The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1899-09-12
THE LITTLE SON ::
:. :. OF ANITA.


We found her one day when we were
exploring that part of New Mexico.
making collections from the fauna and
flora of the country for the Smithsonian
institute and never expecting to see
anything SO deliciously perfect as that
barbaric specimen of Mexican beauty
as she stood winnowing beans in the
shade of her adobe hut. She wore only
the camisole, the single garment of her
people, but her brown, bare arms were
strung with bracelets; silver beads and
rings and earrings set off her rich, ripe
beauty and accentuated her charms, and
bound hair take on the soft effect OF
velvet against the rosy red of her oval
cheek. Her perfect chin was dimpled,
a rare type in New Mexico, but ex-
planned by other traces of Castilian
blood. And she was married to Nava-
jo Indian-poor Anita
Why the girl should have selected
him from among number of more de-
sirable and richer suitors no one could
UGll. I1t WdS I'LL lHlcIlOI CfCh
among his own people, of squat figure
and most disagreeable features. She
was already widow when she married
Manuel Ascham, having espoused old
Jesus Martin when she was Is. He had
died when she was 30. leaving her mon
ey enough to say masses for the repose
of his soul and boy of 4 years, who
was as beautiful as his mother-and
that is saying great deal.
We saw them often and never tired
of feasting our eyes on the wonderful
bodily graces of the two-the boy like
some wild thing. his perfect limbs un-
clad, save on fiesta days, his great
dreamy eyes always full of slumber,
his red pouting lips ever warm with
his mothers kisses. She loved him as
such women love one human thing out
of the whole world, and she cared not
at all for her husband or any other
man. Only little Jean, the rosy rogue
One day we found the little fellow
tumbling in the sand with a small va
grant dog that had been beaten and
starved, but which was at once chosen
by little Jean to be his comrade.
"Wait me a little, thou" expostu-
lated his mother. 81 thee will make te
have 'bijuela, my son, and thou
canst play the so sweet moosic. T"
| Anita was as good as her word. She
| let the Americanos watch her long
brown fingers fashion the native jews
harp from a weed stalk and a liner
| thread, and then che taught the boy tt
put it between his small white teetl
and fan it so that sweet strains would
come. Even the babies Of that wonder
full land can learn the tempo.
But Jean was soon displeased will
his "bijuela'' and wanted the brown
dog that was like a skeleton dog, bu
very good and loving and, after he ha(
eaten several "frijoles, could play lik'
little brother. And we, coming from
land where the dog is always the hon
ored guest of the family, prevailed
upon her to keep the cur and give it ,
trial. If it should prove troublesome
we showed Manuel, before we left, hov
he could easily dispose of it. And there
by the Americanos became participation
in very strange tragedy.
Anita gave us some idea of why sh
made such an unequal marriage. Sh
chose Manuel Ascham because he ha,
the cunning to make love to her littl
son. He had taken him to the fiesta pick
aback, he had danced for him an
sung "El Carbonero" and taught hiI
to ride a burro like cavalier an
brought him sweets from the shops i
the city So, as it was lonesome wit
no man to come home from the orchar
, or the herding, she married Manue
and gave Jean father, for 1t please
: her that the two were so fond of eac
) other Besides she trusted Manuel. Blu
; whoever trusts a Navajo Indian mus
keep both eyes watching. He will nc
mistreat his wife, for the laws of hi
people forbid that women should b
treated as interiors, and he will not OF
der her to saddle his burro or do an
menial work for him, but he thinks
and an Indian Of that country wh
thinks is dangerous and unscrupulous
When Manuel began life, he ha
only spade, but he was going to sho'
the other lovers of Anita that she di
well to marry him, and he worked har
and now had goats and chickens, oa
9 growing six feet high and fine her
o of the small lean sheep of the countr
that have long horns and whose flesh
sweet and juicy.
Manuel hated little Jean, whose Fl
ther was dead and could not help hin
He was jealous to the death of the poo
baby, and each kiss Anita gave to IL
boy planted fresh sting in that India
i heart.
But outwardly he was as kind
usual to Jean, and when the pretty be
would cling to his treacherous har
and coax to walk half way up the slol
among the cedars with him on his We
to the goat herding Manuel would fol
die and caress the little brown ham
and all the time he was thinking h
Indian thoughts.
9 One day when Manuel went, Jes
wanted to stay at home and play vii
Teja, the half starved cur that WI
now as round and plump as jeans sci
go, thou, then, dear little one,
E said his mother, land take thou Il
poor Teja; thou lowest him So"