Unofficial letters of an official's wife [by] Edith Moses.

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

caressing his fighting cock, wore a pair of Prussian
blue velvet slippers and a big double hibiscus over
his ear. We saw women spinning thread on the
square, uncovered veranda which is a characteristic
feature of the houses in this region. Through the
windows we saw old women at looms, and several
front yards were gay with long pieces of freshly
dyed pink and red cloth drying on stretchers.
Every moment there was something new to delight the eye. Our road ascended about five hundred feet between Batangas and Cuenca, and we
were surprised to find what a difference there was
in the climate of the two places. Cuenca at ten
o'clock with the sun shining was cool and breezy.
We found our horses saddled and waiting, the
mules ready to be loaded with the luncheon and a
dozen young soldiers prepared for a picnic. It was
my second attempt to ride an American horse, and
I know an elephant could not seem higher than the
big cavalry horse assigned to me. I thought I could
never get up my courage to mount the first day, but
yesterday I did not mind so much and I had a better
horse. We "hiked " up hills, through tall grass,
down deep ravines, over gullies, and yet I am here
to tell the tale, and am ready to do it all over again
to-morrow. General Bell always avoids a trail that
he has once been over and strikes off at right angles
whenever he comes to a well-beaten path, so I know
we did not take easy trails yesterday. In fact, the
333