Francisco Our Little Argentine Cousin

e was unaccustomed to sleeping away from home. He

na, and the bakers have it all their own way, which isn't a very bad way since their bread is light and deliciously crisp; he heard the chattering of the parrots and paroquets in the servants' patio; then

a canopy of pale blue plush and silk; the walls were panelled and painted in delicate colours, with angels and cherubs everywhere; huge mirrors reflected each other as they hung in their frames of Florentine gold, and after he had viewed it all for a few mom

he heard an imitation reveille blown through human hands, outside the closed blinds that shaded his door in

found the Colonel taking his coffee and

ing about, and that a boy of nine should see and learn. Your mother could not be expected to do it, so it falls to me. We must start immediately, bef

walk beside his uncle, who, if not a very large man in

, Ni?o?" he asked as they saunter

can continent, and that it has over one million inhabitants. My teacher

eaking city in the world, as it is twice as large as Madri

now just what that

ans, Frenchmen, Englishmen and Russians; and one can hear half a dozen different languages in an hour's time walking along the streets. But, to-d

ook off his cap, and his uncle patted him affectionately on the back. "Good, good, my boy! He deserves it, for no greater soldier ever fought; but we

y 'Good Airs,' because of the fresh, invigorating quality of the air that blew over from the vast prairies. This first settlement grew, and others farther into the interior sprang from it; all of them Spanish settlements; and in 1661 the

give up his prize and leave. England then sent another army, but this time the natives were prepared, and their victory was complete. General Whitelock, in command, capitulated, and his flag, the flag of the famous Seventy-First Regiment

lution took hold of the officials and people. At last, an open revolt took place in the Plaza Mayo, on the twenty-

ur twenty-fifth of May was but the beginning of a long struggle. A Junta was formed to govern, but it was no easy task. To the north were Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia; to t

ensa, and it was he who originated our flag. He said the long blue bars were to represent our faithfulness,

ntry, that they did not respond to the stirring appeal of General Belgrano. He, however, succeeded in some of the northern provinces, and thus

Martín came into the light of publicity, as commander-in-chief of the army. Now let us take the automobile, awaiting us over

g straight into their faces, the curious, sing-song cries of th

n with his long strings of onions, their stalks knit together into yard lengths; there is a vegetab

nd of work in this world. The Italians are naturally merchants, they like to bargain. They are also very fine mechanics.

Uncle, they are all dressed alike, and must

Those are Basques or Vascongados. There are many here, and they come from a small piece of country to the west end of the Pyrenees, in Spain, bordering the Bay of

their native home they are a pastoral people and such pursuits attract them. Listen as we pass: their l

is not in the centre. It covers about ten acres, and is two blocks back from the muddy La Plata Rive

he rose-tinted building, modelled after the Tuileries, and facing the plaza. Fr

his offices there, and all the public receptions are held there. You see, our government does not provide a

e Argentine colours) in his high hat sprang to the ground and opened the door. A man, slightly above the usual Argentine height, quite handsome, with pure Castilian features,

Juan?" asked Francisco

mine," replied the Colonel, and as he said it he

nd? Do tell

en to yonder Cathedral; but he is

e the Pantheon with its blue tile-covered cupola, and

by these pioneer fathers, in its construction. Like all houses in Buenos Aires, it is of maso

eatest cathedral. After a few minutes spent in devotion, the Colonel led the way to one of the naves, where the tomb of the great liberator, San Martín, stands

izer, for his troops were composed mainly of gauchos of the wild uncivilized kind, who were not easily trained or d

and defeated him. He was thus the liberator of the Chilean people, for that battle on the twelfth of February, 1817, gave them their independence from Spain. In Santiago, Chile, there is a statue to General S

endence. This was followed by a dictatorship lasting twenty years, that was a period of the greatest tyranny in our history. Don Juan Manuel Ortiz de Rosas, at

sas was at last overthrown by General Urquiza, who organized the government upon its first solid basis, with a constitution modelled closely after that of the United States of North America. Since then, although we have

one in a dream. They stepped into the Calle Bartolomé Mitre, which seemed congested with a torrent of vehicles pour

red Francisco, still under the spell of the he

I will show you more of it. Why, you're not homesick, are you?" he asked, n

like to see Elena, and f

go past thy mother's house and if the little rose is well enoug

TNO

Ba