PORTUGUESE SHORT STORIES171 our nde8 oj ahort "tone.< of the MIions we prM8nt thi-8 momh two examples

oj modern Porl'l{JtlUe liurolure. We have dIOse II Iwe two ill order 10 give our rem/eraa yli"'plte of mor tltall olle altJH!d of Porh'1luue wriling.

Dr. Julio Dlw/ol!, fIIo..1 pop,dor oj no.~liHU mid 1)/aywriyl"8 in Portugaltoday. rOIllP" Jr(ll/l the fi'rrm:/t. llchool oj litcTrlI'lrc. Jill i8 un ",nob,~erllcd ob8erver ofI"m,,,,, Ii/e. HiN ..lyle i .• w.~y mid eJtf}lJ'ltI. hi8 pe" light, yet lIibr(ui'n.g WitJI emo/ion.

f'iallw d'Allllewa. flu. Oldlwr of tI,e stcOlul story, OIl tile other hand, "t.ads thePorl'l{/ue.<e 8cloool of rea.liRln. His 1M'ssion iN lite ~Ies" dissectwn of tAe 80ul oj10'1:8 p,'oplc. He ill tire more "notional" of lite Iwo aulhor8. and this story of I,u ill aIrllly Portugtlue product. full of the color, humor. and 11l0"e1IUl'nI of PortU(/tuJle life.

Tlte IrmullaliornJ were made by 1IIi-88 Maria da COl/ta RO'Jue. Ihe ollt},or oj"Timor 111111(,1"," wloich al)peared ill our illilue of Janllary 19-12.-K.Jl1.

DRAMA

By JULIO DANTAS

YESTERDAY after dinner, my friendDr. Torres, who has not. been inpracticl) for somo fiftecnyears and

whmw i'loLid. fair-haimcl good looks con­:-;titlltc l'vcn nuw the ohject of the luveof many a helLlItiful wuman. ~ank ontothe clIl'IhionR of my divlLn and said:

"1 am going to teU you a subtle taleof conscience. Life is infinitely colorful,my friend, I\ml Rituations of Rentimentare sometimes of such unexpectednes.''l, letrue tell you ... of such ridiculous un­ex 'Xlcwd ne.~s.

I WU:-I visited yesterday by a. man ofrefinod appearance who has been tryingfor some time to approach me. Ire­ceivod him with the polito rfJROrVe withwhich one rcct'i Vt'A a l'ltnLllgcr.

He was a tall man. fllegantI1IltI rather stj tT, wCl1ri ng hisclothes ill the i'll.une dry man­ner with which a military manweILl'S his civilian !'lUit. Hohad a beard (I lo UlI'i.~e, lL

noble profile, thick eyebrows.und IL good complexion. Whenhe talked. I noticed that heoxpressed himself with diffi­culty, that his lips trombled.Ilond that his facial mlll:!clesmoved in spasmodic con­tractionl'l. A grl\ve anxietyseemed to trouble this man,

outwardly 80 calm and expressionless. Idid my best to set him at ease andasked him whether I could be of anyassistance to him.

He took hold of himself at la'lt, re­moved his gloves. and wiped his foreheadwith a hnndkerchief. 'fhen, in a longha.1f hour, he told me the object of hisvisit. It concerncd a lady in his famiJy'I'hom, ho Raid, 1 would )JCrhaps not re­momber but who had beon my constantcompanion in childhood and who hadbeen educated at Aveiro in the DominicanConvent of Jesus. She was of greatbeauty and had married a year and ahali ago. She had had a difficult child·birth and suddenly. one day at her houseat PCdrogiLO, after a thunderstorm, she

hud her first attack of mad­ness. She was taken to Lisbon,H,nd the doctors were quickto recognize puerperal mania.The attacks, instead of im­pl'Oving, became worse everyday, a.nd soon it was im­posRible to calm her.

