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. 



