Over his clothes he wore a red
cloak or poncho, and heavy iron spurs on his feet, which were cased in
the _botas de potro_, or long stockings made of a colt's untanned
hide.
Arrived at the gate he shouted _Ave Maria purissima_ in a loud voice,
then proceeded to give an account of himself, informing us that he was
a blind man and obliged to subsist on the charity of his neighbours.
They in their turn, he said, in providing him with all he required
were only doing good to themselves, seeing that those who showed the
greatest compassion towards their afflicted fellow-creatures were
regarded with special favour by the Powers above.
After delivering himself of all this and much more as if preaching a
sermon, he was assisted from his horse and led by the hand to the
front door, after which the boy drew back and folding his arms across
his breast stared haughtily at us children and the others who had
congregated at the spot. Evidently he was proud of his position as
page or squire or groom of the important person in the tall straw hat,
red cloak, and iron spurs, who galloped about the land collecting
tribute from the people and talking loftily about the Powers above.
Asked what he required at our hands the beggar replied that he wanted
yerba mate, sugar, bread, and some hard biscuits, also cut tobacco and
paper for cigarettes and some leaf tobacco for cigars. When all these
things had been given him, he was asked (not ironically) if there was
anything else we could supply him with, and he replied, Yes, he was
still in want of rice, flour, and farina, an onion or two, a head or
two of garlic, also salt, pepper, and pimento, or red pepper. And when
he had received all these comestibles and felt them safely packed in
his saddle-bags, he returned thanks, bade good-bye in the most
dignified manner, and was led back by the haughty little boy to his
tall horse.
We had been settled some months in our new home, and I was just about
half way through my sixth year, when one morning at breakfast we
children were informed to our utter dismay that we could no longer be
permitted to run absolutely wild; that a schoolmaster had been engaged
who would live in the house and would have us in the schoolroom during
the morning and part of the afternoon.
Our hearts were heavy in us that day, while we waited apprehensively
for the appearance of the man who would exercise such a tremendous
power over us and would stand between us and our parents, especially
our mother, who had ever been our shield and refuge from all pains and
troubles.