Much to the reluctance ofbel' fam.ily and bel' husband,she had to be put into a. strait­jacket. It was then, said myvisitor. whose ft\ce contractedat each word he said, itwas then that the sick

38 THE XXt.h CENTURY

woman started to pronounce a name.It was the name of a well-known man.The poor woman scemed to regain lucidmoments whenever she uttered that name.She smiled when people talked to herabout him. In her hallucinations shethought she heard his voice . . . .

From that moment the family and thedoctors realized that the name of thisperson, the sight of his picture, or thepromise of his visit, were the only meansto pacify her. Eventually her attacksbecame more violent. The amorous mys­ticism took the form of a dominatingpassion. She demanded the presence ofthe object of her mania. The doctorsarrived at the conclusion that that manalone could save her

'That man,' said the stranger, olaspinghis gloves tightly in his hands, 'that manis you, Dr. Torres.'

I started as if violently struck. Atthat moment the light falling on his headgave him the perturbing effect of a cer­tain portrait by Vermeer. Finally heaid, cutting the silence between us, his

voice sharp, expressionless, oold :'I came here to a k you the supreme

favor of going to see this lady. You arethe only person who can save her, forshe loves you more than anyone else in thewodd.' I got up, dazed, my eyes on him.

'And you?' I asked slowly, 'who areyou?'

'1 am her husband,' he answored."

A PROFITABLE VINTAGEBy FIALRO

CANELAS harvested hi grapes inSeptember immediately after thefirst drops of rain had fallon. It

was a late start, as many other wine­growers had already filled their wine­presse two w(,.oeks ago.

But the swnmer had been mild, andthe rainfall in winter scanty, conditionswell suited for cultivating grapes. It wasthis balanced and moderate climate whichmade the grapes glow' with luxuriantrichness. If luck favored him, he wouldma.ke quite a swn after the harva. t. Hewould be able to pay his debts a.nd stillhave for himself one or two barrels of wine.

D'ALMEIDA

,\ ith his wife, his son, and his donkey,Ca.nelas left home one fine morning forhis vineyards. On the way, they metother vintagers holding scythes; deeplytanned, muscular boys of the parish intheir gaiters, with rough felt hats shadingtheir faces; groups of girls with big, ardenteyes, and with baskets ha.nging at theirhips; old, bent farmers carrying sacks andwalking behind theu' lazy. hairy donkeys;heavy carts loaded with big baskets,plodding on, their wooden whe' Is rimmedwith steel polished by the sand ofthe path.

The fields were beginning to lose theirprolific fertility. Through the dark greenbranches of the vines, yellow fields ofdry corn stretched a.wa.y, with sheepgrazing calmly, tho bells around theirnecks tinkling now and then.

There were no bold deprossions 01'

Rharply cut mountains in that region.and the village pre ented a serene aspectmarked with gradual undulations. A

white, irregular conglomera­tion of little house nestledin the protecting care ofthe stu'roundings. Olivetrees, shining with a.n almostmetallic luster, formed abackground of Biblicalsadness.

PORTUGUESE SHORT STORIES 380

"IF only we could keep for o1ll'8elvesat loast one jar of wine this year!"said Canelas to his wife Luisa.

"Evon if we sold it later, it would giveus a profit equal to a pig of 126pounds."

The vintage lasted four days. It wasI\, profitable one. When it was all over,they gave a dinner to which their neigh­bor Monica, their son's cmnadre (god­mother) was invited.

"\\Then the time comes, you must tMtea little glass of our wine!" said Luisa toMonica, a sere figure of a widow, with asterile breast and a big greedy nose.Monica smiled broadly.

"Let us wait till the winter comes,"she said.

After that feast, the wmadre'8 affec­tion towards her godchild doubled. Shewould come every day to inquire abouther neighbor's health and about theirbarrel of "ine.

ONE Sunday, M Canclas left the housefor the market, Monica and Luisatasted their first glass of the red

wine. Good liquid, yes sirI It was sogood that, if it ran through the stones ofthe street, it would crack them! CararnbalHow about another glass1 Canelas wouldnot notice it .... One glass after anoth­er of the red liquid they drank, till,I:!atisfied, their noses and cheeks red, theysat nCl\r the fire, laughing and talkingloudly, rubbing their paunches and tellingeach other the latetlt scandals of the village.

