d the place resounds
with the sound of the hammer, the chiseling of stones, hewing of beams
and the shouting of voices. A gang of workmen is making an excavation
which will be wide and deep; others are busy piling up quarry stone,
unloading carts, sifting sand, putting a capstan in place and so on.

"Put that here! That, there! Come, be lively about it!" shouts a
little, old man with an animated and intelligent physiognomy as he
goes about, a yard stick and plumb line in hand. He is the director
of the work, Nor Juan, architect, mason, carpenter, whitewasher,
locksmith, painter, stone cutter, and, on occasion, sculptor.

"We must finish it immediately! To-morrow nothing can be done, and
day after to-morrow the ceremony of laying the corner stone is to
take place! Come, be lively!"

"Make the hole just large enough for this cylinder!" said he to
one of the stone cutters who was chiseling off a large quadrangular
stone. "Inside of this our names will be kept."

Then he would repeat to every countryman who came along what he had
already said a thousand times: "Do you know what we are going to
build? Well, it is a school house, a model of its kind, something
like those in Germany, but still better. The architect, Senor R.,
draughted the plans and I, I am in charge of the work. Yes, sir,
you see this is going to be a regular palace with two wings, one for
the boys and one for the girls. Here in the middle is to be a large
garden with three fountains. There, on the sides, groves, where the
children can sow and cultivate plants during the hours of recreation,
thus improving the time. Just see how deep the foundations are to be:
three meters and seventy-five centimeters. The building is going to
have a cellar where the indolent pupils will be confined. This will be
very close to the playing ground and the gymnasium, so that those who
are punished may hear the diligent pupils enjoying themselves. Do you
see this large space? Well, this will be a place for them to run and
jump. The girls will have a separate garden with benches, swings,
a special place for jumping the rope and rolling hoops, fountains
and a bird-house. This is going to be magnificent!"

He kept going from one end to the other, inspecting everything and
passing his opinion on all.

"I find that you have got too much lumber here for a crane," said he to
a yellowish-looking fellow, who was directing some other laborers. "I
would have enough, with three large