Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1901-10-09

IL Is commonplace of sociology
that morality is matter of latitude
1t is also, of course. a matter Of
chronology. There are saints upon
the calendar who would have Ian
guished behind prison bars had
Providence sent them into pro-
gressive world a few centuries later
And even today the breaking Of the
sixth commandment does not in
evitably stamp one as unfit for the
society of ones fellow men. More
los, for instance, had killed his man.
He had not only killed him, but had
poisoned him after mature thought.
Yet there was not in all Mexico a
more lovable and ingenious young
man.
The law of supply and demand
works morally as well as indus
trially, and it is perhaps because he
must ask charity that the Mexican
has much charity to give. What
ever the reason for it may be. the
fact undoubtedly remains, and in
this case no one thought any the
worse of Morelos because he had put
thoroughly Objectionable old uncle
out of the way. The uncle richly
deserved what he got, but the law.
which was unfortunately nodded
upon that designed for another race
of men, decided that Morelos must
go to the penitentiary for a matter
of seven years. However, the Gus
toms of the country, which were not
invented by the foreigner, decreed
that his term OF incarceration
should be made as pleasant for him
as might be.
You can be very comfortable in
deed in the Guadalajara carcel-
comfort being almost an affair of
latitude. You may enjoy almost
anything that monev-that of your
self or of your friends-can buy.
And money was no object To More
los at ALL When he should attain
his majority and leave the carcel,
both of which events had been
thoughtfully planned for the same
day, he would be one of the richest
landed proprietors in Mexico. His
cell was quite a sybaritic retreat,
saving only the cold and the odor
of damp stone and mortar upon
which the sun never shines. The
bunk was fitted out with his own
linen, beautifully embroidered with
his monogram. 1t was covered with
a zarape calculated to raise covet-
BUSINESS in the hearts of visiting
tourists.
Morelos' notions of art we're
catholic He admired infants food
and face powder advertisements,
cigarette pictures and pictures Of
the saints all equally. His walls
were plastered with them. \ Madre
de Dios in Il cone shaped petticoat
and a starry crown occupied the
place of honor at the head of his
bed, but colored Autograph of
Anna Held crowded it close. He
took great pride and comfort in his
room. He liked to have it exhibited
to the visiting tourists. His opin-
ions of all tourists, but more espe-
cially of American ones, was poor
enough. Still, as they afforded him
opportunity to practice his English
and French, they were to be en-
dured. Morelos had not wasted the
years of his youth in the carcel. He
had studied French alone, but the
English he had picked up from an
other convict who was more Ameri-
can than Mexican in disposition and
in blood, and who, in consequence,
was the only really vicious looking
character in the penitentiary.
There had many visitors come
and gone for many years, and More
los had bespoken them with Mexican
courtesy and forgotten them with
Mexican fickleness when they had
kept on their way. But at last
there was one who came whom he
was not to forget. She was Mexi-
can herself, and to his mind far
more beautiful than the Anna Held.
She wore pink dress stifliy starch
ed, a black shawl about her shout
ders, and her hair, which was brown
and waved, uncovered. She was
with party of American visitors of
distinction, whom the intendente
himself was taking through. The
intendente had brought her along
that she might act as interpreter,
for he firmly believed that she spoke
English very well. The tourists,
however, understood his pantomime
better than her speech.
They had inquisitive ways, the
gringos, and the women laughed at
everything. When they were shown
Morelos' cell, they commented upon
him in phrases which he perfectly
understood. But the little Mexican
stood modestly aside. She gave one
glance into the cell, let her eyes rest
| for moment on the holy picture