The Newtown bee., 1900-03-30

I
EsTINGLY OF HIS EXPERIENCES THERE
Puerto Principe, Cubs,
February "a, 1900.
Dear BEE: Washington's anniversary
on the I'D was celebrated here very
quietly, except in the public periodicals
of which appropriate notice was taken
and public mention made, and the BAN
ners of the two countries in many parts
of the city, on house fronts, In windows
and over the entrances and on the roofs
were displayed together and on crossed
staff5 bound by ribbons and bands of the
national colors. But no general public
demonstration was attempted in conse-
quence of lack Of sufficient funds in the
city treasury.
The day was devoted to some extent
by the citizens making and receiving SO.
cial calls and giving entertainment to in
vited guests in the evening. At our resi-
dence, Major Hatfield, the new COM
msudev-iu-1 chief of Camaguey, with his
accomplished wife and daughter and
Mrs Lieut. Stockle, paid us a visit in the
afternoon when Mrs Sherman happened
70 show them telegram Just received
from Mrs Hinchm8n, the mother-in-law
OF Capt Ham, schief of our quartermas-
ter's department at Nuevitas that she
would be at the railroad station here at
4 p. m. and as it had already begun to
rain quite heavily the major suggested
chat his wife and Mr. Stockle should take
his carriage to the depot to receive and
bring her here to Join in the compliment
airy call on US, which they did, leaving
their daughter behind till their return.
The dOwnpour continued and we felt it
had been for as almost a providential in
! terposition to relieve us from a social
embarrassment that had so unexpected
| ly arisen and disappeared through the
courtesy Of the military monarch of the
| province.
bow much better it is at times to have
been born lucky than rich! And this
| happening on the anniversary of the ma
Civity of the Father OF his Country, and
our arrival on this Island occurring on
the anniversary of his death, last month,
in the last year of the last century.
What, IL anything, do such condolences
prognosticate?
The sisters Heran (where Bobbie
spends a good deal of his leisure time)
are all pretty, and one of them, the
youngest, the Senorita Rosalinda, is par
ticulRrly beautiful, daughters of prom
inent and popular naval officer of Spain,
and the husband of their Cuban mother.
They accompanied US last year on our
visit to the American Encsmpment.
Their home Is quite a center of attract
theirs from different part of the city,
sometime ago, happening to met US, ur-
gently invited US to call on them at their
home, which we promised to do. But
days passed away and we did not know
how to redeem our promised visit as we
had lost or mislaid their address.
One day last week, however, we went
to the HIS to ask their assistance out OF
our dilemma, hoping In despair to per-
haps be able to invite, one, two, or all
three of them together, to act as our
guide, philosopher and friend to call on
the Freyere sisters, but were informed
that their grandmother in Spain, on their
fathers side, had just died and that IL
would be considered here improper fol-
any of them to go out socially making
calls before the noVena was over, thai
is, nine days after the receipt of the
news of the death of near or dear rela.
tive. But after that observance was
over we remained in wonderment and
lperplexity about the performance of oul
promised visit, which could neither bt
abandoned nor be easily made, If at all
without their aid and cooperation, like
Banquo's unquiet ghost, the problem
presents itself whether it would be prop
er for them, or any of them, singly, or II
? couples, or all of them together to b.
seen walking in the streets of this an
cient city, with an old married mai
either by daylight or starlight, withou
or even with the companionship and pro
tecting presence of their own duenna?
This problem, with increasing force
troubled us long and grievously, as VI
. had somehow achieved q sort of socia
prominence and notoriety, or at leas
quarter Of the city. But one evening
afterwards happening in at the HIS W
were informed that IL we should be dis
. engaged on the following Tuesday after
noon at 8 o'clock they would be pleased
I. to aid us in redeemlng the promise mad
as aforesaid.
Accordingly on that delightful Tues
a day afternoon, Miss Anita, the eldest
and Rosalinda, the youngest, and sweet
est, as Bobbie and we all agree, went
call on the new acquaintance near til
- Soiidad church and found them living !
a large handsome house of two sCorie
(most of the houses here have but sir
. gle story from 20 to 30 feet high) nes
: che new postnffice opened the first {
n this month. On entering we were ms
-four sisters, daughters of prominer
y and popular banker, two Of them small
. and the other two, both plendidly bear
Itiful creatures, the veritente 5IncarnRtio
OF Gods own image, with figure an
form and feature faultless,H spot {
blemish or any such thing there were,
was wholly unnoticed and unncticab
to one so old and blind, and perhaps I
silly as your scribe. But however 1t ma
be, they received and treated as SO we
we thought it almost blissful. We pas
ed out on the long balcony overhangln
Kepubiica street and witnessed ar
watched the passers by in the cool OF I'll
day and many salutatiOns were made ar
returned by as as the people passe
along the street below.
For change, 1t WAS proposed to 60 Z
the roof which was fiat and paved vii
tile, so one could walk or cit or stand
any part of 1t as easily and safely az d
the ground itself, 40 or so feet below,
as in any Of the halls or spacious room
beneath us, and surrounding the centri
garden, OF trees and fruit and flowers
beauty and fragrance.
From this elevation we could take