ing grief, as though it were all driven back on the heart; then sobs, sighs, silence. Accompanying the mournful song of human agony, a mother's heart-breakings, with "pobrecita mia!" the perpetual refrain, I heard a solemn voice that was deep and mellow, with rich, persuasive inflections, half barbaric, but full of music, that seemed to charm away the wild grief that was welling up from her soul. The sobs ceased, the sighs were hushed, the consoling voice was silent. I looked in through the open portal and saw a touching life-scene—a tableau. An aged cura, clad in sweeping black gown, his long white locks streaming over his shoulders, stood with feeble, trembling, uplifted hand, his voice mute, his heart in prayer. Slowly his hand descended with the gentlest touch upon the bowed head of a poor, weeping Indian woman, kneeling at his feet, holding in her arms, hugged to her bosom, her dead baby.
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Leaving Toluca to visit Morelia, the country presents the same aspect as seen elsewhere. Here and there rocky plains and sterile spots are guarded by glistening church towers, leaning against mountains covered with dark pines. Again, green fields and pastures, untold acres of alfalfa, wheat, and other cereals, inform us of a climatic change and a more favored condition of the soil.
To the end of our journey we have constantly in view the Nevado de Toluca, and are also haunted by a small river which follows us uninterruptedly, and is known as the Rio Lerma. Near Toluca there is a lake of the same name. The Lerma River, while at first appearing so insignificant, assumes in its course an important position, in the hydrography of a scantily watered country. It increases in size and volume as it flows through the States of Guanajuato, Mexico, and Michoacan de Ocampo—even passing through Lake Chalapa, and at last finds a suitable outlet in the waters of the great Pacific. On its long and tortuous course it changes its name several times—a custom not uncommon with Mexican streams.
At Flor de Maria there is a solitary station, with an excellent eating-house, connected with the railway. We pass near the rich
