The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-06-29
a DAY IN THE CANARIEs.
The Courtesy of the spnniards.


that winch We We're on by wide raviue
ana my companion-he was an Irish doe
tor-incontinenuy jumped the fence ana
boldly trespasSed upon a Ions descending
slope. OF lava ash. thickly strewn with
dwarf vines az the rich. black island
grape The grapes We're invitingiy ripe
ana numerous. and we helped ourselves 20
them as fearlessly as we had first Tres
passed on their owners soil Presently a
group OF grape-pickers engaged on the
lower slopes of the hill came into view.
ana one of them, detaching himself from
the others came toward us. stopping once
or Twice on the way. We felt a certain
diihdence at the approaching interview.
summary ejectment from the vineyard
win stones" whispered the doctor-was
the least of The evils We foresaw-a posi-
pie prosecution for grape theft seemed not
beyond the realms of fancy.
AS we faced the native. steeling our
hearts for the worst-for his middle-aged.
piack- bearded face bore no trace of that
amiable weakness which much knowledge
OF tourists and their ways will beget in
presence of undoubtedly well-to-do specl-
hehts OF che kind-he he'd out 60 us his
hands with three splendid lunches of pur-
pie grapes in Them and when we had dis
embarrassed him Of these and ourselves OF
uhCmely fear, the same hands with
graceful sweep, indicated that the entire
49, was at Ouf disposal W e posi-
uNely pushed; it was heaping red-hot lava
ashes upon our heads. and his simple bow.
cap IN hand, completed our agony What
possible return could we make? Unable to
speak ms language, not adopts In the cur
rency of smiles which the other sex has
aiWays IN ready recompense, we could but
s'upldly stare MUNICH the black
grapes he gave US, and silently attempt to
convey our appreciation in furtive shill-
ing. He bowed again-once more cap in
hand-and waved with no semblance Of
rudeness, but with absolute resolution. the
pronered shilling back into our abashed
pocket. We left him feeling as il We had
been kicked.
At the foot of the slope We crossed a
nttle stream and began our ascent toward
the ROAD We had in view, through still
more private grounds, which quickly led
US upon well-kept avenue In front Of
chafmlngly pretty residence-probably
that OF the outraged proprietor OF the
vineyard! Retreat was impossible Had
we gone back it would have looked like
wanting more free grapes A mill down
stream, the only other building in sight.
mad dogs and children already at its doors
watching the intruders at the back OF
the mousse were stables and servants ac-
commodauons, but no way 10 the road
save along the avenue, past the open
windows and han door of the villa
Sneakirg along like detected tramps we
moved past the house with our eyes fixed
steadily on the gate, a couple of hundred
yards before us. beyond which lay freedom
and the white hillside road of our hopes
AS we increased our pace on getting past
the windows steps sounded behind us
We dared not look back. Perhaps the
proprietor with dog" painted the doc
tor; and, abandoning all pretense Of dig
nifty, We sped with energy toward the
gate.
10 was locked. The pursuer came up
breathless. and with apologize manner
for his inferior powers of speed produced
a key, opened the gate, and bowed us into
he high road 1t was too much--twice
such fears in one morning! But this was
evidently a servant mana race prone
to monetary recognition of their atten-
lions, we thought soothlngly. The mis-
placed shilling of the vineyard might here
be evoked with acceptable success. Make
IL two" whispered the doctor; and sum
moning up my most graceful glance tried
with amjable dexterity 10 insert the coin
into the palm that so merited IT, The groom
he was probably no more-was not to be
outdone by a mere grape-picker He not
only waved away the form and my friend
~ hand, but be even looked a surprised
displeasure. We climbed the hill road with
a sense of dependency upon us. To have
struck land where the very servants re-
fused tips-nay, whore they all but struck
you fer Offering them-was a discovery
Of a social importance we had not been
mentally equipped TO make on quitting our
motel in the morning. Before we regained
it, however, that evening, our surprise had
been swept away by further and more
overwhelming proof of the depth of Span
ish courtesy.
On getting into the outskirts OF Las
Palmas toward sunset a very natural
AZ "a daU dom nHaH
sonabie refreshment We sought a bodega
near the barranco, or dry watercourse,
which under three bridges sweeps the
walls of the theater with an impotent rush
of great powders ere 1t pours them upon
the beach--or what appeared 10 be a boz
dega of airy and respectable proportions
There was no one In II when we enter
ed SO with our national assurance we
each selected from the well-stocked
shelves the particular form of refreshment
we sought and placed IL upon the counter
Presently a young man, very respectfully
dressed. hurried In from the street, said
something i'm Spanish, and at once hur-
ried out again. He returned almost at
once with two chairs, which, placing for
u.s. he again left the shop. This struck
us as some what odd, that a carabet should
have no chairs, and our surprise was not
lessened when the youth Teappeared from
the street with two glasses, which he pro-
ceeded 70 place upon the counter ere get
ting himself behind the barrier He then
most engagingly indicated the bottles we
had placed there-one was of English
beer, the other Of some country wine
and on getting our Affirmative mods, open
ed them and poured out some OF their con-
tents-not without an amused smile,
which we attributed TO our thirsty looks.
We drank the pleasant draughts-re-
pIenished our glasses, as tired wayfarers
wlIl--tried TO enter into conversation with
the well-dressed 'barman" and failed
despite his pleasant smile, and rose to go.
How much?" / asked, in the pure and
lofty Castilian of three days sojourn
in the Canaries.
The youth responded with a deprecatory
Of the smile and an accom-
plshed bow, and the significant move
ment of the hands we We're beginning by
this time to recognize with dread. APP
parently the entire stock on the shelves
was at our disposal.
"Oh, but--come-come," demonstrated
in English, my Castilian falling at this
push this is to much. OF course we
are going TO pay" and handful of loose
money from both pockets was planked
resolutely upon the counter. mo. no"
remarked! the smiling youth, and then
with sympathetic gesture he went on 10
reveal that we had been most heartily
welcome TO the slight refreshments we had