May Wentworth

“ When the other children would have taken the basket for themselves, the old woman prevented them; and, while they went, crying, to their mother, Zoie hid her treasure under the trailing vines of a passion-flower.
“Be quick, little señorita,” said the old Indian. “Your mother once saved the life of my child, and an Indian never forgets. In the basket is a wonderful talisman, which will give you any thing you want, just for the wishing.” ”

“ Thus it was with the parents as the years passed sadly by, but all the while the seasons [Pg 77] went and came again; the sunshine gladdened the earth; the rainbow beautified the shower; the flowers blossomed in the garden; and young hearts beat happily as theirs upon their bridal day.
On that bright morning of the fête of Corpus Christi, which resulted so unfortunately for the hidalgo and the poor señora, Macata had not noticed that the garden gate was left unlocked, nor in her haste did she see the crouching form of a fierce-looking woman hiding behind the lime-tree. ”

“ The soft moonlight fell full upon his face, and his large luminous eyes were dewy with the spirit of the rich melody. With the rare beauty that was all their own, they almost redeemed the brown skin and flaming hair from positive ugliness. Leota stood entranced till the last note [Pg 189] died out of the thrilled chords of the trembling harp, then, as she turned to go, the rustling of her robe caused Crimson Tuft to raise his eyes, and they fell full upon her face, to him at least the most beautiful face in the world. ”

“ He thought the waters of the running stream the sweetest music he had ever beard, and bending over, with his hand he raised to his parched lips a draught of holy water—for ’twas the Mother of Mercy’s gift—the gift of life.
Extreme thirst is the most intolerable of all sufferings—greater far than hunger. None but those who have endured its pangs, can have the least idea of the excruciating pain it brings. ”

“ The startled Gracia woke to find Catrina lying as one dead upon the ground, and a handsome young boy coming forward to help them. The little girl was much frightened, and, weeping bitterly, she threw her arms around Catrina and called piteously,—
“Oh, Catrina! Catrina! open your eyes; do not leave me, Catrina; God loves you, He has called you!”
Then Catrina opened her eyes, and said, with imperfect utterance, “Don’t cry, my darling. The cougar is dead. Don’t cry; he will not hurt you.” And she kissed Gracia, and cried as hard as the child. ”

“ The fisherman rose to meet the young prince, who told him, in his handsome, manly way, how all over the north land he had been seeking for the princess Golden Snow; and how at last, when hope was almost dying, he had found the treasure.
[Pg 60] The old man listened gravely; then he placed the white hand of the maiden in the young man’s strong, true palm, saying, “Not because you are a Russian prince, but because you are one of God’s noblemen, I give you my dear child. Take her, for in her loving heart she is the most beautiful maiden.” ”

“ In a short time he picked out the chords and wove them into delicious harmonies, and then there came into his mind a rich old melody of the fatherland. It was like the memory of a happy dream, and the tears filled his eyes. Again he was happy, for every thing save the spell of the divine melody was forgotten.
Two more years glided by, and the young boy was advancing toward manhood. [Pg 180] He was tall, and finely developed; and deep within his dreamy eyes slept the wonderful magnetic charm. Still the brown skin and stiff hair remained, and he was only poor ugly Crimson Tuft. ”

“ One day, Rosebud called Snowdrop into the garden, and sitting under a large almond-tree, she said: “Look over this book of prints with me, while we talk softly, for the duenna must not hear every thing.”
[Pg 214] Snowdrop rested her golden tresses upon her sister’s arm, and, turning over the leaves of the book, they talked together.
“Sister dear,” said Rosebud, “we lead a very dull life here. All young girls are gay and happy. What is the use of being beautiful, with no one to see us but servants and old women?” ”

“ The señora was very angry with the orphans, and, after whipping them both for quarreling, sent them supperless to bed, in an old out-house where the Indian servants slept, but she and her children sat down to a luxurious meal, with a large basket of delicious strawberries in the center of the table, plenty of nice white sugar, and three bowls of fresh, rich cream.
For some time the lonely orphans lay talking of their own dear parents, and weeping, as they lay shivering in each other’s arms. ”

