St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1899-05-20
JUANITO
BY Edith Wagner
T7HE sun would soon set. Already

SHE sun would soon set. Already
there was cool feeling in the air.
1t had been market day in Puebla, and
now the little family was going home
to one of the Indian villages near Cho,
lula. Hundreds of such groups were
scattered along the road. Maria was
running in a little dog trot, carrying
In her rebozo, on her back, Jesus. Jose.
the father, was solemnly seated on a
pile of garden stuff on the back of the
little burro. Tagging a little behind
the mother came Juanito.
They all had heavy burdens. On the
mothers back, beside the baby, was a
load of corn, and her arms were full OF
oddly shaped and painted earthen. jars
and baskets. There was no outward
and visible evidence of the fathers load
but to do him justice it was so great
he was unable to walk with it. Maria
wore for skirt length of dark blue
cloth that came to her ankles, wrapped
tightly about her back and Hips, with a
few folds in front. Twisfedaround her
waist was the usual red cotton sash,
Partly covering the upper half of her
body was a white chemise, the yoke and
short sleeves ornamented with beads OF
red and black. On her head she had
the tall straw hat that the Indian wonl-
en- wear; about her throat was a coral
necklace. All the Indian women are
clothed the same, the difference being
in quality of material and degree of
cleanliness,
The country people in Mexico have
no children's modes. The little people
look like grown-up people seen through
the wrong end of an opera-glass.
Juanito, with round, fat, brown face,
white teeth, big mouth, and eyes
of black hair, was dressed exactly like
his father in shirt and long trousers OF
unbleacaed cotton, with a red sash to
hold his clothes up. Al leather band
went round his forehead and supported
the pack he carried-a large enough
burden for so wee a boy. In one little
hand he carried his conicalahat OF coarse
straw; with the other, as he trotted
along, be tried to shift his load a bit,
and so relieve himself He did it slyly
for he did not want his father to think
he was not d big man. Indeed hewas--
he would be five in a few days-and he
was going to have present on his
saints day, which was also his birthday
He could do as he wished with it. A
centayo--a whole cent to spend on him
self.
What would he buy with his cent?
He had turned it over and over MANY
times, III his rudimentary brain. He
hesitated between an earthen goose,
with a whistle in the neck, and 'dulce
like our rock candy. The goose
would be an ephemeral thing at best,
although the whistle-ay, Dios! but
that whistle could be heard a kilometer.
A turn of the hand, however, and it
was gone. There are kites which sing
when they get up in the air, but, Dios
de mi alma! what riches are necessary
Four centayos for the kite and one for
the stringl He had thought carefully
He could buy the string at once and
get the, kite in four more saints days
for surely he would go on having them
and it was likely Dona Ynes would al,
ways remember them. MOI NO!
After all, the dulee was best.
His face grew brooding as he built
{ his castle founded on a cent His
mother should have suck-two SUCKS
in fact The baby could lick it, and INC
Nito, the burro, but his father, mol
For only yesterday had he. beaten hin
for getting too much water on the clay
10 make the olIas. He closed his eyes
in ecstasy; properly managed, the
candy, which was of the durability 9:
Old red sandstone or the quartz it great
! ly resembled, should last, by licking
delicately and sucking with modera
ton, until another birthday.
The sun was throwing its long, gold
en- lances acress the plain of Cholula
with its scores Of church towers. Tn
family had finished the supper Of fri
n ioles and torti1las, risen from tn
spring, by the wayside, and resumed
its Journey. As before, the father led
Jogging along on the burro; In
mother running beside, bending for
ward from her load. Juanito, rs hi
short legs grew more weary. fell farthe
behind. The mother looked over he
shoulder several times, but she felt n
uneasiness, for it had happened hefor
that, being too tired to go on. HI
Pedrito had taken him to his jaca
on his burro and brought him home i
the morning. >.
The road made sudden dip. On on
hand was deep barranca (steep ra
vine) the sides covered with shrub
and close growth Juanito, boz like
was seeing how farshe could trot alonI
the verge without losing his balancs
He was as sure-footad as q mule but
long ssrpepfine root the same ash
eglaf as the Soil, caught his foot IN
loop, and in moment he was twiste