The National tribune., 1902-07-24

from British ship in the harbor. At the
end of the game those of us who were off
duty went down to the English Club, on
the Gale Reai in Ermita, but we soon
saw the necessity of getting away from
there. This club had Hospitality thrown
open ITS doors to American officers when
we first entered the city, and it was here
We learned the British fellow feeling for
the Americans in the war. The hospita-
them Scotchmen.r began drinking Scotch
and soda," thenuniversal drink of Britons
| in that country. and we Americans, of
course, had to join them. We soon learned,
| if, indeed, we had not previously discov-
cred, that Americans cannot drink Scotch
and soda" with Englishmen, and especial
ly with Scotchmen. and We realized that n
mastery retreat was all that would save
us, so we pleaded necessity for return to
quarters as. an excuse and got away.
UNLIMITED GUESTS.
| There were six of us, in two quilezes,
and we decided to take a little drive
around the city before going to quarters,
and in pursuance of this idea we soon
found ourselves across the Bridge of Spain
and in the residence district north of the
river. Suddenly we heard orchestra music
through the open windows of a house abut-
ting on the street, and | shouted Para
| to the cocherO. who pulled in his willing
pony and brought the quilez to a halt
Que esta musica?" | queried in my
mongrel Spanish.
| "Baile, Senor," he replied.
"Publico?"
| Isl, Senor."
Il "Puede para nOsotros para visitar?'
| Isl, ScnOr.'
| Here, according to the assurance OF Oul
cochero, was a public dance which it was
proper for us to attend, and we all pilet
out of the carriages except one, who saIG
he would wait for us, and of whom more
later, and passed through the street doOl
to the stone stairs leading from the III
terror to the upper or residence floor, beine
met at the head of the stairs by very
polite and affable MestiZo gentleman, who
shook hands with us and bid us welcome
We had suspicious at once that things wer'
not as we had understood, and spying 8
young man who was interpreter in the
Quartermaster Department among thost
present, asked him about it, and learned
that this was the 18th birthday party OF
the young daughter of the host who haC
greeted US at the stairs.
Here was an embarrassing situation. W.
had rushed into the house unlimited, and il
shows the genuine hospitality and courtes!
of the Filipinos that we had been received
with as much courtesy and cordiality a:
invited guests.
| In all my intercourse with the Filipino.
of all classes | encountered this same hos
pitality, accompanied by courtesy III pro
portion to the degree of education ant
civilization of the individual. The Span
lard is very profuse i'll his protestations OF
hospitality, offering you his house and the
services of his entire household, but this
is more formal than real. The Filipino
means it when he says his house is yours
for if necessary he will turn his family out
and install you in it.
NV friend in need assured me that ht
would fix it all right, and so he took us tc
the host and introduced us as friends
whom he had taken the liberty of invlt-
ing. and on this basis we remained, except
three of the officers who were compelled
to return at 10 o'clock to take taps rol
call.
On a table lin one of the rooms ar
elaborate banquet was spread, at whlcf
champagne was served III any quantity the
guests desired One of these, a Scotch
man, drank sof much that he became noisy
md undertook to sing a Scotch song IN
easping voice that was worse than the
rooning of the bagpipcs. a Filipino Sen,
,rita with wlIomI was dancing expressed
her disgust with the man who was mucho
| borracho," and not gentleman ike the
Filipinos, and in self-defense and Of my
countrymen | had to tell her that this man
was an Ingleso, and not an Americana.
|
soldiers in Manila, some of whom had gone
by the house singing boisterously only a
| little while before, i felt that my defense
of avoidance was not strong one. The
most / could hope to do was by persona.
sobrety and rectitude of conduct impress
her with the idea that was one American
at least who did not get drunk. There
were plenty more of them. as well as
plenty of the other kind. At last, about
O'Clock. we took our leave, after thanking
the host and his charming daughter and
wishing her many happy returns of the
day in the best Spanish we could muster.
We found our associate who had said he
would wait for us below still whiting:
Fatigued with his exertion in the football
game, and made drOwsy by his Scotch and
soda, to escape more of which we had fled
the English Club. he had fallen asleep, his
arms. legs and body accommodating them
selves to the bumps and sinuosities of the
miniature carriage. There he had for four
hours slumbered the sleep of the Just tired
out, while we had been dancing and feastlns
above Approaching him. | shook him Wig
orously by one foot that projected from
the door of the carriage. and he aroused
himself. rubbed his eyes sleepily and SAID;
Hello. Captain; l was just coming up
to ask if it was not time to go home
N L..