The Argosy — page 41: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Letters from Majorca. 31 train was less distinguished than the barouche, it was more rapid, and would cover more ground. So we departed in high spirits, though feeling rather cast adrift as we rolled over the Palma stones in the uneasy omnibus. We could not speak a word of the language, and in the interior, should not be likely to find anyone who spoke English or French, or anything but Mallorcan. But want of courage is not our weakness, and those who, by a fair amount of intelligence, cannot overcome difficulties, and, as it were, make both ends of a journey meet, should stay at home. We had had some thought of taking Francisco with us as interpre- ter and general factotum : our water-bearer, it might be said, if one were writing the language of the Zodiac. But he could not be spared from the hotel, being the only man on the premises able to make himself conversationally useful. If a boat came in during our absence, with a cargo of foreigners, Francisco’s absence would mean the commencement of the Reign of Confusion. - This sometimes leads to Terror, Revolution and Bloodshed, Chaos and Annihilation. In fact, as many evils and horrors as even Ireland could be guilty of, or Obstructionists desire. Francisco very much wanted to accompany us, and grew melan- choly when he found it was not to be. We consoled him by taking his photograph; and he came out beautifully, with a sunbeam across his forehead and an aureole round his head. We persuaded him that this was a miracle, and that he was evidently an unappreciated St. Francis, who ought to be canon- ised. The Mallorquins took up the same idea, and had we been photographers in fact, and not in fun, our fortunes had now been made. In fact, H. C. rather suggested something of the sort—strange thing for a poet to care for the loaves and fishes of this world. But Noblesse oblige, and pride no doubt has lost much ever since the days of our first parents. So we left Francisco in a fair way of being worshipped by the Mallorquins, and departed for Manacor. The omnibus rattled through the narrow streets of the town, crossed the old-fashioned market-place: where the stalls looked as picturesque as ever, with their flaming burdens of pomegranates, tomatoes, capsicums and rosy apples : and reached the station. A large and not very interesting crowd had assembled. They could hardly be called all sorts and conditions of men, for most of them belonged to the humbler class. Some of these have already been slightly described to you, and I will not weaken any effect I may have made upon you by repetition, Many wore the distin- guishing handkerchief of the swine herds, but were fortunately not accompanied by their charges. Others were dressed as many of the country people dress: wide Moorish trousers or breeches tied comicbooks.com