The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-09-09
The Story Ct Pere

l
| poorer or working classes had never
thought of putting clothes upon a young
child, especially in the country; and a
result, the island was filed with brown
little Adams and Ewes, without even the
Biblical fig-leaf to hide their nakedness.
Porto Rico, you must know, IS nsarly
as thickly populated as Belgium, and
many of the people are very poor. To
some parents it was a positive hardship
10 elothe their numerous offspring, and.
moreover, il was not considered neces-
sary, because of the mild climate. The
Governor-General, however, entertained
other views. To his military and some
what stern eye, the picturesqueness of
the landscape was not enhanced by any
number of naked babies. He would have
liked to put uniforms upon them, such
is the force OF habit and education.
Clothing them was at least a step in
their Characterization (whatever that
might meanD and, TO do him justice, he
believed that the somewhat abnormal
mortality among the infants was due
to their nakedness, especially during the
season of "northers." And so the fiat
went forth.
For few days the streets we're al
most abandoned by the Juvenile popula-
ton of the lower classes. With difficulty
could procure a paper or get my shoes
polished; and when the street Ara5s
gradually reappeared in motley array.
the style and MT of their clothes was
somewhat startling. An adults sack
coat was not infrequently the only gar
ment, and in one instance, at least,
fathers waistcoat had 10 serve his small
son in lieu of ali clothing. The working
classes usually inhabit the Easements of
the San Juan houses, where their apart
! ments, often without windows, are
/ grouped about patio or central court
! yard. When an American officer, a SOL
der, or native policeman approached
one OF these habitations, there would be
| a scampering from the main door Of
naked children who disappeared like a
| cyclone in the gloom of the interior
L was the fortunate possessor of
smattering of Spanish, and this fact led
me to make a daily purchase of La Cor
respondencia, the principal paper of the
| city, which was usually brought TO me
By small urchin, Jose Santos by name
| but better known by the diminutive OF
Pope pronounced Pay-pay). Pope was
old enough to know better, perhaps, but
| for reasons of economy and comfort his
| clothing was generally limited to what
might be called, in his case, a suit of
primeYal innocence.
! Indeed, clothes seemed to be abhor-
rent TO Pepe; and when he condescended
! to wear them at all, they were never
buttoned. Any old thing answered the
| purpose, if handy; and if not, Pope sold
papers and polished shoes, while he,
himself, was as naked as on the day he
was born. His unconsciousness of the
fact was refreshing. After the pubiica-
ton of the clothing order, however, Pope
| disappeared from the public view. In
deed I was now compelled to walk sew
eral blocks for La Correspondence, and
| wondered what had become of my
smiling and usually alert little friend
one day, as L passed a densely popu-
! lated basement in the Gale del Cristo,
l heard myself hailed In Spanish by a
child's voice: Say, Mister Officer, please
let me talk to you a moment" would be
an English equivalent of what was said.
! but does not correctly translate the DO
| lite Porto Rican Spanish employed I
| must tell you that Latin-American chill
| dren are always courteous, and, for ex-
] ample, if you ask the name of one of
! the tiniest of them, he or she will give
it in full and then add: Your little
servant, sir" In this instance the voice
came from behind the open door and,
! when I stopped, Pepes head appeared.
Come out Of that, Pope. What's the
matter with your" 1 said.
! Il can't come out, Mister 1 amt got
no clo'es And I can't bring you no
more papers cause de perlice run me
In if they see me naked, he replied
| There is a vernacular in Spanish as wei
as in English
well, your father must get you some
clothes"
| 4 amt got no father, Mister"
Then your mother must get them"
Il amt got no mother, neither"
Poor child! What do you want to
| talk to me about?"
| tsMiSter Ar1arioo
me? Please lend me some money to get
a suit of cloes with. I'll polish your
shoes and fetch your paper every day
| for nothing" Pepes eyes shone like
| black diamonds
| OF course the little fellow was ire
sistible and the loan was made, happily
| upon more advantageous terms for the
| young borrower. One American dollar
was worth nearly two in provincial
! coin; and to encourage thrift as much as
to try Pope, ! agreed TO let him work It
out. with the mental reservation OF pay
ing him in full for his services, If ne
proved trustworthy.
! And for a week, no one could have
been more faithful. Every morning La
! Correspondence duly made its appear
ance and my shoes were neatly polish
ed. And then-Pepe stopped comingl
More than the paper, l missed the sm.l-
/ ms NOuAitCiidilte the idISE ana dark eyes.
the shock of blue-black hair, of my lit
| tie friend. His gratitude I could not
/ doubt because, not content with fulfill
| ing his part of our bargain. he had sew
eral times brought me fruit, and only
| desisted from such practice upon my
| resolute and almost angry command An
/ parently Pope was lost. l was loath to
! believe him unfaithful, and inquired for
| him in the basement OF the house in the
Gale del Cristo, from which he had &C
costed me. but the inmates could give
no t.dngs of him. And ! never saw him
again, which is a bad and unsatisfactory
/ ending for this simple little story, but
/ alas, it is a truthful onei
! Shortly after this episode l left San
! Juan, and few weeks later received
a letter from the army surgeons in
charge Of the smallpox hospital in. that
/ city, of which the following is a true
| extract:
! Prom the description given me BY the
I little fellow. and the fact of your sneak
( ing Spanish with these people. am sure
/ that you must be the officer in question
/ He did not remember your name 5uf
said that his own was Peps. IN his last
moments his chief concern was not him
dollar bil which I insose. You need
1 have no fear. as It has been thoroughly
diSiEfected
! United States Arrny''
Most Wonderful Baby on Earth
Vow. then ladies' and gents shostes
/ the red-facea Snowman. yak W an