\Vhon Christmas came, Canelas openedhis wine vat. Que diabol It was halfgone! He called Luisa.

"You know whatl Our wine has beenstolen!"

She W&8 flabbergasted.

"Holy name of Godl n. she wailed."ean you imagine suoh a misfortunet"

"You drank it!" Canel&8 accU8ed hiswife. She glared at him, and did not&D8wer. Canelas' angry countenanceohanged to an infuriated one.

"You sold it!" he shouted, his voiceharsh and threatening.

After a violent scene, Canelas went out.His wife went to the wmadre'a house. andrelated the whole tragedy.

Monica calmly removed her spectaclesand laid her knitting on the table.

"Dob't worry! This very night thewhole thing will be settled."

"But howl Good God, if he shouldfind outl"

"Tonight, you will see. Tonight."

CANELAS oame back for supper ill­ternpered and nervy. He kicked thedog Bedelho, the cat, and the basket

of "egetables by the fireside. "Thesedrunkards, sanlo Deus, these drunkards,"and he shook an angry finger at theinnocent smoked sausages hanging abovethe tire.

He had a sleepleslJ night, talking abouthis wine and cursing the hour he hadmarried. But he had never seen Luisatipsy. Perhaps. the vat had absorbedpart of the wine. . . . But so much! . . •No, impossible! Ten, eleven, twelveo'clock, and he was still tossing in bed.Suddenly he heard the sound of patteringfeet on the roof. He listened and oalledto his wife.

"Do yon hear?""Yell," she a.nswered, "witches!"They heard voices, faint at first, then

distinct and loud."Canelas! Canelas! .. said the weird

voices.Canelas started to recite his Credo,

stopped in the middle, stammering pain­fully. The witches went on.

390 THE XXth ENTUltV

"Shall we drink hi~ wine~ Ah! Ah!Ah! Shall we drink his wiJ\(1~"

Ganela..'i and hiB poor wife Luisa feltoold perspira.tion on th('ir foreheads."Our wine! So this is how-"

NEXT day, <U ,oon as ho l>IlW thfaintest Light on tho window, Canel~'got up tLnd W{'lIt to the fields.

\Vh n ho cUomo hack for lunch he WIJ8 a.changed man. He ca,reS8Cd Bedelho a.ndinquired whether his son had gone toschool. Luisa's pale faco touched him.

"What is the matter with you1""Nothing," she answored mortified.

··Nothing."Alter a short paullO he turned to her

again. "fR there anything .vou want?"he asked tenderly. "Just toll me."

"To tell the truth-onc or two fi"hfrom the river, they would t,l\st.c likeheaven "ith a drop of olivo oil."

He (Lid not hesitate for a second.• I shall go right now."Canelas whistled us he took his tishiJlg

basket and rod from tho wall."1 shall be back in no time ., ho !:laid

to Luisa cheerfully and went off.Luisa ran at ollce to Monica."Now! Let':! go!"

"Not yet," answercd the astutecomadre. "Lot's wlLit a fowminutes moro."

CANELAS. Rlone by th side of theri VOl'. looked fLround him and 8h v·01'(1<1. It war; a quiet. de rted

part of tho villl\~e. The beech trees hidin theil' hmneh( S Elccrets that he wouldnovol' l'Ioh-e. If tho witches know he WR.8

here! The rod shook in his hallC!. ud­de Illy ho heard voices.

"Cancla~!' ,

God! He poor(ld into tho waWr t.n;n r

d(l'pcrately to concontmte on hi!' H hing.

"Shall wo put needle in his kidney ?"

"No bis wife i praying for him!""Luisa is too good for him! He is

Sata,1l himself. • hall we drown him?".. 0, Lui. a is praying""Shall we br nk his jar of willo?"".Ah, nh nb. y In

Th WI' teh d an las lifted hi armto thl kies.

