A Cuban Romance

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 290, 15 August 1888, Page 5

A Cuban Romance

Wk asked the Cuban to tell us something about a warmer climate for a change' Senov R'imcri/i thought a memenb, and then related the following- incident : — ' I am a Cuban and 1 love' Cuba, yet the extrcmo heat of some months each year is unbearable. You remember the cnliancc to Havana Harbour is guided by Morro Castlu. The gairison numbers about 200 men. Three years ago lost June the tempciaturoio.se beyond all previous lccoids, and the suffering was intense. The authoiitica weie dioading tho possible invasion of Cuba's deadliest scourge —yellow fever. News camo to the city of the bioaking out of the fever at the castle. Immediately steps wcio taken for the complete isolation ot tho foi t. No boats were allowed to land from the infected locality, and none wcio brave enough to venture the casting of their lot with the garii-,on. The heat waxed in intensity a.s tho days went by. Long had the distress .signal wa\ed horn the ioit flagstaff. The inmates wcic known to be dying by the score and in need of medicines and supplies of all kinde, yot in all Jlavana not one hcait seemed btave onough to make the vcnluic of relief, which so surely seemed certain death. Each morning 'crowds gatheiod on the piers, and gazed boirowlully across the wateis to the fated island. At sunset each day we watched the gates open, and funeral corteges wind their way down iho hill to the little garrison eometeiy. We listened foi the volleys of salute, tlieir number denoting how many biave fellow^ had succumbed that day. One morning theelimav appeared tv be icached. The bun's, lays taiily penetrate one's clothing, and scorched the skin beneath. No air was stirring, and the water looked like hot and burnished stoel. All lla\ana was. gathoed near the shore, watching anew the tatal '-pot where follow human being.-, wero bravely dying, yet ga\ ono sign. As we apathetically qa r '.cd acioi-s tho water, for the lii-t time in three long weeks a boat shot foith fiom the f)iei ot Havana. It was loaded to the gunwales with pro\ibions and medicines/ and none in that eiow\l needed to bo told it? destination Our oyo<« then sought the guider of that little ciaft, and, to our horioi, wo t-aw the solo occupant was a woman. Many a blush burned red on heated checks that moment. Then a universal shout of protest came— too late. Our co waul heats, shamed by that bra\e woman's ieailess act, awakened us to oiler as \oluntceis. She paused an instant from her rowingandeilencedourmunriiuingswith tho wave of her small hand. 'i am alone ' she said ; ' from Havana not one legiet w ill tollow me. 'Tib better thac I should go than a lite upon whose ttnuie hang.s (he late ot otheis\ d'ood-bye.' We stood silent a moment after the clear \oicc ceased, and then a mighty loar ot 'ldimration and adieu went ioith. She bowed her head — we noticed now how young and bc.uititul | she was— then silently bent to the oai=, and under that bla/ing sun rowed itiaij;ht into the jaws of death. We strained our eyes ucioss the wa'ci ; watched her strokes giow slower and slower as the aw ful heat sipped her very life, and finally pause exhausted between Ca-tle Monoa wall?. Those faithful souls, bia\e and constant to the last, lcfuscd admission, though we could feel the hunger and longing expressed in their long-«uflering eyoo. At length faint icsistanco ceased — they eaqcily came down to the welcome boat — fairly lifted their angel ot meicy on waiting shouldeis and, followed by otheisbeai ing the medicine to which many poor fellows will owo their lives aie lost to our \iew within the castle walls.' The Cuban paused. The air of the little Lootn seemed heavy and hot, so thoroughly had we entered into the spnit of the stray. The scnoi'b two auditois felt the awfu ■-uflocation his bia\o senoiita sufTcied We asked if that pectless saciilicc ically culminated in her death. ' Well, there's not much moie to fell. The iitst effect we noted -was the reduction in tho number of salutes over tho soldieis'giavee. Then, one blessed morning, when a bicc/e all but cool came .stiaight fiom your northland, thedisticss signal was hauled down, and again the Royal Hag of .Spain floated proudly tiom the battlements, denoting all was well within. Instantly b^ie bay was dotted wilh boatfl. We (locked to the castle, and exchanged eontriatulalions w ith the Ooa ernoi and iii? sadly decimated gairison. We learned that undoubtedly not a life would have been piescived had it not been for the biave maiden's timely succour. Now. theie, gentlemen, i's an incident ol a land of heat.' •Yes; what became of the girl?' an\iouslj inquiied tho Long Islandci. 'She is tho i happy wife ot tho ("Governor of the castle, and is the idol of all Ka\ana.'— ' Naslnille American.' \