“ Her life had been so filled with darkness, that she could not look forward to the calm hereafter. All the brightness and beauty of heaven, the golden, was like the fleeting dreams of childhood, that the rolling years, bearing her to the portals of dim old age, had swept away. ”

“ The old Macata never left her side. At first the mother shuddered when she came near; but as she looked upon the hair of the old woman, which, since the loss of the child, had become white as the driven snow, her heart softened, and she shed her first tears upon the bosom of the penitent and sorrowing nurse.
For many weeks the luxury of tears had [Pg 74] been denied her, and, from that first bursting of the flood-gates of her grief, she could not bear the old Indian long out of her sight. A mutual sorrow bound their hearts together. ”

“ The grandmother had been taken suddenly very ill, and must see Crimson Tuft.
[Pg 203] She breathed with great difficulty, and her words came low and broken: “If I live to reach Mexico, you will not need this paper; but I am old,” she added, bitterly, “and the old must die.”
With great pain she went on: “If I should not live to reach the hacienda, you will see the child has her own. Dig up the treasure yourself, and do not defraud her of one single gold piece, or the curse of a dying woman will follow you, even from the darkness of the grave.” ”

“ Little Gracia was dressed in clothes coarse as Catrina’s, but still she grew more lovely every day, and looked like a little princess in her rags.
Even the seared heart of the woman softened to the winning ways of the pretty child, though sometimes she would drive her away, exclaiming: “Go, go from me—I hate the race.” At other times she would take her in her arms, saying: “The baby is not to blame,” and with tears dimming [Pg 89] her eyes, cover the little face with fond caresses.
Thus passed five long years at the cottage. Catrina had grown stronger, and more shapely. ”

“ Golden Snow is the Elixir of Beauty, and if you can obtain it, and wash in it, you will become the most enchanting maiden in the world.”
“Where shall I find it? I will give you any thing—any thing for this Elixir of Beauty.”
Then the witch told her, if she would promise to be her slave one day in every month, she would help her to procure the great treasure.
“I can buy the old woman off when I become the bride of the rich prince,” thought the young girl. So she promised, and the witch brought out a wrinkled yellow parchment, and wrote the contract. ”

“ How it had stolen into his heart like a real life, and still the señora, as all about the house called her, said it was only a bewildering dream.
Into his eyes he would often look, saying, “Those are Paul’s eyes, but the red brows give a different expression to their sadness,” he would add, “No! no! they are not Paul’s eyes.”
Always the red hair, brown skin and sorrowful [Pg 177] heart, “I must be only poor Crimson Tuft.”
Very often his hungry heart would cry out, “Oh, mother! mother!”
Too often the shrill voice of the old woman would be the discordant answer, sending him to some new task. ”

“ I have looked carefully about, and can see no one but you—you, whom I have trained, educated, and cared for so many years. The world is so ungrateful and wicked! Even you, who owe every thing to me, might rob me—me, an old woman. ”

“ Then she told him how sometimes people were bewitched, and did not know themselves.
“Still, I am Paul, let me go.” At last the woman, losing all patience, called the dwarf to beat him, if he did not stop crying and begin to eat. So terror and hunger at last conquered, and the little boy, choking down his sobs, sat upon a stool in silence, to eat his supper, very desolate and leaden hearted. ”

“ Paul was too quick for her, and had it not been for the mother she would have fallen, in her eagerness to catch him.
“Never mind the child, my good woman,” said dame Waltenburger, gently, “we were all children once, now how can I serve you?”
“To be sure! we were all children once. Ah! me!
“Oh, no! I don’t mind the child, my little cup-bearer,” and the old woman drew her wizen face into a hundred wrinkles, and began selecting a large quantity of fruits, vegetables and herbs, far more than she could carry.
“Is it far you have to go?” said the mother.
Crimson Tuft. ”

“ After a few years he emigrated to America, and settled at the Mission of San Gabriel—near the town of Los Angeles.
There he prospered greatly, his cattle increased to great herds, covering the green hill-sides, and his vineyard was the pride of his heart. He built a pleasant house, and surrounded it with a garden filled [Pg 210] with all kinds of fruit. In that delicious climate, fruits of the tropic and temperate zones grow together; while the white flowers of the North, and their crimson-hued sisters of the South, blossom side by side. ”

