29 August 1884

Madrid

Madrid, 29 August 1884

MY DEAR PARENTS AND BROTHERS,

I’m undecided as to what I should do this year, for the letter, I believe from my brother, I received towards the end of April expressed the desire that I leave Madrid for Europe, that is for abroad. I answered immediately, expounding the advantages and the inconveniences that there might be and I’m waiting for his decision. Until this date I haven’t received even a remote indication, but of course I should not wait for any letter from there, and nevertheless the month of matriculations begins already with September, lasting throughout that month. If I matriculate for the doctorate at Madrid, I shall have to spend ₱33, because each subject for the doctorate costs ₱11 not including the stamps, an expense which is too much for me now that I have to order new winter clothes. Furthermore, in order to be near the University, having little to do now at San Carlos, I shall have to change my residence, give up this house and take No. 12, 2nd right, Pizarro Street. I don’t know, therefore, what I should do. I don’t believe that letter had been lost; if it were, it would be regrettable.

A young man from Nagcarlan[1] called Pedro Tobino has been here. According to him, he came to Europe for pleasure, bringing with him 1,150 pesos. As the young man is not one of the smarter ones – he could hardly be understood in Spanish — he didn’t study, He is one of those who prefers the advice of a Spaniard to that of his countrymen. He happened to live on a bad street of Madrid, where they found out that he had money. A few days later, they swindled him of everything that remained to him, leaving him without a cent. Here they call timar robbery astuteness, deceiving the innocent ones. The procedure they used with Tobino was the grossest and most vulgar. Perhaps there was … to allow himself to be deceived. He was walking behind a man who let drop a pocketbook. A lad wanted to pick it up, but he offered it to the owner. Very grateful, he told him that he was a stranger and had they taken away his pocketbook he would have been left without a cent, and in fact he showed him the pocketbook full of bank notes. And they went on talking. At this point, an Englishman approached them, who told them that if they would accompany him to the consulate, he would give each one ₱5. Tobino said that he would accompany him to the consulate, but he would not accept the five pesos — two strangers will accompany the Englishman. On the way the Spanish stranger offered to the Englishman that Tobino and he would act as his cicerones to see Madrid which “they knew perfectly”. And in order that the Englishman wouldn’t distrust him, he showed him his pocketbook full of bank notes. urging Tobino to do the same and the very stupid one showed his P750 that remained to him. The Spaniard placed Tobino’s bank notes in his pocketbook and handed over to him the pocketbook for safety. The Englishman said that he would like to change 500 pesos in gold that he was carrying into bills and he showed him many rolls of coins. They asked Tobino a handkerchief in which they put the rolls of coins and the pocketbook, which they also handed to Tobino. The Spaniard told him to go to the money changer while he would wait with the Englishman at the café and they even asked him for one peso. When Tobino was about to change, he couldn’t find the pocketbook, but only the rolls of coins which upon being opened turned out to be pellets. Now Tobino hasn’t a cent, roaming the streets of Madrid, dressed grotesquely, with a large silver star of false stones on his necktie and a sailor’s chain. I already advised him to return to Manila but he doesn’t want to, and he wants to get a job at any cost to enjoy himself.

[The rest of the letter is missing]

03-105 [Reformists]