The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-02-19
LETTERS FROM ABROAD
BY A. VI. STACK.
Copyright 1e0G by II. l.. BcasleyD

l tried TO get some checks of the
American Express Company cashed.
but they would gaze at them awhile
and shake their heads. ii look ed like
! would either have to spend Christ
mas in a small town III the mountains
Of northern Spain or send my wife on
TO Madrid and start out afoot myself.
But Providence came To my rescue.
There was 4 boy from Paris in Iruu
studying the Spanish language. lie
had snent a year in London and could
speak English fairly well That boy
said he would get me some money ami
he canvasscd the town with my paper.
But they We're not aware Of the exist
ence Of the American Express Com
pany, much less cash 4 check on *.
/ decided to hang up FOR i few days
rs | was stranded ana there vas noih-
ing else to do. But my boy had grit
and said, let Us try the Italian res
taurant Luck was with me again
and, by allowing q Shylock discount.
| was ready to resume our journey.
The boy refused pay for his services.
but ! made him accept part of that
money. ! never could have died sat
isfied if he had not taken something
for his Kind services.
Magical Music Of Il Blind Musician.
Just before reaching run the train
passes around the west end Of the
ICiltt'S with lilc bay Oh BlScdy on
the right. After leaving that town
the train begins TO climb the noun
tains and continues to do so for hours.
amid almost Alpine SCenery-through
tunnels, over gorges and by precipices.
All the way up there are little villages
clinging to the mountain sides. The
MIA biJants cultivate the almost up
right soil and raise q few cattle and
many goats. ii is no place for children.
If one should stump its toe it would
fall into another province. When
our train reached the station Of q viii
lage which nestled in a cove above
the clouds, in chair in front Of the
dcnOt sat a poor old bind man with
an accordion on his lap. BY his SIDE
stood a thinly clad little girl with enc
hand on his shoulder. III their checks
was poverty and upon their backs
hung ragged misery. When the cars
had fully stopped he began to play ]
beautiful Spanish air. The effect was
electrical. Under the magical touch
Of his fingers the sweet tones Of the
instrumont struck q sympathetic cord
In human hearts. The mute appeal
cf those sightess eyes met a prompt
and geCnIOG:; response. Out OF tn"
Car windows rained Il perfect sh over
of pennies, and as the gil "Ould pick
them UP she WOULD smile anu put
thcm in the Cd mans coat pocket.
The FREQUENT touch Of that shiverins
ltttc h8n.i Informed the oil man that
Re had reached the hearts OF many.
\ sIaiIc Of gratitude adorned his
WriukIed face and his music becanee
sWe4ter As the train pulled out the
rocr aged and blind man straightened
in his chair S :ghtiy, tilted his head
baCk and, Ike the dying swan, seem
Cd TO pour eat his soul in divine melo-
Gy.
Near the top the road enters q rocky
The railroad follows closely through
the mountains q splendid highway
portions of which here and there re-
cali the Roman occupation of the
country. over this road the tramp Of
hostile armies has echoed many 4
time For miles there is succession
Of nlateauX and the scenery is poor
and nonotonous. The so;l is too
POOR 10 sprout peas and Yet many
people occupy the land How they
make q suprort is not apparent As
Judge Bennett would say. in compari
son with them Lazarus was a capital
ist. Their CoaVcyances and farming
implements are crude and their dress
comicaI. Their homes arc huts and
their life primitive. Yet they would
not exchange conditions with a Van
derbilt. Contentmcnt IS their great
est asset.
Ealladolid was our next halt and
what q mess we ran into, We fell
into a sursing sea of noisy humanity.
all trying to talk at once and none Of
them able 10 talk at all. one scamp
grabbed one piece Of baggage and
made off one way and another rascal
seized another piece and lit out in the
opposite direction, bOth jabbering and
motioning for rs TO follow. In vain
did | insist that there was no occa-
sion for excitement and haste. My
plea for deliberation caused other
porters to think that ! preferred
another hotel and the pests multiplied.
To escape the plaques l jumped into
the nearest omnibus and had the
driver to lay on the whip. He car
ried US to nice hotel and / showed
the proprietor thatI mad a mouth and
Indicated that | would like 70 give it
pantomine and a good supper was
soon forthcoming% When | settled
my bill, on leaving Nalladolid, that
hotel punched a big hole in my pock-
etbook. But that is a habit they
have in Spain.
BY this lime we were well out Of
the channel of English and American
travel, and the only way TO get along
is ''by main strength and awkward
ness" Sometimes / get annoyed and
lose my temper, but with it all there
is lots of fun. Many of the incidents
and experiences along the way would
make a ghost laugh 1t is q great
pleasure TO visit the sights and scenes
that have been consecrated by Clio
and the Muse. but it is sometimes a
difficult job. one of the most trouble
some things is money. In very truth
the love of it is the root of all evil
Every traveller sometimes has to deal
with the dishonest. If you do not
understand their money the rogues
will swindle YOU in every transaction.
Experience has taught me that there
are two ways to foil them. One way
and the best way-is to learn the
kinds and values of their money be-
fore or as soon as you enter q cOun-
try. and then make them act squarely.
The next best way is never ask the
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