“ I will never forget to bless the good God. It is so delightful to make mamma and every one happy.”
“This box,” said the old man, “is full of sunshine; I will give it you for the mother.”
“Let me kiss you, dear magician,” said the child, gently; “I always love anybody who is kind to poor mamma.”
The old man took the little one in his arms, and kissed her fondly, saying, “God bless you, darling; God bless you!” [Pg 113] Then he went away, to be her life-long friend.
“I am so happy, I can not keep still, Dolladine,” said the child; and she danced about till the mother came in, weary and worn. ”

“ Only one day’s journey from here are the great mines, and even on the ground you can pick up quite large nuggets of almost pure gold; but every hour you stay here your life is in danger, and you must live to be happy.
“There are places in the Arizona country where the ground is yellow with gold. The Indians care little for it, but you could never go there and return alive. At every step your way would be beset with a more deadly foe than the hunger and thirst of the desert. ”

“ Then the prince went out himself, and a great search was made all over the grounds of the castle, but not a human being could be found. Still, everywhere the voices could be heard, and the snow-flakes thickened, till at last the search was given up.
“It is the work of magic and evil,” said the consul and all his friends; but the prince offered a great reward to any one who would find the beautiful Golden Snow, and all the guests were invited to return in one week’s time. ”

“ One might as well be a puny poodle, and sit by the parlor fire,” and he gave an ugly bark, “bow, wow, wow! one should have an object in life.”
Just then he heard a low moan, and looking round, he saw a poor lame dog, very thin and sick, lying down in the mud, and ready to die of hunger.
It was really quite wretched, and all the great dog’s sympathies were aroused. “There is an object, to be sure,” he said. “It is Christmas eve, and the good Santa Claus has taken pity on me, and given me this poor fellow, who needs me as much as I do him. ”

“ The woman stood over him, chuckling in great glee. “I have you now, my pretty cup-bearer, and will make you of great use to me. I will teach you a thousand things you would be glad not to know! You shall have a crimson tuft, ha! ha! ha! I will teach you to be impertinent to me! My hooked nose! to be sure. Ah! I am [Pg 169] old! old! and nothing can make me young and fair. If I could only take for myself your young beauty! But, no! one day I must die, and that will be the end.” ”

“ It was very sad to see the little pale-faced child looking after the paupers’ cart, driven so roughly over the frozen ground, and the kind-hearted neighbors had pitied her, and, though they were poor lace-makers like the mother, they had given her food with their sympathy, and promised to help her on with the trade.
They were true-hearted, honest folk, but [Pg 15] somehow in this joyous Christmas season they had all forgotten her, and, far up in the dreary attic-chamber of the old tenement-house, she looked out into the night and storm alone. ”

“ Very softly the boy rose and went for the shawl, but the old Indian cook, who had lived in the family before he was born, and loved the children dearly, saw him and gave him some tortillas.
“The old wizzen witch, to treat the real señora’s children so!” said the woman, angrily. “She, the señora, to be sure! A cane hut in the chaparral would be good enough for her.”
[Pg 136] “Good-bye, mammie,” said the boy, throwing his arms around the old Indian’s neck; “we are going away to seek our fortune, and when I am a man, you shall live with us. But do not follow us now, or she will see you. ”

“ At last, when men came to take the poor little thing away to the paupers’ burying-ground, the good mother of the house said, “No, do not take her away, I entreat you.”
Then she folded the child in her arms, kissing her pale cheeks and golden hair, saying, “I will see to it. The good Lord led her to my door, and, though it is late, I will do all there is left me. ”

“ They buried her in the shadow of the deep cañon, and the children were left alone. The kind Indian came every day to the cottage to look after them, bringing always a bag of tortillas and fruits.
One morning, about a week after the death of the step-mother, he found Catrina and Gracia just leaving the cottage. As he gave Catrina the tortillas she shook his hand long and kindly, and the tears glistened in her eyes, but she could not speak to tell him she was going away, never to rest, until she had led Gracia back to her home. ”