The Billings gazette., 1899-06-16
JUAN|T To-.
ny Edith Wagner.

y ~ ANuNH wagner
SssassesaAaassssasA sA,ssAa Aasaas~
The sun would soon set. Alread
there was cool feeling in the air,
bad been market day in puebla an
now the little family was going hon
to one of the Indian villages near Ch,
lula. Hundreds Of such groups wer
scattered along the road. Maria wa
running in little dog trot, carryin
in her rebozo, on her back, Jesus. Jose
the father, was solemnly seated on
pile Of garden stuff on the back Of th
little burro. Tagging little benin,
the mother came Juanito.
They all had heavy burdens, On th
mothers back, beside the baby, was
load Of corn, and her arms were full 0
oddly shaped and painted earthen lar
and baskets. There was no outward an,
visible evidence Of the fathers load
but to do him justice II was 60 great h,
was unable to walk with Il. Marie
wore for skirt length OF dark blu,
cloth that came to her ankles, wrapped
tightly about her back and hips, with
few folds in front Twisted around
her waist was the usual red cotton sash.
Partly covering the upper half OF her
body was 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
women wear; about her throat was a
coral necklace. All the Indian women
are clothed the same, the difference be.
ing 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. Juan.
ito, with round fat. brown face, white
teeth, big mouth and eyes which shone
starlike from out mop of black hair
was dressed exactly like his father IN
shirt and long trousers of unbleached
cotton. with red sash to hold his
clothes up. A leather band went round
his forehead and supported the pack he
carried--a large enough burden for 20
wee boy. In one little hand he cur.
ried his conical hat of coarse straw,
with the other, az he trotted along, he
tried to shift his load bit and 30 re.
lieve himself. He did II slyly, for he
did not want his father to think he was
not a big man. Indeed he was--he
would be 3 in few days--and no was
going to have present on his saints
day, which was also his birthday. He
could do az he wished with Il. A cen.
tavo--a whole cent to spent on himselfl
What would he buy with his cent Y
He had turned It over and over many
times In his rudimentary brain He
hesitated between an earthen goose with |
q whistle in the neck and a dulce--like
our rock candy. The goose would be an |
ephemeral thing at best, although tho |
whistle--aye. Dios, but that whistle |
could be heard kilometerl A turn OF |
the hand, however and II was gone.
There ars kites which sing when they
get mp In the air, but, Dios do mi alma,
what riches are necessary Four cen.
tavos for the kite and ono for tho string.
He had thought carefully, He could
buy the string at once ana get the kito
In four more saints days. for surely ho
would 60 on having them, and Il was
likely Dona Ynes would always remem.
Der them, MOI Mol After all. tho duleo
was best,
His face grew brooding M no built
his castle--fonnded on cent, nla
mother should have a suck~--two sucks
IN fact The baby could HEX Il, and
Nito, the burro, but his father, mol
For only yesterday had no benton him
Tor getting too much water on the clay
70 make tho ollos He closed hia oyea In
eestaAy properly managed, tho candy,
which was OF tho durability of old rod
sandstone or the quartz II greatly re'
'embled, should last, by licking deli
'ately and sucking with moderation,
aatil another birthday,
The sun was throwing long golden
anoes across the plain Of oholula, with
W scores Of church towers, The family
'ad finished the supper OF friiolea and
ortillas, risen from tha spplns by the
Vayside and resumed lta jonpney' Al
,efore, tho father led, jogHing along on
no hurro, The mother running haaide,
pending forward from her load, Juapiv
o, nv his short legs grew mere weary,
oil farther behind The mothep locked
'vsr her shoulder several times hNt ahe
elt no pneaainess, tor u had happened
laf0ve THAT, halns too tired to No ON,
Fto tedftt0 had taken him Ia his iaesl
u his hnrso and brought him homa In |
h0 morning, ,
The road made 4 suddeA din On ono
and was a deep havvaaea (ataap ravinal
Ae sides covered with shpaha aud Qloau ,
vowthA LNAnito, 6oylike, WA sapinu
aw near he eoNld tg0l Alaua tho verge
'tthoNt loAlnR hla balance, iie WIS I'M
AEe fo0tsd w Il mule, hut u loRa apr,
sutins root, Via sAnle aah eol0p M tha |
III, caught hin t0ot In II laop, and In Il
|olaent hs wAA twisted otv hla feai and
'lltnH dawn tha hapvaneAl II Nj hap
aaa al mn t,nu an ~ him uud littia iudluu |