The Argosy — page 78: what you’re looking at

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

Letters from Majorca. 63 drawn water from the well. They dosono longer. Change and decay have marked the cloisters for their own. A portion of the building is, I think, devoted to a hospital. Nuns or sisters occa- sionally flitted to and fro like silent shadows, on their errands of merzy. But the religious element has fallen away from the cloisters ; and another portion of the building has become the ordinary dwellings of ordinary people. This afternoon they were silent and deserted. Through an open doorway came the murmur of young voices. It was a boys’ school— no doubt the town school. In the middle of the schoolroom floor, right in front of the doorway, was a poor beautiful little boy, on his knees, by way of punishment and example. The other boys were standing not far off, surrounding the stern pedagogue. The little fellow was to me an object of compassion. He was fair of face, and had that innocent expression which seems to have been borrowed from heaven, and passes all too soon. I longed to take him into my arms and administer consolation. I fear I was bad enough to hold up a coin to him in the hope of tempting him to further insubordination by coming forward to receive it. The boy flushed and shuffled, and seemed suddenly possessed of quicksilver. At one time I thought I had conquered. He eyed me, then eyed the schoolmaster. Fear prevailed. Hedid notcome. Sol was fain to put the little silver coin on the base of a pillar; the little fellow gave me a glad nod of understanding, and we parted. But if we should ever meet in another world, I think we shall know and love each other. It was an exquisite afternoon. ‘The westering sun was casting deep reflections upon the cloisters. Half the quadrangle was in shadow, half in sunlight. It was the very hour for a successful photograph. A young mason, at work outside, came in to draw water from the well. We bribed him, without difficulty, to be taken. I will send you the result as soon as I have returned to Palma, and had it developed. You will observe the open doorway of the schoolroom behind the well, You cannot hear the murmur of the voices or see the kneeling penitent, as I did ; but it is all there, and you must imagine it. I lingered long in these cloisters. It was another and an en- chanting world ; an atmosphere altogether different from that of the town. Ina moment the mind responds to the impression. It is as if some glorious picture, a page out of some soul-inspiring book, had been placed before one’s vision. We are elevated into higher regions, delivered from the dross of the commonplace. We are new beings for the moment, and we spread our wings and rejoice in the freedom of this new sensation. So I lingered here until the moment arrived when I must depart from the town, and return to La Puebla and the companion I had missed all day. When I left the cloisters the little penitent was still kneeling, but there was a rapt look in his face; I was glad to see COMICOOoOKS.c©