Mary's Rainbow

small as possible and look out the window when the conductor comes around so that h

for me is seven-year-old size, and

ight. Well, never mind, let us hope that you will gr

She leaned toward her uncle and whispered, "I mean to try ever so hard, Uncle, to keep awake, but I really don

put my head on your shoulder and take a little nap now and then, and you

-why, Uncle! Look at that porter! He

utes, and your fears

mattress, blankets, pillows, and everything necessary to make up the lo

wo-story bed! Did you ev

time, I travel at night wh

get off this train and g

lth, miss! What fault have you to find with this train? Is

Uncle; but oh! you

s you do. Come, let us move into the opposite section and give the porter a

re, Uncle, and ask the porter to put a little

only joking. I shal

en rivers and great white plains sped the train until at las

an old friend o

ugh they had not always heard what Mary had said. "I forgot that you have not studied geography, dearie. I am speakin

g out the window, she caught up Amelia Anabelle's white coat and wound it around her head, insisting, "Tie yo

ked at the chi

may try to scalp everyone; and if they see our heads t

ve the poor Indians? I am surprised at

band of braves in war paint and feathers, she saw o

se are Indians, Uncle! Why

re Indians,

pose those are tame I

n Oklahoma, and by bedtime we shall be in T

station platform whenever the train had stopped for any length of time, she was tired of sitting still so long and would have been

midst of a whirling snowstorm; and they stepped off it at San Antonio into the very mildest of spring weather. She looked with delight at the grass and trees and beautiful palms, some of them as high

ride through the parks of the city. The one Mary liked best was Brackenridge Park, where long, gray streamers of Spanish moss hang from the trees, and bright redbirds flit among the branches. She liked the plazas, too,-big open squares in the heart of the city, laid out like little parks with fountains, trees, and beautiful flowers. And she liked the San Antonio River, the "Old Santone," as the natives lovingly call it, with its banks bordered with myrtle and cresses and shaded by old trees. And as they rode through the beautiful city, the Doctor told th

general, Santa Ana, planted his cannon so as to fire on the Alamo, the fort and Mission Chapel, "The Cradle of Texas' Liberty," as it is fittingly called. As they walked over to it, Mary listened eagerly to her uncle's story of Texas' brave fight for freedom from Mexico, to which country it belonged until 1836. He told her of the terrible siege of the Alamo, which took place in the earl

ly unequal hand-to-hand fight was carried on. She saw the Chapel where Mass had so often been said, and the burial place of the Monks. But this

the beautiful country roads to visit them; and as they had all the time they needed, he stopped by the roadside as often as Mary wis

Joseph, is still very beautiful. It is said that the front of this church with its carvings and statues of saints above the door, was brought all the way from Spain to Mexico City, then overland, through forests, across rivers, over mountains to where it

little distance from it is a beautiful convent school; and one day as they rode past it, Mary reined in her pony and sat watching the children at play. The Doctor proposed

ind them. Only one thing marred the pleasure of these sunny months. This was the death of Gene's father. The Doctor had placed him in the care of a famous specialist; but though everything possi

burro, with him, almost hidden by a great load of hay or mesquite wood. They saw the women in their miserable huts, or jacales, built of a few sticks driven into the ground and covered with old blankets and thatches of straw. These women were always kneeling at the open door, pounding out tortillos, the Mexican johnny-cake, in the matat, or very old-fashioned corn mill; or they wer

autiful flowers. One small auto in particular made Mary clap her hands in delight. It was entirely covered with pure white flowers so arranged as to represent a swan. The flowers were built up in front for the long neck and head, and bright yellow blossoms formed the bill. As it glided gracefully al

said good-bye to San Antonio and set