remember the alamo-第6章

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of　some　fine　horses；　and　sell　them　well　for　him　in　San
Antonio。　　When　a　man　does　us　a　kindness；　we　should　say　thank
you。〃

〃That　is　truth；　if　the　man　is　not　the　Evil　One。　　As　for　this
Sam　Houston；　you　should　have　heard　what　was　said　of　him　at　the
Valdez's。〃

〃I　did　hear。　　Everything　was　a　lie。〃

〃But　he　is　a　very　common　man。〃

〃Maria；　do　you　call　a　soldier；　a　lawyer；　a　member　of　the
United　States　Congress；　a　governor　of　a　great　State　like
Tennessee；　a　common　man？　　Houston　has　been　all　of　these
things。〃

〃It　is；　however；　true　that　he　has　lived　with　Indians；　and　with
those　Americans；　who　are　bad；　who　have　no　God；　who　are
infidels；　and　perhaps　even　cannibals。　　If　he　is　a　good
man；　why　does　he　live　with　bad　men？　　Not　even　the　saints　could
do　that。　　A　good　man　should　be　in　his　home。　　Why　does　he　not
stay　at　home。〃

〃Alas！　Maria；　that　is　a　woman's　fault。　　He　loved　a　beautiful
girl。　　He　married　her。　　My　dear　one；　she　did　not　bless　his
life　as　you　have　blessed　mine。　　No　one　knows　what　his　sorrow
was；　for　he　told　no　one。　　And　he　never　blamed　her；　only　he
left　his　high　office　and　turned　his　back　forever　on　his　home。〃

〃Ah！　the　cruel　woman。　　Holy　Virgin；　what　hard　hearts　thou　hast
to　pray　for！〃

〃Come　down　and　smile　upon　him；　Maria。　　I　should　like　him　to
see　a　high…born　Mexican　lady。　　Are　they　not　the　kindest　and
fairest　among　all　God's　women？　　I　know；　at　least；　Maria；　that
you　are　kind　and　fair〃；　and　he　took　her　hands；　and　drew　her
within　his　embrace。

What　good　wife　can　resist　her　husband's　wooing？　　Maria　did
not。　　She　lifted　her　face；　her　eyes　shone　through　happy　tears；
she　whispered　softly：　　〃My　Robert；　it　is　a　joy　to　please　you。　
I　will　be　kind；　I　will　be　grateful　about　Thomas。　　You
shall　see　that　I　will　make　a　pleasant　evening。〃

So　the　triumphant　husband　went　down；　proud　and　happy；　with　his
smiling　wife　upon　his　arm。　　Isabel　was　already　in　the　room。　
She　also　wore　a　white　frock；　but　her　hair　was　pinned　back　with
gold　butterflies；　and　she　had　a　beautiful　golden　necklace
around　her　throat。　　And　the　Senora　kept　her　word。　　She　paid
her　guest　great　attention。　　She　talked　to　him　of　his
adventures　with　the　Indians。　　She　requested　her　daughters　to
sing　to　him。　　She　told　him　stories　of　the　old　Castilian
families　with　which　she　was　connected；　and　described　her　visit
to　New　Orleans　with　a　great　deal　of　pleasant　humor。　　She　felt
that　she　was　doing　herself　justice；　that　she　was　charming；
and；　consequently；　she　also　was　charmed　with　the　guest　and　the
occasion　which　had　been　so　favorable　to　her。

After　the　ladies　had　retired；　the　doctor　led　his　visitor　into
his　study。　　He　sat　down　silently　and　placed　a　chair　for
Houston。　　Both　men　hesitated　for　a　moment　to　open　the
conversation。　　Worth；　because　he　was　treading　on　unknown
ground；　Houston；　because　he　did　not　wish　to　force；　even　by
a　question；　a　resolution　which　he　felt　sure　would　come
voluntarily。

The　jar　of　tobacco　stood　between　them；　and　they　filled　their
pipes　silently。　　Then　Worth　laid　a　letter　upon　the　table；　and
said：　　〃I　unstand｛sic｝　from　this；　that　my　son　Thomas　thinks
the　time　has　come　for　decisive　action。〃

〃Thomas　Worth　is　right。　　With　such　souls　as　his　the　foundation
of　the　state　must　be　laid。〃

〃I　am　glad　Thomas　has　taken　the　position　he　has；　but　you　must
remember；　sir；　that　he　is　unmarried　and　unembarrassed　by　many
circumstances　which　render　decisive　movement　on　my　part　a　much
more　difficult　thing。　　Yet　no　man　now　living　has　watched　the
Americanizing　of　Texas　with　the　interest　that　I　have。〃

〃You　have　been　long　on　the　watch；　sir。〃

〃I　was　here　when　my　countrymen　came　first；　in　little　companies
of　five　or　ten　men。　　I　saw　the　party　of　twenty；　who　joined　the
priest　Hidalgo　in　eighteen　hundred　and　ten；　when　Mexico　made
her　first　attempt　to　throw　off　the　Spanish　yoke。〃

〃An　unsuccessful　attempt。〃

〃Yes。　　The　next　year　I　made　a　pretended　professional　journey
to　Chihuahua；　to　try　and　save　their　lives。　　I　failed。　
They　were　shot　with　Hidalgo　there。〃

