Manuel, who knew that the showy thing was
worthless, tried to picture how a fine-looking boy like Arturo would
appear with so gorgeous an ornament. The younger boys listened
enviously, and Arturo's Spanish love of display began to glow. Yet
he was cautious enough to put off Manuel till the next day. Arturo
went away, leaving the younger boys gazing enviously after him. His
pride was flattered.
As Arturo came into the little yard that was about his humble home,
he heard tia Marta singing. Arturo always dreaded to hear her sing,
because then he was sure that some calamity had occurred. Tia Marta
fully believed in the Spanish saying, "He who sings frightens away
his ills."
It was as Arturo thought. Tia Marta had failed to get the day's
washing she had expected to have. This seemed very unfortunate, for
there was but little in the house to eat. Beans, one of the main
staples of food among the Mexicans, were almost gone from the
household supplies, and there was no money to buy more. Tia Marta
had cooked the last of the beans for supper. The uncle and aunt gave
fully half the beans to Arturo, and, being hungry, he ate them. Tia
Marta ate little, and urged the rest of the beans on tio Diego.
After supper, the aunt repeated with devout cheerfulness those
Spanish sayings, "God sends the sore, and knows the medicine," and
"God sends the cold according to our rags.
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