The Four Corners Abroad

hearted, gentle Spanish girl with an eager mind, and such accomplishments as gave a denial to the impression that Spanish girls must not be expected to be in the least intellectual. She

work harder than ever at languages. What stupid things we are compared to her. She speaks French like a native, is quite at home with Italian, and has a reading knowledge of German. When shall I

s to wear it to-morrow, and she is teaching me the jota. We must both learn it, Nan, and you

red Nan. "I wonder why they

ould say, country costumes. I asked Miss Dolores. Mercedes wi

m glad it is the haying season, for I think those carts piled up with hay and led by a tall m

he people treated them better. I saw a girl on one this morning. She was making it go very fast, and I w

that is a band of gipsies coming, real Spanish gipsies. Aren't they interesting? I suppose they are coming for the fiesta. Look at those two children with scarcely a rag on. Did you ever see such wild-looking, impish little th

the belt. Her brocade bodice trimmed with jet would partly cover her white chemisette. Around her neck she would wear a long chain with a handsome old reliquary attached to it. Very long filagree earrings would be fastened upon her ears, and upon

he jota, and if you will, you can also wear mantas de Manila. You shal

heir guests, so theirs was quite a large party which arrived in front of the old church in time to hear the rocket-bombs, and to see the great ramas, or pyramids of bread, carried inside. Then all entered the ancient, low-arched edifice

n?" whispered N

of a canary, then another chirped up, and a third joined in, so

ces. It can hardly be called a dance, in fact. And the ramas? They are huge pyramids on which are hung circular loaves of bread, an

their tambourines and drums while they sang a monotonous chant. The figure of the Virgin, in dazzling array, preceded the ramas, and as the procession issued into the open air again the rocket-bombs went up again. Wo

nce called the danza peregrino, or dance of the pilgrims which is supposed to date back, no one knows how many centuries, to the days of the pilgrims, and the cockle-shells a

o see that,

l wander about a while to see the people

were offered for sale, to see the women squatting on the ground in front of baskets of nuts or fruit, to s

e Don Antonio while Mary Lee had Mercedes for her vis-à-vis. Don Antonio was a tall, serious-looking lad of nineteen, but when with arms aloft, he snapped his fingers, and took graceful steps, he seemed quite a different person from the grave young man who had ventured but a few r

ve some cider and cak

have cider he

favorite drink. I see Antonio has supplied us with cakes. We will go over th

easant dress. Why don't the men w

hem have gone away and will come back

ing Her Fingers an

rica

, and when they come back they do not wear any more th

zled to know how she and her sister would be distingu

nglesas," Merc

e." Nan was not quite sure that she

e there is a man over there wearing the Asturian cap, the

Mary Lee returned to the subject, after

iled and sh

South Americans have just as much right to be called so as we have. Dear me, do see that p

might be taken for impostors." She stopped to give each of the supplicants a copper coin. "The big coppers are perronos or the big dogs," she expl

one with a guitar, the other with a tambourine. They were saucy, mirthful looking creatures who turned knowing eyes upon the st

ked Nan, as she saw all ey

th your pink cheeks, and that Mary Lee is a golden bird. They say you should be

med to the girls a very unusual experience, but presently they realized that it was a very common thing here in Spain, that it was meant as a

ving. The train brought numbers from the nearest towns and villages; carriages drove up with occupants dressed in their best. There were t

he other end a blind violinist drew his bow raspingly and in cracked tones sang a wild Asturian melody. The

ne more look at the sea and then we go," said Mercedes. So they wandered down to the rocky shore where great crags rose on every side. Beyond these spar

Mercedes told them, "and even when there is sno

at, the sea so near and no sharp winds. It is perfect. The kind of weather tha

m to be about here," said Mary

nhabited by fairy folk, the inxanos, we call them, tiny little peop

ubject appealed to Nan's fancy. "Do peop

ou must see the great caves near our village. I will take you to them to-morrow. We must go up the mountain, too, and there is a place not so very f

r off, and the nearer mountains bathed in sunset glory. They encountered a band of gipsies with their donkeys, traveling along the white road which wound

boats when Santa Marina took place. They saw, too, the feast of "Our Lady of the Hay" when the great hay harvest was over and honor was done to the Virgin of a little chapel in the woods. There was a long day spent at

stantly to their stock of words. In consequence they were soon able to carry on conversations, haltingly,

e for our day of San Jua

do then?" as

We set up a tree in his patio, and many persons from far and near brought presents to him. He provided cakes and other things for the feast and we danced till dark

o here," said Nan. "I think it is l

them. If you were to be here you would see. I think you should stay a year tha

g you are, Mercedes. We'd love to stay but

ish governess and you could learn Spani

uld love to do it, but we

t I should like you to stay and s

, and as we speak French all the time I am losing none of my knowledge of that language, while I am also lea

when I have learned to speak English it will be time enough to talk of going, so I shall work very hard, and

to Miss Dolores about it so she will remember to write t

ed that the days did not hang heavily. If there was not a fiesta or a feria there was an excursion to the seashore, or to some neighboring town; there was maybe a fishing party or a long dr

1

1

1

1