The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1900-11-08
THURSDAY. NOVEMBER S, 1900
Honest Pope.
By Captain Henry Rowan Lemly, U.S.A.


a Young child, especially In the couu-
try. and as result the island was
filed with brown little Adams ana
Ewes without even the Biblical fig
leaf 10 hide their nakedness To some
parents 1t was a positive hardship TO
clothe their numerous offspring. and,
moreover. 1t was not considered neces-
sary because Of the mild climate.
For few days the streets were al
most abandoned 10y the Juvenile popu-
lation OF the lower classes, and when
the street arabs gradually reappcared
in motley array the style and fit OF
their clothes were somewhat startling.
An adults sack coat was not intre-
Quently the only garment and IN one
instance at least a fathers waistcoat
had TO serve his small son in lieu of all
clothing. The working classes usually
inhabit the Easements of the san Juan
houses, where their apartments. often
without windows. are group 'd about
a patio. or central courtyard. When
an American officer a soldier or ma
tive policeman approached one of these
habitations there would be Scamper-
ING from the main door of naked chill
dren into the gloom of the interior.
| was the fortunate posSeSsor Of a
smattering Of Spanish, and this fact.
led me to make daily purchase of
La Correspondence the principal pa
per 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
Paypay). Pepe was old enough TO
know better perhaps. but Tor reasons
Of economy and comfort his clothing
was generally limited to what might
be called. in his case, suit Of primeval
innocence.
Indeed clothes seemed to be abhor-
rent to Pope. and when he condescend-
ed to wear them at all they were never
buttoncd. Any old thing answered the
purpose if handy, and. if no., ~,pe sold
papers and polished shoes, lille he
himself was as naked as on the day he
was born. His Inconsistencies of the
fact was refreshing. After the publi-
cation of the clothing order, however,
Pope disappeared from the public
view. Indeed | was now compelled TO
walk several blocks for La COrreSpOn-
dencia, and | wondered what had be-
come Of my smiling and usually alert
little friend.
one day as | passed a densely pOpu-
lated basement in the Gale del CriSto
l heard myself hailed in Spanish by
child's voice. Say, Mr.. officer,
please let me talk to you moment"
would be an English equivalent Of
what was said. but does not correctly
translate the polite Porto Rican Span
ish employed.
"Come out Of that, Pope. What's
the matter with you" | said.
Il can't come out, mister | amt got
no clo'es. And / can't bring you ne
more papers cause de perlice run me
In If they see me naked he replied.
There is n vernacular in Spanish as
well as in English.
"Well. your father must get you
some clothes"
81 amt go 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 abOutY
"Mr Americana, won't you stake
me? Please lend me some money to
get a suit of clO'es with. I'll polish
your shoes and fetch your paper every
day for nothing" Pepe's eyes shOne
like black diamonds.
OF course. the little fellow was IT.
resistible, and the loan was made,
happily upon more advantageous terms
for the young borrower.
And for a week no one could have
been more faithful. Every morning
La Correspondence duly made its APP
pearance and my shoes were neatly
polished. And then-Pepe stopped com
ingl
More than the paper l missed the
smiling cOuntenance, the large and
dark eyes, the shock of blue black
hair of my little friend. His gratitude
could not doubt, because, not content
with fulfilling his part of our bargain,
be had several times brought me fruit
and only desisted from such practice
upon my resolute and almost angry
command. Apparently Pope was lost.
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 accosted me, but
the inmates could give no tidings Of
him. And l never saw him again,
which is a bad and unsatisfactory end
ing for this simple little story. But,
alas, 1t is a truthful one.
Shortly after this episode left San
Juan, and a few weeks later received
a letter from the army surgeon in
charge of the smallpox hospital in that
city, of which the following is true
extract:
"From the description given me by
the little fellow and the fact Of your
speaking Spanish with these people, !
am sure that you must be the officer in
question. He did not remember your
name, but said that his own was Pope.
In his last moments his chief concern
was not himself, but that you should
receive the dollar bill which | inclose.
You need have no fear, as it has been
disinfected."- New
York Evening Post.