"What a calamity! My wondodulvinh.o tilltol"

L&ter on, Luisa, praying with h rroeary by tho fireside and nveloped inher fIIQ,nta of woo] saw her husband OUlO

home. Like a madman he dashed towardthe wine cellar, hatless, without fi h,without rod, and without bt"..ket.

"Luisa comc and see! \Vo ar rllilH:d!"'he rail to th cellar and at th sight

of the brokell vat of wine. 'ho shoutedin chorus wit,h bel' husband.

'omndre lllonica came in, attracted bythe clamor. .

"What is happclling in this house1'"The witches, coma.4re the witchos,"

cried <':t~nelas, "they have ruined liS."

"Good God! But do not worry. Iknow the prayers to exorcise them. Ikllow the Be ret."

From that day on 'nelas and hiswife were never again ill turbcd bywitches, such had boon the officll,cy ofcoma-clre Monica's prayers ....

And every wiJlter, she andLuisa enjo,)'ed Canclo.s' IJetlt willein peace.

BOOK REVIEW

Japan In DeutacbJand (J&fl&Il in Germany).by .4. R. K~r. (Shanghai, 1943, Mru: N6Aler d:Co., 46 pp.)

Frequent report" about new branchell of theGennan.Jl\pan_ A~tion being established intown. throughout Gennany have called attentiont.o Ja~·Gennan cultural relations. Thebooklet Jupnn in DwUcltlond, publ~ed bot.h inJapen_ and German. gives a comprehensive andcomplete lICCOuot of Ja~ cult.ural aotivitieein Germany.

•••

'1'0 m~t. 8tudent.s of tbiDgR Chi~ the rwultsof archeological I'C668rcb and the theories t-It.hereon are better Imown than t be t1tore of ancient.beli. which cannot be dug bodiJ)' from the soilbut muat be formtoo out in ChinCHC books. Thillthe author hM done and thus hM p~ted WIwith quite Ito new 8Ilt of idoaH and facl08 to be worlu!dinto the exillt,ing et.hnological and archeologicaltheories. There ill much food for thought and awealth of material for furt,her study in t1_ 688pap. The aut,hor himself reglU'dtl thilf &II themiAion of h~ book.

'rhe 1()()31 cult,ures of prehistoric times, whh:hwere scat.tered all over the regiOIl8 later "overed byhilltorical Chin... must have been full)· develol_1at the turn of the third to the 8llCond millenniumB.C. T",itll found in advan(,ed Chinell8 cult,ure.where they appll6l' singly aJld orten without. logicaloouoection with other feat.ul'08 making up thisculture, arc found to be deeply root.ed in 80me oldlocal cult.ure or otbel'. If t.his can be pro,,-ed for

one cultural tnit after another, theconclusion is inevitable that tt- oldcult.UftlII, now pwtbed to the borden!,Are really the foundation and lIOuroeof what we call~ culture toda)'.It gre" t.hrough a aeries of, often com·plicated, procell8Oll by whi"h 10I'.a1 ow.tUI'08 influenced and joined CBi·b other:Ihe;\' o\'crlapped aJld fon.-l now centersof higher. eecomln.ry, and o\'en 11101'0complex tertiary ,· .. It,u"",. 'ntO Hllia andLung.•hau. even tho Shlillg cultunlil,

were only 1ltage8 in t.his IlrocoKll. whichI~ its 11081 to"'arda the end of t.he lIeOOndmillennium B.C. The ChoU8 c~t«l the flm bigpolitir.al realm in EMt Allia: but their culture.which no" at I..t. we rna", call "Chi_," was notIIOmething t.he)' alone had de~'eloped and epreed:it WlUl the mot.ley heritage of an the more or 1_primitive cultures. whiuh had grown tOl('Clher andnow at lalit" in their final combination, could _umea national chlU'8Qter.-Eleanor ConllteD

• • •Map of the Mediterranean and Adjacent

Countrie•• (Shanuhai. 1942. Mate N68ale,. cl:: Ou.)In view of the fighting DOW l;Oillg 011 in t.he

Mediterranean al'O& and t.he further development8to be cXI-,te,1 t.hore. t,ho appearance of thillclear yet detaillld six'l.'Olor map is bot.h valuableand timely.

