The Press., 1899-01-19
MR.. SPAIN AND HIS H1LDREN.

MR. SPAIN AND HIS CHILDREN.
Mr.. Spain lived across the street. He
was once the richest man in the block
but is now only shabby genteel, and his
ing. vain and quarrelsome, he treats his
children very badly. In fact, he was &C.
customed to abuse them SO o'outrageously
that for the most part of every week the
majority of them were in bed with the
cuts and wounds he gave them. Some o1
his older children, Columbia, Chill, Mex
leo, and some others of them, rebelleC
against such treatment years ago, left his
roof, and went to housekeeping for them
selves in the street back Of our house.
Some months ago, all our folks were
reused by piercing cries and shrieks pro
ceeding from the alley in the rear of oul
yard. Looking cut of the window, W.
saw Mr.. Spain brutally whipping his son
Cuba, and 1t did look as though he was
going to murder him right then and there
Some of our boys wanted to go out ane
pitch into Mr.. Spain, but we held then
back, for we live in curious town
There are no police. There is no govern
mem Every man does what he pleasei
In his own home. The neighbors used tt
be fighting all the time, but since maj
named Jesus walked our streets quite {
while ago, there has been tendency t.
try to get along with each other as wei
as we can, and indeed it has been for the
great good of the town. And as we hac
ourselves been very strong advocates O
this policy, we thought we ought not te
interfere rashly. So we held the boys
back. We hoped that Mr.. Spain woulo
relent, Or that Cuba, who was quite {
good-sized boy, would break away from
him. The fight grew more dreadful, anC
all our boys and girls we're getting very
much excited. but we still held back
We knew Mr.. Spain was a brave man
with all his faults, and very proud anC
obstinate, and we feared If We began tt
fight we might have to do him serious in
jury before he would give up. And W.
did not want to do that, for we bore hin
no Ill will. Moreover, we knew that
when younger. Mr.. Spain had been quite
a boxer, and, while confident of victory
we did not care to get any bruises If VIZ
could help it, especially as we had beer
living an easy life for some years. Then
too, we saw the neighbors standing aroune
looking on. Almost half of them were
cousins of Mr.. Spain, and all OF then
lived on the other side OF the street ant
didn't like US any too we'll, and we didn'
know but we would have to stand tn,
whole crowd.
Still at last the shrleks of Cuba hecam,
really so dreadful that we couldn't stant
1t any longer. We couldn't look on anc
see the boy murdered at our own bacl
door. So out we sailed, and the flgh
began. 1t was short, sharp and decisive
MIR. Spain was neatly whipped and started
off on run. We received only one bat
blow on our Santiago muscle. During
the fight we stumbled on another child O
MIR. Spain, a child we had never beer
close to, and did not know much about
Its name was Filipino. 1t was quite {
child, much younger than Cuba. 1t hadn'
cut its eye teeth yet, and though large
for its age, didn't seem to have developed
much mentally. This poor child hat
been abused even more terribly thar
Cuba. And when we went back into thu
house, despite the black looks of Mr.
Spain's cousins, but to the great deligh
of our cousin, John Bull, we took Cuba
Filipino and little baby called Puerto
Rico, another of Mr.. Spain's children, in
to our home with us. We hadn't tn,
heart to send them back home, and W,
couldn't leave them. in the alley.
All the boys and gills af' tffst seemed
to be delighted, but soon Massachusetts
began to take on dreadfully, and by anc
by had some OF her sisters crying ant
scolding with her. This was very grea
surprise to us. for Massachusetts is ou
Oldest girl. She has had good intiuenc
on the younger children, and in our onl,
family row she was her parents righ
hand. We can only account for it b.
saying that she is very prim and old maid
ish, she is crank in cleanliness, an
while she loves black children on the opt
skirts of the town, and sends them a goo
deal Of money, she does not like them t
come near her, and especially to live i
the same house. She reproves some Q
her sisters for saying "nigger," but sh
does not care to associate with them her
self. Moreover, her nerves are quite Jun
strung. In fact cit makes US sad to ga
it), Massachusetts is not as strong as sh
used to be. She was dreadfully afrai
that We would be hurt in the fight, an
when it started and: Mr.. Spain bega
throwing stones and sticks, and anythin
he could pick up, Massachusetts gre,