〃Yet　the　strife　for　liberty　went　on。〃

〃It　did。　　Two　years　afterwards；　Magee　and　Bernardo；　with
twelve　hundred　Americans；　raised　the　standard　of　independence
on　the　Trinity　River。　　I　saw　them　them｛sic｝　take　this　very
city；　though　it　was　ably　defended　by　Salcedo。　　They　fought
like　heroes。　　I　had　many　of　the　wounded　in　my　house。　　I
succored　them　with　my　purse。

〃It　was　a　great　deed　for　a　handful　of　men。〃

〃The　fame　of　it　brought　young　Americans　by　hundreds　here。　　To
a　man　they　joined　the　Mexican　party　struggling　to　free
themselves　from　the　tyranny　of　old　Spain。　　I　do　not　think　any
one　of　them　received　money。　　The　love　of　freedom　and　the　love
of　adventure　were　alike　their　motive　and　their　reward。〃

〃Mexico　owed　these　men　a　debt　she　has　forgotten。〃

〃She　forgot　it　very　quickly。　　In　the　following　year；　though
they　had　again　defended　San　Antonio　against　the　Spaniards；　the
Mexicans　drove　all　the　Americans　out　of　the　city　their　rifles
had　saved。〃

〃You　were　here；　tell　me　the　true　reason。〃

〃It　was　not　altogether　ingratitude。　　It　was　the　instinct　of
self…preservation。　　The　very　bravery　of　the　Americans　made　the
men　whom　they　had　defended　hate　and　fear　them；　and　there　was
a　continual　influx　of　young　men　from　the　States。　　The　Mexicans
said　to　each　other：　　‘There　is　no　end　to　these　Americans。　
Very　soon　they　will　make　a　quarrel　and　turn　their　arms　against
us。　　They　do　not　conform　to　our　customs；　and　they　will　not
take　an　order　from　any　officer　but　their　own。'〃

Houston　smiled。　　〃It　is　away　the　Saxon　race　has；〃　he　said。　
〃The　old　Britons　made　the　same　complaint　of　them。　　They　went
first　to　England　to　help　the　Britons　fight　the　Romans；　and
they　liked　the　country　so　well；　they　determined　to　stay　there。　
If　I　remember　rightly　the　old　Britons　had　to　let　them　do　so。〃

〃It　is　an　old　political　situation。　　You　can　go　back　to　Genesis
and　find　Pharaoh　arguing　about　the　Jews　in　the　same　manner。〃

〃What　happened　after　this　forcible　expulsion　of　the　American
element　from　Texas？〃

〃Mexican　independence　was　for　a　time　abandoned；　and　the
Spanish　viceroys　were　more　tyrannical　than　ever。　　But
Americans　still　came；　though　they　pursued　different　tactics。　
They　bought　land　and　settled　on　the　great　rivers。　　In　eighteen
twenty…one；　Austin；　with　the　permission　of　the　Spanish　viceroy
in　Mexico；　introduced　three　hundred　families。〃

〃That　was　a　step　in　the　right　direction；　but　I　am　astonished
the　viceroy　sanctioned　it。〃

〃Apodoca；　who　was　then　viceroy；　was　a　Spaniard　of　the　proudest
type。　　He　had　very　much　the　same　contempt　for　the　Mexicans
that　an　old　English　viceroy　in　New　York　had　for　the　colonists
he　was　sent　to　govern。　　I　dare　say　any　of　them　would　have
permitted　three　hundred　German　families　to　settle　in　some　part
of　British　America；　as　far　from　New　York　as　Texas　is　from
Mexico。　　I　do　not　need　to　tell　you　that　Austin's　colonists　are
a　band　of　choice　spirits；　hardy　working　men；　trained　in　the
district　schools　of　New　England　and　New　Yorknearly　every　one
of　them　a　farmer　or　mechanic。〃

〃They　were　the　very　material　liberty　needed。　　They　have　made
homes。〃

〃That　is　the　truth。　　The　fighters　who　preceded　them　owned
nothing　but　their　horses　and　their　rifles。　　But　these　men
brought　with　them　their　wives　and　their　children；　their
civilization；　their　inborn　love　of　freedom　and　national　faith。　
They　accepted　the　guarantee　of　the　Spanish　government；　and
they　expected　the　Spanish　government　to　keep　its　promises。〃

〃It　did　not。〃

〃It　had　no　opportunity。　　The　colonists　were　hardly　settled
when　the　standard　of　revolt　against　Spain　was　again　raised。　
Santa　Anna　took　the　field　for　a　republican　form　of　government；
and　once　more　a　body　of　Americans；　under　the　Tennesseean；
Long；　joined　the　Mexican　army。〃

〃I　remember　that；　well。〃

〃In　eighteen　twenty…four；　Santa　Anna；　Victoria　and　Bravo　drove
the　Spaniards　forever　from　Mexico；　and　then　they　promulgated
the　famous　constitution　of　eighteen　twenty…four。　　It　was　a
noble　constitution；　purely　democratic　and　federal；　and　the
Texan　colonists　to　a　man　gladly　swore　to　obey　it。　　The　form
was　altogether　elective；　and　what　particularly　pleased　the
American　element　was　the　fact　that　the