Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-06-01
Chispa, the TOPEKA.

] Morals are as surely a result of eli
mate and location as the fora or fauna
itself, and there is nothing more elias,
tic. A single code may reach from the
Atlantic to the Pacific, so what
wonder if, at the end, it is somewhat
attenuated.
This may have been the reason a
certain young Bostonian's right code
could not stand the strain of Chispa's
| charms and yet-quien sabe? Pietro
| had no code at all, and neither could
he withstand the lovely torera
| And Chispa herself, she loved her
own sunmocking eyes and wines and
olives skin, and when the bull lay
dead at her feet, she received the sal
vOs Of applause that rained upon her
with an almost child-like grace,
much as the scarlet poppy receives the
sun and showers from heaven as her
own inalienable right and droops and
dies without them.
But Chispa, withal, was a woman, so
she loves some one else, too.
Oh, it is sickening to read about it,
described in our puritanical English
adjectives, but go there yourself get
the smell of blood in your nostrils,
and blaze of colors in your eyes, and
the blare of the band in your ears, feel
the waves of exultatiOn surge over
you until they overwhelm you and
sweep along with them, and you sud-
denly find you are a cousin german to
Tullia or Kriemhilde
The deep bright blueness of the
southern sky bends over it's favored
children as if it would Danish from
them every shadow of seriousness or
care, and must be gratifed by the gor-
geous pageants they flash back in re-
turn. The Plaza de Toros is undOubt-
eddy the most brilliant picture the all
beholding sun looks down upon in all
his course Being out of doors the
effect is somewhat tempered by the
atmosphere, and yet at the first glance
the brain almost reels under the glare
and glitter of color. Tier upon tier
of colOrs-strong, crude, primary col
ors at that-stretch away from sol to
comber, puppies and reds, blues, yell
lows and greens, that express to the
onlooker something of the rudimentary
nature of these people. The brilliant
rebosas and gay serepas puts Joseph's
coat of many colors to shame, spark
ling eyes and dazzling compilations,
embroideries, spangles, flowers, bunt-
ings and flags, everything in short,
that is gay and attractive, combines to
make the scene intoxicating till the
whole noisy, reckless, gorgeous con-
course reminds you of nothing so much
as a rainbow, a sunset and a thunder
storm combined.
Two bulls had been killed already
amid wild applause and wilder excite
ment, but as the matador was man
the keen edge of enthusiasm was held
in allegiance till the lively Chispa
should take the field. Fresh sand
was sprinkled on the arena, flowers,
bon bons and coins were showered
over the erstwhile CORY scene, and the
smell of blood was soon mitigated by
the heavy scents of the fans that flut-
tered through the air. And fair and
fitting was it for the little torera, the
flowers, the music and the applause
as she stood serenely in the center of
the ring, the wide, sun-mocking eye
wandered along the lower tiers until
they met and chung so long to the hor-
ror-stricken eyes of the New England
er there was only an instant left to
catch a reassuring dart from the faith
full Pietro before the toro was led in.
Amid a fanfare of trumpets, a moment
of breathless suspense, then tremen-
dous crash of applause, the great black
beast bounded into the ring. The
capeadores and banderilleros stepping
high in brocades and spangles, the
mounted picadores stiff in tinsel en-
broideries, lined up and saluted the
presiding officer of the day, but Chispa
is the bright particular star, and as
long as she can keep the field she may
With careless recognition of the
eager multitude over her, she made a
little mock courtesy to Senior Toro, and
grasped her saber with the same calm
assurance the Girton girl grasps her
racquet Even the great black beast
could not be utterly insensible to the
fair young creature who defied him,
and at first seemed disposed to regard
her insults as merely the indiscretion
Of her thoughtless youth. But the
crowds grew eager for the combat, and
the tiny silver ankles twinkled about
as the little wisp of girl f1irted her red
capa in his face, menaced him, goaded
him, thrust at MIN like some small
fiend. until his dignity was quite out
ragged. Still the bull remained sullen;
| what could he do? The spirit of Span
| ish gallantry was in the air. The
crowd had applauded itself hoarse, and
now began to groan in the slowness OF
| the game.