Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1899-07-14
JUANITO.


The sun would soon set. Alrendy
there was a cool feeling in the air. It
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 wGs
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,
hut TO do him justice ii was so great he
was unable to walk with it. Maria
wore for a skirt a length of dark blue
cloth that came to her ankles. wrapped
tightly about her back and hips. with
Il few folds in front. Twisted around
her waist was the usual red cotton snsh.
Partly covering the upper half Ct her
body was a white chemise. the yoke
md short sleeves ornGmonted with
beads Of red and black. On her head she
bad the tall straw hat that the Indian
women wear; about her throat was q
coral necklace. All the Indian women
are clothed the same, the difference be-
ing in quality Of material and degree
OF cleanliness.
Tho country people in Mexico have
no children's modes. The little people
look like grown mp people seen through
the wrong end of an opera glass. Juan
ito, with rourd, fat. brown face. white
teeth. big mouth and eyes which shone
ktGTlike from out a mop Of black hair.
was dressed exactly like bis father in
shirt and long trousers of unbleached
cotton, with a red sash to hold his
clothes MP. A leather band went round
his forehead and supported the pack he
car1ied-a large enough burden for so
wee n boy. In Il little hand he car
ried his conical hat of coarse straw;
with the other. as he trotted along, he
tried to shift his load a bit and so re-
licYe himself. He did 1t slyly. for he
did not want his father to think he was
not a big man. Indeed he was-he
would be . in 4 few days-and he was
going to have a present on his saints
day, which wac also his birthday. He
could do as he wished with it. A cen
tHvo-a whole cent to spent on himself
What would he buy with his cent 2
&c had turned it over and over many
tines in his rudimentary brain. He
hcsitated between an enrtben goose with
a whistle in the neck and a dulce-like
our rock candy. The goose would be an
e%phemeral thing at best, although the
whistle-aye. Dios, but that whistle
could be- heard a kilometerl A turn of
the hand. however, and it was gone.
There are kites which sing when they
get up in the air, but, Dios do mi alma,
what riches are necessarily Four cen
tnvos for the kite and one for the string.
Ho had thought carefully. He could
buy the string at once and get the kite
in fonT more saints days. for surely he
would go on having them. and it was
likely Dona Ynes would always remem-
Der them. Mol Mol After all, the dulce
was best.
His face grew breeding as he built
his castle-founded on a cent. His
mother should have a suck-two sucks,
In fact. The baby could lick it. and
Eito, the burro; but his father, mol
Fer only yesterday had he beaten him
for getting too much water on the clay
to make the oIlas. He closed his eyes in
ecstasy properly managed, the candy,
which was of the durability of old red
sandstone or the quartz it greatly re-
sembled. should last, by licking deli
cately and Sucking with moderation.
until another birthday.
The sun was throwing long golden
lances across the plain of Cholula, with
its scores of church towers. The family
had finished the supper Of frijoles and
tortillas. risen from the spring by the
wayside and resumed its journey. AS
before. the father led, jogging along on
the hurro, the mother running beside,
bending forward from her load. Juani-
TO, as his short legs grew more weary,
fell farther behind. The mother looked
over her shoulder several times, but she
iolt no uneasiness. for It had happened
before that. being too tired to go on,
Tic Pedrito had taken him to his jacal
on his burro and brought him home in
the morning.
The road made a sudden dip. On one
hand was a deep barranca (steep ravinel,
the sides covered with shrubs and close
growths. Juanito. boylike, was seeing
how near he could trot along the verge
without losing his balance. He was as
sure footed as a mule. but a long SER
pentine root. the same ash color as the
soil. caught his foot in a loop. and in a
moment he was twisted off his feet and
rolling down the barranca- 1t so hap
pened no orr saw him. and, little Indian
stole the. he was. he made no sound.
When he reached the bottom. bruised
and ont of breath, a savage hand caught