La Navidad en las Montanas

La Navidad en las Montanas

Project Gutenberg's La Navidad en las Montanas, by Ignacio Manuel
Altamirano This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost
and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it
away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License
included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net
Title: La Navidad en las Montanas
Author: Ignacio Manuel Altamirano
Release Date: January 25, 2004 [EBook #10825]
Language: Spanish
Character set encoding: ISO Latin-1
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LA
NAVIDAD EN LAS MONTANAS ***

Produced by Stan Goodman, DP Spanish, Miranda van de Heijning,
Paz Barrios and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team.

[Bold text is marked with /# ... #/]

[Illustration: IGNACIO M. ALTAMIRANO]
LA NAVIDAD EN LAS MONTAÑAS

A SPANISH AMERICAN STORY
BY
IGNACIO MANUEL ALTAMIRANO
_WITH INTRODUCTION, NOTES, AND VOCABULARY_
BY
EDITH A. HILL
UNIVERSITY OF REDLANDS
AND
MARY JOY LOMBARD
HIGH SCHOOL, REDLANDS, CAL.
1917

PREFACE

As the author himself says in his Dedicatoria, a picture of Mexican life
is here offered, not as seen in large cities, which are much the same all
the world over, but in remote rural districts, "en las montañas." The tale
is idyllic, but in spite of its romantic spirit it presents a vivid picture of
rural life in Mexico.
The text of this story is taken from the Fifth Edition, in the Biblioteca
de la Europa y América, Paris, 1891.
E.A.H.
M.J.L.

INTRODUCTION

The following is quoted from Modern Mexican Authors, by Frederick
Starr.[1]
"No one who knows not the Mexican Indian village can appreciate the
heroism of the man, who, born of Indian parents, in such surroundings
attains to eminence in the nation. It is true that the Aztec mind is keen,
quick, receptive; true that the poorest Indian of that tribe delights in
things of beauty; true that the proverb and pithy saying in their
language show a philosophic perception. But after all this is admitted,
the horizon of the Indian village is narrow; there are few motives to
inspiration; life is hard and monotonous. It must indeed be a divine

spark that drives an Aztec village boy to rise above his surroundings, to
gain wide outlook, to achieve notable things.
"Ignacio M. Altamirano, a pure Aztec Indian, was born at Tixtla, State
of Guerrero, December 12, 1834. The first fourteen years of his life
were the same as those of every Indian boy in Mexico; he learned the
Christian Doctrine and helped his parents in the field. Entering the
village school, he excelled, and was sent at public expense in 1849 to
Toluca to study at the Instituto Literario. From that time on his life was
mainly literary,--devoted to learning, to instructing, and to writing.
From Toluca he went to the city of Mexico, where he entered the
Colegio de San Juan Letran. In 1854 he participated in the Revolution.
From that date his political writings were important. Ever a Liberal of
the Liberals, he figured in the stirring events of the War of the Reform,
and in 1861 was in Congress. When aroused he was a speaker of power;
his address against the Law of Amnesty was terrific. Partner with
Juarez in the difficulties under Maximilian, he was also partner in the
glory of the re-established Republic. From then, as journalist, teacher,
encourager of public education, and man of letters, his life passed
usefully until 1889, when he was sent as Consul-General of the
Republic to Spain. His health failing there, he was transferred to the
corresponding appointment at Paris. He died February 13, 1893, at San
Remo. His illness was chiefly nostalgia, longing for that Mexico he
loved so much and served so well.
"Altamirano was honored and loved by men of letters of both political
parties. His honesty, independence, strength, and marvelous gentleness
bound his friends firmly to him. He loved the young, and ever
encouraged those rising authors who form to-day the literary body of
Mexico. He ever urged the development of a national, a characteristic
literature, and pleaded for the utilization of national material."

[Footnote 1: Published by The Open Court Publishing Co., Chicago,
1904.]

DEDICATORIA A FRANCISCO SOSA
A Vd., mi querido amigo, a Vd. que hace justamente veinte años, en
este mes de Diciembre, casi me secuestró, por espacio de tres días, a fin
de que escribiera esta novela, se la dediqué, cuando se publicó por

primera vez en México.
Recuerdo bien que deseando Vd. que saliese algo mío en "_El Álbum_"
de Navidad que se imprimía, merced a los esfuerzos de Vd., en el
folletín de "_La Iberia_" periódico que dirigía nuestro inolvidable
amigo Anselmo de la Portilla, me invitó para que escribiera un cuadro
de costumbres mexicanas; prometí