CopioWI notell taken from all kindtl of ChinollOliterature. t~ther "..il,h oh9C'~'al,iorlJ! nltlultingfrom Oeld work, have cnabled the aulhor to IIt,ringtogether iuowoorable (mlltom", beliefs. "nd super·IttilioM. They ofteo aeem like pieces of a puzzlewhich do not. fit at all-for example, the frog. the1II0rtar. and the dnun; or human l18(,rifioe. I·r­cult. 8011 boat racee-but there ill always somemore or Ie. convincing link which holda themtogether. 8lIch M fertility magic. Often. when thecOllnoctioll8 seem 1_ convincing. one hM a feelingIhat a few more, e1Cplieit aentenCOll by the authorwould h8\'e "ufficed to dispel the reader's uncer·t&int.y. Out there can be no doubt that bothmel,hod and mat.,rial are of far.reaching ethnolog.ical lIiglliflcanco.

, Inter5ucbungen ilber den Aulbau der cblne­.Iacben Kultur. II. Lokalkulturen 1m altenCbJDa. TeU 1: Die Lokalkulturen des Silden.und Oaten. (SludiC8 on the Sln.ctuJ'tl orChinClM Cullum. ] I. tAwlIl Cult \Ires in AncientChina, Part 2: Ll.....·al ('ultured or Iho ~ulh

and EllSt), hy Or. Wolfram lJ.'brrh"rd. :l "I'I/m,(Pr.ki"f/, 1942, Tile ('a/h"li.: U"it'CrHity, 588 pp.)

"".,.I~", ""irlloo I...... IOllg ,,;i\'cn up t.he idea t.hat('''incHO civiJizt\l,ion WlUI a homogonooutl entity rromI he tltl1rl, proeerved throngh the Ct!Dturillll withoutgreet cbaup, r~ from outllide influenCCl8. The-..ch for its origin, therefore, promiaes manyRIIton.illbing and UDOXpected lIIl8"ers. but only themOllt careful -.reb and detailed study of Chin_et,hnology and lit.emture oan hope to di80utanglethe underbrollh that CO~"MII the lIOiI and rootll ofChint\'s growth. TI.e trellll IIlAt rille above it for"~'nryone to ....19 give no more I,hall hiuta of theirongin. Dr. Eberhanl hu now given U8 a 1'Ollectionof ..II tho ml\lorial pertaining to thi~ quetlt.ion t.()he rouII,1 in ChincHe lilerature, in t,hefOl"'" of "ethnical lInnell. OI Ho slartllfrum Iho h)'polhllll~ lhat t.hnre W811 nolI11iform. or basic, or "Chin_" cultutobefore the time of the Chou dynlUlty,What ~ now tenned "border·" or "10<·,,1oulturea" .W8ll originally t.he material outof whicb Chin_ cult.ure WIUI shaped.

The book Dk Lo1caU:ult_ du SiMlul8,md 0.,.. (Local CultUl'llll of the SouI,hIUlrl the Eaat) ill Part 2 of Vol. Uof t.he author'. gigantic undertaking.1'IIfortullately, the preceding book. are not..\·"ilable now, and freq~t mf__ to t,hem"rten make the fteder feel at .. lOlL It might. be• !tood idea to .tart wit,h the (,hapter "General~ullunar:v." whicb clearly and conciBely 8WDII upthe fawtll whiuh t.he author pro~'OlI by IDCBDlI ofhi~ unique met,hod of "Herill8." \Vith dIe final1:°,,1 t.hl'" already c1OW'ly in mind, it will not be(Iuite 88 bewildering to delve into the rid. coJJectionof minIII.., detuil. groupo<:! under "The Yao Culture,"I hat or 1II0w,w.in poople, "Tho 'rai Culture" ofIX'Opie who cultivated rice. "The Yiieb Culture" ofpoople who Ii\'ed "long the shores, ..nd IIllvemltllnaller oultul'8l unit".