The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1906-10-03
THE NA.l-s 90 B0GOIA
SECULAR CUSTOMS or THIS SOUTH
AMERIcAN CITY


Its Vast Army Of BeEgllEs-R alAre *
Creased GOwns-HOvz Young PEOPLE
Court Each Other.
The house In Bogota In which lived
Tor fifteen months was one Of the old
est ana the largest In that Spanish
built city. It was two storied and had
thIrty-four rooms, surrounding three
patios. or courts. The ground hoQF
rooms were shops and storage places;
the family living rooms were up one
Digit OF stone stairs. Only four of the
apartments looked on the street; the
others opened or corridors which ran
around the patios From the street one
entered by enormous double doors OF
heavy oak into short stone passage
way or vestFbuie: thence a smaller door
led into the first patio. an inciosed gar
den. with fountain In the center and
lowers growing every where
Into this patio every day OF all the
months that lived In the place came
beggurs with their baskets, and as my
room opened of the corridor above
could sit within my door and hear the
very c.ha-a cteristic manner in which
aims are soiicited-and refused-ip Co
loulbia.
The street doors were never fastened
except ut night, 50 In would walk the
begEar usually an aged Indian wom-
am without knock or ring. The sen0ra,
through the open door OF her room or
the corridor, would look down and sec
the suppIiant standing below In the
patio. An AngIo-SdxoA woman In those
circumstances would either at once
have tossed some dole to the beggar or
have said CURLY from where she sat,
GO away; I've nothing for your and
that would have ended the matter.
The Standardization woman's meth
cd of dealing with the situation was
far otherwise. 1t did not matter II
twenty beggars had already been there
that day, and II there were every rea-
son to suppose that twenty more would
come during the afternoon, the cere-
nony ut was nothing less Of the re-
eusaI to give was never curtailed nor
varied by one word or infection of the
voice.
First the sonora would get up. leave
ner embroidery or Whatever she was
doing. 20 out from her room TO the cor
ridor. and leaning over the railing,
would say to the beggar very cour-
teously:
Good day.
Cool day. your graciousness." the
begsar would respond How do you |
dog
"I am very we'll thank you"
And the gentleman, your husband?"
also very well, Thanks be to God"
How good that Is! And your fam
n.y."
..Tuey are all well. thank you very
much. And you? How do you do:'
"oh. am as usual. your merciful-
ness: many. many thanks to you.
81, 81, N /
seen beSgar before and had no idea
for what purpose this woman had
come into the patio would inquire:
And what Is it that you wish:"
For the love of God, your grace. the
very least thing that you have to give
a very small piece of bread"
The sonora appeared very much sur
lrfsed to learn the visitors errnnd and
It the same time was overcome by re-
yret that she could not possibly comply
With the request.
"a piece of breadT" she would REQ
leat. How much pleasure 1 should
rave in giving it to you! 1t Is really
Utmost too unfortunate that you come
oday, when we have not been able to
ret anything from the market, and the
,ook Is so i'll that we have scarcely
lad meals for the family Any other
AUlG L MOuANA sAN " y W es@a@N@-a' I
s always enough, except this one I'M
lappy day on which you come. 1t
,ITes me pain to refuse you. but
preadins out her hands-''what can 1
log"
The beSgnr would take 1t all as IL
he had never heard 1t before and be-
ieved every word of It to be true.
..Oh. we'll" she would say, ''it is
othiug. DO not let your grace be dis
urbcd. Another day will do quite as
YELL So, then, hasta luegO' C'until a
tile while'D.
..IIasta Iuego." said the senorn. "Que
, vayu muy bien" C'Aiay you go very
reIFD. :
nd your family" ,
SO the beggar would go away none
he richer The senOrH was poorer by
en- minutes of time but what is time
, n Standardization woman!
1t WINS quite a while before learned
D take the pretty speeches OF the
for what they were worth.
he men used to assure me. Soy los
les de listed" CT am ut your feet'J,
-hen, rs a matter OF fact, they were
othInE OF the kind. II I expressed
ne slightest admiration for anything. :
rom a hnTrpIn to n diamond necklace
was Immediately offered to me with =
ne protestntion that IT was mine, as {
ne owner cared nothing for 1t and
iould be doing n favor by accepting
No one would have been more sur 8
rised than that owner, however, IL I
nd taken him ut his word Soon after &
" arrival In Bogota was Invited, q
18th the family with whom was q
aging. to spend the evening with q
,me of their relatives. It might al q