170 TEXAS AND ARIZONA 



In the city one finds them at every corner selling 

 peculiar-looking confections. Whether one likes 

 their wares or not, and for myself, I must con- 

 fess that "my own particular lip" has not yet 

 made up its mind to try the experiment, their 

 presence gives one an agreeable sense of being 

 far from home. Two days ago I was wander- 

 ing about San Pedro Park at noon, and noticed 

 for the first time a few butterflies on the wing. 

 Most of them were much like our common yellow 

 one, evidently some species of Colias, but 

 by and by I noticed a dark one, showing a touch 

 of red as it flew. I took chase, and came up with 

 it just as it dropped to rest directly in front of 

 two Mexicans seated upon the grass. I stepped 

 near to see it (a common red admiral, for aught 

 I could discover), and perceiving that the men 

 were inquisitive, I pointed to it with my finger. 

 One of them imitated the gesture, as much as to 

 say " That, do you mean ? " I nodded, and he 

 said, with a smile, " Mariposa." " Yes," said I, 

 " a butterfly." That was beyond him, and he re- 

 peated his incomparably prettier word, " mari- 

 posa" "Very good," said I to myself, " I am glad 

 to find that I understand Spanish when I hear it 

 spoken ! " A solitary traveler, of all men, should 

 know how to amuse himself with trifles. 



