Francisco Our Little Argentine Cousin

that it was a feast day. The Colonel was writing, and evidently did not notice a little figure clad in a long linen coat standing

! A soldier must have patien

haffing; indeed, they were close friends and F

's El dia

st days one cannot keep the run of all, and I can scarcely remember my own patron saint's day.

efore it comes the children save every piece of wood and paper, and last St. John's night I stood on our roof and looked over the city. My! how pretty it looked; the whole

y, lad, whenev

I've been making a pesebre for Elena and it's finish

it," said

esterday in the back patio, and José, the portero, helped me cut out the camels. He said mine looked like giraffes

g, he saw the ideal that had been in the carver's mind. He was seeing some new thing each day in the little fellow's character that made him love him more; and when th

he exclaimed almost boyishly. "I am tired of these

he owned several of the finest in the country. It is said that an Argentine will lavish as much care on his fav

s the splendid horses started off; "this pair are to be taken abroad next month with my two trotters, Benita and Malacaro

with a blue riband. At any rate, I am sure there are no finer appearing horses anywhere than these; but all of our horses are

s home. They found Guillerma and her mother away. They had gone to cel

Juan, while I erect the pe

eeches into the jaws and beaks of the different birds and animals, such as the deer, the puma, the ostrich, the jaguar, and many others. Elena's eyes were wide as the big bear growled out his belief th

spied the manger with its surroundin

no pesebre. She is to have one of ivory that cost a small fortune, but I had rather have this. Oh! it is so beautiful! Who could have brought it? Who could have put it here?" and she looked up inquirin

SEE SUCH GLORIO

de, this time behind his favourite horses. As they entered the house on their return

's with its fireworks and noisy crowds of cele

, the Three Kings would not forget her. An excursion into the dining-room proved their faithfulness, for th

clothes, a few picture-books and a china tea set. She was still admiring them when Francisco arrived; he was dress

h Se?ora's on the corner. Why, you act as though you had seen them before, Francisco, are you not su

e to bid you all goodbye, as Uncle Juan had another errand to do on his way down. We go a day earlier than we had planned in order that we may stop over for a day and night in Rosario. I am glad, Elena, that your gifts are so

never taken a long journey on one; his mother and Guillerma had taken him with them on one of their yearly pilgrimages to the shrine of Our Lady of Lujan, some forty miles distant, for being devout Catholics, this was never omitted. He began to grow nervous, fearing his uncle would be too late, as the train for Ro

Chile, when returning from a military expedition into that country; and he had been a faithful servant of the family ever since. As slavery is prohibited in Arg

s slanted peculiarly like the eyes of the Chinese. When Francisco had spoken of that last characteristic to his uncle he had been told that many

d that José was to be with them at the estancia, since his knowledg

derous engine was North American. As the railroads of Argentina are mainly under

with beds of flowers, and the English system of overhead bridges

ped through the pretty suburbs with their numbers of summer homes, surrounded by wel

?o! Can you bound the

azil, on the west and south by Chile; on the east by Brazil, Uruguay and the Atlantic Ocean. Its area is

ow long you could sing the praises of your native land. I want to tell you a

some metal," v

e country, I, myself, have found shells and gravel. This long level stretch of land between the Atlantic Ocean and t

cattle, sheep and horses. You see, having this excellent pasture-land, so well watered, and a climate that insures grazing the whole year through, our expens

the largest and best in the world, tell me,

think of it, we have got something connected with railroads that is interesting. We have the longest straight stretch of railway in the world, it is said. On the Argentine Pacific Railway from Bu

n a railway car, speeding fifty miles an hour, with delicate china and napery, shining silver

TNO

Dinin

eautiful!

] D