The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-09-03
a Story Of tie
III lf10THf1fH 7nste Days Of
Cn40ta nd XaniusilIan

O05OS1 030 A8AxyyyttttW y
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, :
500 than the matter Il ~ oan who look
"a the picture Of health. Il came over him
now. - be wondered Il had not before.
that b. Should not have left the two. Who
were poor indeed. 10 have sole care Of one
not Of their blood ar country.
when the small wooden ceoGD had beon
put In place and the wrsaths hung on It's
arms and the Samilletes laid On the little
sunken grave. the priest Joined the proud
father and mother ~ they stood viewing
the effect Of their labor and love.
He found they needed no sympathy for
tending the one they ioved-they were too
unframed In the ways Of the world TO have
ono thought Of that--but Padre Paiacaos
had not iost all interest In his old profess
sion. He had recently met tn Mexico City
. young surgeon from the United States.
who had come 10 spend the winter away
from the cold blasts Of Q Northern climate
The quiet earnestness OF DR.. 1illiken's
pale. strong face had Impressed him. and
he thought Of him - he looked down q Dl
Inocsnts seated ON the ground by Las.
who gaze him TO eat from the basket No.
seina had filed. for the day was 70 be
spent In The pantheon.
Then he told them. Anselma and Eseevan,
there was hope In his heart that the young
fellow could b. made whols again ~ the
foreign surgeon.
when the woman said he might sufRer
much. sse had heard II said that they
used sharp knives. those wonderful men.
he told her Of that deep sleep which - OF
hin 70 death. and would keep pain away.
Il was Of what the priest had told them
that they were talking when Eotevan said
he thought the boy. for such he was to
them, should b sesn by the young doc
tor.
Their home was only . tiny place. Low
walls of adobe for front room. another
Of bamboo cane behind II. with an over
hanging roof Of thatch Of long cane
leaves. The earth was their floor. but
Il was ~ clean and N polished. from
much sweeping, a. those Of rosewood In
tho great houses Of the rich hacendados.
clean and hard In the dry season. An
selma had small brAssro. or furnace OF
pottery. for charcoal. which she often
moved outside the house for cooking
the sopas and moles and al the fine dish
Is Mexicans are fond Of, but which the
poor do not often have In plenty. Not
many women NO richer than Anselma
had brascros--they cooked on the ground
with any sticks they could md. The
reason for this was their men folk were
not like Estevan. who did not spend his
reales and medfos. or even his cuartillos
and tlacos. on puiQue. save when all the
little household could have II fresh In
stead Of coffee-it being better for the
health and cheaper. Nor did he stop 10
play the tempting games always 20 plenty
at the nessas on saints days. Because
OF Estevan not doing these things. there
were some articles In that bit OF q house
ma e lA,,
blessed among her kind. As Estevan
said once. when urged to venture q lit
tie that he might gain much. how could
he afford to gamble and. the chances
were. lose. and the poor boy who could
do nothing for himself. suner from no
fault Of his own. SO ne always hurried
by the bewitching spots with their tink-
ling guitars and the Wild. sweet music
he loved TO hear. being In his own blood.
ana the merry voices calling all to come
Join the games In which they were sure
20 win
1t was fine to get out OF hearing and
reach the little home again to find An
selma waiting for him. with her snow
white camisa showing her niump brown
arms and shoulders. and her pretty pink
apron. with 4 border OF white flowers
woven In. over her short skirt. which
showed her little feet in black cloth slip.
and to show Estevan how nice she look
ed, though Luis was getting quite a boy.
Her silver earrings were long and bright.
Tor they had been her mothers, rs well
as the necklace OF turquesa beads. linked
with pure silver. Many rich ladies'
would have enyted Anseima her turouois
peads. and many rich men would have
envfed Estevan such love "a their piles
OF gold could not buy for them.
L had almost x.p ~.
tie banana patch. which made A eicssy
green background to the paIe-hrown hut.
and the little garden az one side with ia
lew tence OF canes. held together by long.
slender withes woven about them nv Este
van and Luis. II was full OF flowers that
could scarcely be seen from tire outside ON
account or the vines OF San Jose, which
Tan over the fence and hung 80 full OF
pink blossoms and white ones tina, oniy
E!impscs could be had OF the cunning low
renee ana the skillfui weaving There
were chickens. too. and that year when
tnss strange Idea OF changing El Ino-
eense. 30 they might not know him after
ward. came upon them, they had raised
three turkeys for the rich town folk 10
make into noies. when Luis was a few
years Older they meant 10 have a fin. mole
de Eaujals'e on h!s saints day. ~ they
were doing as well as they hoped. with
laJis III help.
Al that tine. when their hearts were so
freshy torn by the words Of Padre Pala-
clos, the two boys were coming from town
With the three hurros. whence they hsa
driven them with loads OF arewooi. III
iaocenfe was of sweet. lovahls nature
and Luis loved 10 have him for companv
Anselma stiii sat on the little b.nch cut
side the house. close 20 the house In front.
with her crccaet work In hard and Este
van vas on the ground near her, weaving
basket. In the distance II pico de on
sshs. helding its snowy head toward the
sky. scenes; almost near though miles
away The CLOUDS that were battling with
the sun for the privilege OF Alisng or show.
Ing its grand beauty were nothing 10 them
that astsrnHon as the sun shot its raw. q.
parting Hight. making the grim ciouss ror-
see'isty beautiful sar the short time left
Before II dropped behind the mountains
f@sr Aaseinaa ana poor EstevAnt They
sarxcs now often they has SAID they were
glad the good God and the saints haa al.
loved them 60 I've where they could watch
81 Fssce. ans know whether the DAYS were
10 se bright crrs or DARK
TIE NSyz wssx5.st -