St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1902-01-18
THE REVENGE OF
The MEDlAEVAL.
BY CHARLES FLEnlNo EnBREE

! :
I BY CHARLES FLEMING EnBREE. 2
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The crimes of Mexico are strange;
! they have quality which is all
'ne1r own. The mixture of races, the
remnants of the antique in two of the
ftrangest peoples of the earth, lend
mere magic touch. The annals of
any year of modern Mexico will show
true tales that seem to SAVIOR of sara
bian Nights"
IN 4ucatan feudal system yet ex-
ISIS. The fiefs are large. Some of the
noDlilty are Spaniards and some are
Mexlcans OF mingled blood. Many
families are very old. The serfs are
Indians, and in general are not OPP
pressed, but happy. But the system
IL not called feudalism, for the Mex
lean constitution never yet denied
that all men are created free and
equal.
Near Uxmal, those mysterious ruins
OF dead race. stretched out the lord
~ domains of a hacienda. Benjamin
Oviedo, 80 years of ago, owned 10000
square miles of land. The great fields
OF heniquen-that austere plant
stretched away from the low, white
buildings of his castle for leagues and
leagues, and lay shimmering beneath
q tropical sun. The soil was grayish-
brown. The clustered bayonets of
that sisal hemp, which brought him
fabulous wealth, slept in rows, reced-
ing before the eye, came closer to-
gether in the limitless furnace of the
tropic distance, and joined and lost
themselves in q MONDAY haze away
against yon mountain.
The buildings, all low, spacious, with
wide tile-roofed verandas, occupied
several acres. The central castle Of
the lord was formed about hollow
square wherein high trees cast shade,
and horse was drinking thirstily at
q fountain.
Come out, Cousin Soledad!" cried
Benjamin, throwing himself from the
saddle.
She came out, girl Of coquettish
eye, sweet lips, and gold hair. She was
fair and slender, and big hat shaded
her face.
II don't like to talk to you, stu
pid," said she. "You don't know any
thing but heniquen. Now, Federico
has been to the United States and
studied at the Leland Stanford univer-
sity. Ha! ha!-you big old stupid! -
us it stupid to love you?" He
caught at her hand, smiling exceed
ingly, and feeling sure of himself.
She began to act very shy. "You
are medieval brute. Federico says
we are all medieval. You beat In
dians-you know you do. I saw you
hit that old woman's face with whip,
and it bled. You wicked thing" She
let her eye coquet with him and tossed
her gold hair, which hung down. The
neck of her dress was low.
"Let me kiss yours-to make up for
It? 1t will not bleed" said he, auda-
ciously, twirling his mustache with
begemmed fingers.
'Hush, stupid"
He was in truth mediaeval-a big,
fierce animal of man, but handsome.
He did beat Indians; he was cruel. He
had never been out of Yucatan, and,
unlike others more progressive, was
q thirteenth-century feudalist at
heart.
"Soledad! One-just one!"
..Oh, mol" She pushed him away,
sweetly, with gentle hands, and
blushed, pleased.
"One!"
.sNot half of one, big stupid"
s'Then q whole one! There!"
He did kiss her-and the truth OF
the thing is that she let him. She
loved him not; but it was sweet to
coouet-iust once. She did that thing
which, though reprehensible, is yet
done by many good woman. The
hiedous old god glared down. Sc
long, SO long, since he had seen kiss
Beniamin's immediate family were
ali dead. he was literally emperor
Of all hs surveyed. She was an or
phan, living in his house temporarily
with some old women cousins, till
they should put her in the convent OF
the Sacret Heart in Mexico city in the
fall.
ST have won her Lowell" cried Ben
famin to himself. "No convent FOL
her!"
Next day Robert de la Mora rode
-. boo;or1o an miles awaV
He came along between two endless
rows Of austere heniquen. But Ben
iamin had gone away to look after
some horses. So Roberto and Soledad
went walking in the shade OF the
evening to see the ruins. They tower
up-strange, fascinating. There are
dead temples; curious pyramids, cary
,roa harbaric. wide imperial avenue
leading to q vast and tottering pile
They sat down, just when the sun
vent under the endless world OF
heniouen. q red ball. Oddly enough
they were at the feet of another hid
cons pod who stood there, his counte'
nance that of some transcendent vii
lain. A breeze blew her gold hail
gently round her bare. white neck
Roberto. the taciturn, sighed:
.Why, soledad, do you call us al
mediaeval?"
..Because, living under the shadow
If these brutal gods, you cannot get
.wav from medieval brutality. 9th
~ hacendados in Yucatan are not
10. Progress and light are very
- vArv bright in Yucatan