Page 19 - ramona-text

R A M O N A 1 i
mother; "and I do not call it being proud, only grateful to
God for having given me a son wise enough to take his
father's place, and guide and protect me through the few
remaining years I have to live. I shall die content, seeing you
at the head of the estate, and living as a Mexican genllem.an
should; that is, so far as now remains possible in this un-
fortunate country. But about the sheep-shearing, Felipe. Do
you wish to have it begun before the Father is here? Of
course, Alessandro is all ready with his band. It is but two
days' journey for a messenger to bring him. Father Sal-
vierderra cannot be here before the 10th of the month. He
leaves Santa Barbara on the 1st, and he will walk all the
way,—a good six days' journey, for he is old now and
feeble; then he must stop in Ventura for a Sunday, and a day
at the Ortega's ranch, and at the Lopez's,—there, there is a
christening. Yes, the 10th is the very earliest that he can be
here,—near two weeks from now. So far as your getting up is
concerned, it might perhaps be next week. You will be nearly
well by that time."
"Yes, indeed," laughed Felipe, stretching himself out in
the bed and giving a kick to the bedclothes that made the
high bedposts and the fringed canopy roof shake and creak;
"I am well now, if it were not for this cursed weakness when
I stand on my feet. I believe it would do me good to get
out of doors."
In truth, Felipe had been hankering for the sheep-shearing
himself. It was a brisk, busy, holiday sort of time to him,
hard as he worked in it; and two weeks looked long to
wait.
"It is always thus after a fever," said his mother. "The
weakness lasts many weeks. I am not sure that you will be
strong enough even in two weeks to do the packing; but, as
Juan Can said this morning, he stood at the packing-bag
when you were a boy, and there was no need of waiting for
you for that!"
"He said that, did he!" exclaimed Felipe, wrathfully. "The
old man is getting insolent. I'll tell him that nobody will
pack the sacks but myself, while I am master here; and I will
have the sheep-shearing when I please, and not before"