Coffee and a Love Affair; An American Girl's Romance on a Coffee Plantation

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1908. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... way before. When an Englishman is nice, he is very nice indeed, but when he is rude he is so horrid that he makes the average American ashamed of his ancestors. Another guest was expected by us a few days ago, but just as he was about to leave Santa Marta the Government demanded his horse for the use of some officer, and now he is waiting with what patience he can for the animal to be returned. Up here we seem far away from the war, but it is going right on with no signs of an end. To-day a mozo brought up the news of four hundred liberals in Bonda, and consequent alarm and excitement in Santa Marta, only five miles away. I am glad my trunks are at the consulate! The Government is seizing every man it can lay its hands on, so that it is not safe to send arrieros down. Already one of our mozos has been taken. An evening or two ago a small force of armed men came from Santa Marta up the valley, seizing men and mules as they could catch them. Sixteen mules and some men were taken from our nearest neighbors, on an English plantation, three miles below us. A mozo who escaped brought the alarm up to us, and our men flew to the mountains, to spend the night in the woods. All our mules were hidden, so that by the time the "commission" reached here, as far as we were concerned there was not a mozo nor a mule in the world. Mr. Martin says he has enough provisions here on the finca (plantation) to last three months, in case we should be absolutely unable to keep up communication with the coast. I believe my chief thought in such an event would be--mail. The banana boat comes to Santa Marta every fourteen days, so that the time is divided into mail week and no mail week. However, it will always be safe for Mr. Martin himself to go down--the Government can hardly impress an ...