Mexico Missouri message., 1918-07-11

stricken preferred to remain and to
die among their dear ones.
Yes, Matanzas was pacifed. Wey'
ler's boast was true. Nowhere in the
entire province was a field in cult
vntion: nowhere, outside the garri-
soned towns, was house left stand
Ing. Nor was the city Of Matanzas the
only concentration camp; there were
others dotted through Santa Clara,
Habana and Plnar del Rio. In them
half q million people cried for food.
Truly no rebelllous land was ever
more completely paclfled than this, no
peoples spirits ever more completely
crushed.
Into Matanzas, city of beggary and
death, came Rosa Varona and her two
negro companions, looking for relief.
They made the Journey without mis-
hap, for they were too destitute to
warrant plundering, and Rosa's dis
guise concealed what charms remained
to her. But once they had entered the
city, what an awakeningl What suf-
fering, what poverty, what rags they
saw! The three of them grew weak
with dlsmay at the horror of It all; (;
but there was no retreat. ~
| Asensio built makeshift shelter
close under La Cumbre-from 1t the
ruins Of the Qulnta de Esteban were
visible--and there they settled down
to live. They had hoped to lose them
selves among the other prisoners, and
in this they were successful, for none
of their miserable neighbors were in
any condition to notice them, and
there was nothing sufficiently con-
spicuous about two tattered blacks
and their hunchbacked daughter to
draw attention from the soldiers.
Asenslo foraged zealously, and at
first he managed somehow to secure
enough food for his little family. One
day the soldiers seized him and put
him TO work on the Notifications along
with gang of other men who ap.
peared strong enough to stand hard
labor. Asensio was not paid for this
but he was allowed one meal a day
and he succeeded in bringing home
each night share of his allotment.
1t is surprising how little nourish'
two friends had long felt the pinch
of hunger. but now they plumbed new
depths of privation, for there were
days when Asensio and his fellow con
scripts received nothing at all. Aftel
, time Evangelina began making bas
/, kets and weaving palm-leaf hats, which
she sold at six cents each. She taught
Rosa the craft. and they worked from
dawn until dark, striving with nimble
tireless fingers to supplement Asensio'!
ratlons and postpone starvation. Blu
= II was q hopeless task. Other nimbl,
fingers worked as tirelesSly as theirs
and the demand for hats was limited
!, Their hut overlooked the road t,
= San Seyerino, that Via Dolorosa oI
which condemned prisoners wer
marched out to execution, and in tim
the women learned TO recognize tn
peculiar blaring notes OF certain COZ
: !, net, which slgnlfied that another "Cu
ban cock was about to crow" Who
in the damp of dewy mornings the
heard that bugle they ceased thei
u weaving long enough to cross Their
Z selves aud whisper a prayer for th
i souls of those who were on their wa
l. to die. But this was the only respit
l. they allowed themselves.
y Rosa meditated much upon the col
! trast between her present and her fol
3 mer condition. MatanEas was the cit
!. Of her birth, and time was when sh
y had trod It's streets in arrogance an
E pride, when she had possessed friend
n by the score among Its residents. BJ
i Of all these there was not one TO whol
= she dared appeal in this. her hour (
u need. But even had she felt assure
Of meeting sympathy, her pride WI
r. pure CaStilian, and 1t would ney,
'e down. She, VaFOna, whose name We
d one to conjure with. whose lineage VIZ
Is OF the highest! She to begg II
N thing was quite impossible. One crum
d so taken. would have choked he
% Rosa preferred 20 suffer proudly al
5. await the hour when hunger or diseai
e would NJ last blot out he3 memoirs