Argensola, but in his early days in Georgetown he was called by
his Christian name only, and later he wished to be known simply
as "Mr. Abel."

I had no sooner made his acquaintance than I ceased to wonder at
the esteem and even affection with which he, a Venezuelan, was
regarded in this British colony. All knew and liked him, and the
reason of it was the personal charm of the man, his kindly
disposition, his manner with women, which pleased them and
excited no man's jealousy--not even the old hot-tempered
planter's, with a very young and pretty and light-headed
wife--his love of little children, of all wild creatures, of
nature, and of whatsoever was furthest removed from the common
material interests and concerns of a purely commercial community.
The things which excited other men--politics, sport, and the
price of crystals--were outside of his thoughts; and when men had
done with them for a season, when like the tempest they had
"blown their fill" in office and club-room and house and wanted a
change, it was a relief to turn to Mr. Abel and get him to
discourse of his world--the world of nature and of the spirit.

It was, all felt, a good thing to have a Mr. Abel in Georgetown.
That it was indeed good for me I quickly discovered. I had
certainly not expected to meet in such a place with any person to
share my tastes--that love of poetry which has been the chief
passion and delight of my life; but such a one I had found in Mr.
Abel. It surprised me that he, suckled on the literature of
Spain, and a reader of only ten or twelve years of English
literature, possessed a knowledge of our modern poetry as
intimate as my own, and a love of it equally great. This feeling