some of the men who had helped to
make this home a place of which to be
proud With a common impulse they rose
to their feet aud stood in silence until the
hvmn was ended. The little girl faced
around again, smiling at the applause
which greeted her delicate compliment.
eve hank you" said The admiral in his.
sweetest way and every one bowed.
The Spaniards had heard the song and
they peered from their rooms and peeked
into the court from the hotel office, nos
sourly, but in wonder at this defiance TO
their flag But no one said a word in
opposition, no doubt accepting The situa-
ton 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 il on the street 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
child-had broken the ice and thereafter
there was always the solace of American
music fer the eXiles.