The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-08-24
4 RInPLNGS WRONGS.

nh. National Review fofsAugust con-
+aIns "a "Reminiscences OF Manila" by
Frank Il. Bullen. which reeites things
interesting and amusing. one of his ae-
ouulntances described was a half-brerd
soldier After telling of their meeting
the writer goes on to say:
personally. must say that ! met
win very great kindness from indlVid-
Wai Standards, 50 that my stay In the
Capltal OF Cuba is one OF the lleasantest
retoilectlons OF my life, bat that could
moi blind me to the evident facts OF Ut.
Ter eaIIousncSs. maladminiatration ana
general futIlity on the nartpt those re-
ssHHrsIble for the government OF the is
S SpAf After awhile my friend grew COM
gdcntIol about the difficulties OF his life
nsI,orc until / interposed with the inno-
cent remark, ''You don't seem 70 love
Inc Standards over much" Then a
change came over the man dreadful to
zoe From a meek, splritiess creature ne
hrcame TO all appearances blood
tbirsty demon, with distorted features
tbnt would have served as model Tor
a statue OF hatred. With a sting OF
those unutterably horrible blasphcmies
In which Spanish-speaking people are
' nrofIcient, he assured me that no
Jaath could be sufficiently dreadful, no
torture that could be, devised painful
,.rongh for the punishment OF that
tbrice.accursed race, In his opinion. His
veh.mance was painful to witness, the
enithets kissing through his clenched
,eetb. and his eyes glarln6 like those
~ maniac. Presently he Gained down
somewhat and, taking my arm, he point
ed along the coast to q low point,
where l could just distinguish Few
twlnklIng lights.
There he says, "lies the little VIII
lage where was born thirty years ago.
NV father was a SPaRiaEd, who boosted
that his race was too noble for anything
so degrading as work, but who thought
IT quite tit and proper that my mother.
n native OF Luzon, should labor both for
him and his miserable offspring. was
The Youngest OF FIVE, four boys and 4
,-irl zach of whom, as soon as they
grew old enough to walk, let alone work.
were taken away from my mothers side.
She never saw them again. fFortunate-
" for me. my father was killed before
i was old enough 10 know what his
crimes were / rejoice at the thought
that he received his deserts at the hands
Of one Of my mothers people, who way
laid him and hacked him 10 pieces one
night after he had brutally tlogged my
pO0r mother and left her bleeding and
insenslble on the floor Of our hut After
this act OF righteous justice we were
left in peace for many years. l grew
up into a strong, healthy lad, as pas
slonately fond OF my mother as she was
of me, and able to help her, so that her
hard liie was no longer so bitterly Sc
we're as 1t had been She was a cripple,
having had her leg broken by my father
before was born, and been left to die
or recover, as 1t might happen, just like
a wild animal. The one fear that never
left us both was that should be torn
away from her, as we had seen so many
others hurried to Manila by the soldiers.
for what purpose we never knew, but
they never came back again. But by
some strange oversight, which do not
even now understand, was overlooked
until | was twenty years OF age. The
ever-present terror was no less than It
had been, but somehow I felt proud
confidence quite groundless) in my abil-
ity to defend my liberty or escape II ever
/ should be seized, and I vowed to our
ancient gods that nothing should keep
me from my mothers side. Another Tie
came also to bind me to my little home
still closer, II that had been possible.
The daughter OF one of my mothers old
est friends was left an orphan, and to
save her from the fate that in such a
village as ours, so near Manila, always
overtakes our young women, mother
contrived to give her n shelter with US.
fell In love with her, and we were
married, although was sOrely put to It
10 pay the priests fee, which was
bound to do TO have even the shadow
Of right TO my own wife. Our marriage
made no difference to our mode OF living,
as we SIN occupied the same little hut,
and all toiled hard to get bit OF food.
She was almost as FOND OF my mother
as I, and although we had n hard strug-
gle for q bare existence, we were free
and very happy. Our people want so lit
tie besides liberty. Then-then; how can
! tell you?" and he suddenly burst into a
passionate fit OF weeping, which seemed
as II II would tear him to pieces, 1 was
distressed myself to see his agony, but
could offer no comfort.
AZ last he Gained down and proceed
ed: IN spite OF the gloomy prospect Of
difficulties In finding food for another
mouth. was oVerjoyed when LeeQua
whispered to me her hopes. and went
about my work feeling bigger and
stronger. and swelling with Importance.
But It was only the next day after I
heard the news that. as was return
ing home for the sIesta, Leequa sprang
out from a bush near the hut looking
mad with fright. Hide, hide she said,
the soldiers are in the village, I'm sure
they'll take you away from me- was
stunned for moment and unable to
think. Before / had recovered myself
sufficiently to form any idea OF where TO
go or what to do. those Internal wretches
had surrounded us. Then, too late.
made dash for liberty, fighting like q
tiger; but what could do? In minute
was oveFpowered, tied hand and foot
and thrown into stupehcd heap on the
ground. They ill-used my poor girl, my
LeeOulta, before my eyes, and at the
sight went mad. remember no more
until l found myself In n filthy den In
CaVIte, my head shaver, and my whole
body aching and smnrting with bruises
and cuts. They had been hoggiRg me 70
hasten the recovery Of my reason. All
my spirit was gone, was no longer a
man but thing, and the happy past was
only foolish dream, impossible ever tc
have been real. Well. with hundreds
OF unfortunates, like myself. oil wolf.
i2h with hunger, beaten, spit at, and
ttdInpltu upon COullHuHlly' WIS uIIltH
and made into soldier. We were
driven like cattle TO fight, to shoot
down our own countrymen wherever
they, goaded to desperation, had risen
against their hellIsh masters. You may
perhaps wonder why we did not sooner
die than consent 20 march against those
who were fighting for our rights, who
We're brave enough to stand against
their oppressors. can't answer you eX-
cept by saying that we were no longer
human beings; we even spicd upon and
betrayed one another. in the hope OF be.
Ing fnVnrnd with q lItiln more cnnSiher.