Comic History of the United States | Page 2

THE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA.
It was a beautiful evening at the close of a warm, luscious day in old
Spain. It was such an evening as one would select for trysting purposes.
The honeysuckle gave out the sweet announcement of its arrival on the
summer breeze, and the bulbul sang in the dark vistas of
olive-trees,--sang of his love and his hope, and of the victory he
anticipated in the morrow's bulbul-fight, and the plaudits of the royal
couple who would be there. The pink west paled away to the touch of
twilight, and the soft zenith was sown with stars coming like celestial
fire-flies on the breast of a mighty meadow.
Across the dusk, with bowed head, came a woman. Her air was one of
proud humility. It was the air of royalty in the presence of an overruling
power. It was Isabella. She was on her way to confession. She carried a
large, beautifully-bound volume containing a memorandum of her sins
for the day. Ever and anon she would refer to it, but the twilight had
come on so fast that she could not read it.

[Illustration: ISABELLA AT CONFESSIONAL.]
Reaching the confessional, she kneeled, and, by the aid of her notes,
she told off to the good Father and receptacle of the queen's trifling sins,
Fernando de Talavera, how wicked she had been. When it was over and
the queen had risen to go, Fernando came forth, and with a solemn
obeisance said,--
"May it please your Majesty, I have to-day received a letter from my
good friend the prior of the Franciscan convent of St. Mary's of Rabida
in Andalusia. With your Majesty's permission, I will read it to you."
"Proceed," exclaimed Isabella, gravely, taking a piece of crochet-work
from her apron and seating herself comfortably near the dim light.
"It is dated the sixth month and tenth day of the month, and reads as
follows:
"DEAR BROTHER:
"This letter will be conveyed unto your hands by the bearer hereof. His
name is Christopher Columbus, a native of Genoa, who has been living
on me for two years. But he is a good man, devout and honest. He is
willing to work, but I have nothing to do in his line. Times, as you
know, are dull, and in his own profession nothing seems to be doing.
"He is by profession a discoverer. He has been successful in the work
where he has had opportunities, and there has been no complaint so far
on the part of those who have employed him. Everything he has ever
discovered has remained that way, so he is willing to let his work show
for itself.
"Should you be able to bring this to the notice of her Majesty, who is
tender of heart, I would be most glad; and should her most gracious
Majesty have any discovering to be done, or should she contemplate a
change or desire to substitute another in the place of the present
discoverer, she will do well to consider the qualifications of my friend.

"Very sincerely and fraternally thine,
"Etc., etc."
The queen inquired still further regarding Columbus, and, taking the
letter, asked Talavera to send him to the royal sitting-room at ten
o'clock the following day.
When Columbus arose the next morning he found a note from the royal
confessor, and, without waiting for breakfast, for he had almost
overcome the habit of eating, he reversed his cuffs, and, taking a fresh
handkerchief from his valise and putting it in his pocket so that the
corners would coyly stick out a little, he was soon on his way to the
palace. He carried also a small globe wrapped up in a newspaper.
The interview was encouraging until the matter of money necessary for
the trip was touched upon. His Majesty was called in, and spoke sadly
of the public surplus. He said that there were one hundred dollars still
due on his own salary, and the palace had not been painted for eight
years. He had taken orders on the store till he was tired of it. "Our meat
bill," said he, taking off his crown and mashing a hornet on the wall, "is
sixty days overdue. We owe the hired girl for three weeks; and how are
we going to get funds enough to do any discovering, when you
remember that we have got to pay for an extra session this fall for the
purpose of making money plenty?"
[Illustration: COLUMBUS AT COURT.]
But Isabella came and sat by him in her winning way, and with the
moistened corner of her handkerchief removed a spot of maple syrup
from the ermine trimming of his reigning gown. She patted his hand,
and, with her gentle voice, cheered him and told him that if he would