The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-02-28

HIS pdtieAtiy iHu TeSpSCtluiiy oueSA1S.
 How begged the delegation" to let
 the sightseeing go-that I would come another day for that, if they would
 only open some of those blessed bales and boxes and feed the hungry multi
 tude. "Si, Sonora juerida, no so mo-
 teste," they said; ives, dear lady.
 Don't disturb yourself. They shall be
 fed to-morrow!" Had it been in the
 United States the cover would have
 been knocked off and the multitude fed
 within an hour after the train arrived;
 but 'manana" (to-morrow) rules all
 things in Spanish America. The kind
 and benevolent souls, actuated by the
 very best intentions, could not be made
 to realize that for the starving immc-
 diate work would be far better than a
 thousand words; and the reconcentra-
 dos themselves expecting nothing else.
 meekly folded their skeleton arms and
 waited for manana. e
 Such narrowing tales as were told
 to us by motherless children and tear
 ful women! Space will not permit me
 to repeat but one or two., A girl of ten
 years. with arms not much bigger than
 my thumb and badly swollen feet, in dicating the dropsy caused by impo-
 verished blood-said that she was the eldest of five brothers and sisters, the father and mother both dead. She was clad in a single ragged garment, dirty beyond description, and was the worst case of itch ever beheld. We bought some medicine for the disease and explained it's application and pro- 11n Pow t1Sr fNx fov, fnray days-but what good will that do in the depths of their misery and the hopelessness of their future? If the readers of the Journal and Courier could have been with me that day in Jaruco,, they would not rest until aid societies were formed for the making of garments for these wretohed crea- tures Elaborate clothes and cast-off flnery are not needed; but sacques and skirts of serviceable cotton, made in various sizes, and blouses and trousers for the boys, would be an incalculable boon. The United States will send food through the bounty of the gov- .ernment, but it rests with my country
 women to cover some of this naked
 ness. In the last lot of supplies that
 
 black buttons, sent by some generous hearted merchant. How useful.3 ex- claimed Miss Barton as she gazed upon | it; but it seemed to me that some gar | nlents upon which to place the buttons would be of sore service just now, | Another case was that of a good-look- l ing, refined woman, perhaps thirty five | years of age, dressed in neat but sfab- | by black with the saddest eyes ever | saw. She said that two years ago she and her husband were in good circum- l stances, owning a small plantation 1 upon which they employed six men and their wives. A few days after Ma ceo's raid the Spanish soldiers came in hot pursuit. The latter inquired which l way the rebels had taken. They did ! not know, being out of the line of Ma
 ceo's march, and therefore could give I no information. Believing that they l were lying to screen their friends the Spaniards killed her husband before l her eyes and the six other men on the l plantation and burnt all their buildings l to the ground. Her only daughter. l fifteen years old, was shot while at l tempting to shield the father and the l baby in her arms received a bullet I wound in the back which crippled if l for life. She has her land and nothing
 else but her sorrow, and is now among l the hungry reconoentrados
 I hope we did one little grain of good in the prison, but am not sure of 1t, as
 Spanish promises amount to little We found an old man named Matamo. l ,Y ,>J eoy~e
 he had lain for two years, apparently I forgotten. He had been an insurgen' ] at the beginning of the war, but gave l himself up when the promise came tt ] release all those who voluntarily came l back from the field. He was prompt ! ly released, but arrested next day Tor I suspicion And here he has beer since in almost total darkness ant l wretchedness beyond description l Now he is merely breathing skeleton ] too weak to raise his head. with tht l most terrible eyes l ever saw in hu
 man countenance When the door wal ' opened the horrible odor of the unven
 tilated hole turned us faint With : .| faint howl like that of a dying beast
 the old man called for water. A heav! Jug or unClGdH WHLGE SlOUu uGaT Ills l bed, but strong man could hardly have lifted it, and there was no cup
 He said he had been fed a spoonful Q rice that day, no more, and that h'
 was perishing of thirst and hunger l We hastened to the house of the Span
 ish commandante and begged his ex T cellency, as special favor, to have tn I man, Matamoras, removed tosa cleane and lighter cell and that friends out T side be allowed to bring him food
 The commandante was politeness per sonified and promised all we asked. we had requested that the doors b.
 thrown wide open and the man set ire
 he would no doubt have promised jus I as readily. A gentleman residing il Jaruco agreed to telegraph me tha night if any change had been made fo I poor Matamoras, but up to date, tw y days later, no telegram has been re ceived. FANNIE B. WARD. ! nr inc nntnn Hnasnn