Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1869-11-24

| No wonder, then, that all strangers
look upon the Basques in an interest
ing light. Their garb, their accent,
/ their language, their customs, their
dances, their free, bold carriage afford
materials for study.
The BASQUE women, likewise, are
| special characters for observation. AS
much as their husbands appear prOmi-
nent on the busy public places, do the
senoras; ladies among their richer Sis
! ters, they rival the female Sabines in
all the virtues that drew forth Horace S
eon1mendations; they are sterling ex-
amples of chastity and modesty, do
mestie hOusewifery and matrimonial
! fidelity. In spite of the vanity which
I is said to be inherent in wOmankind,
I our Basque women adhere to their
national dress, and utterly eschew the
countless odds and ends which garnish
the Gaulieized Madrilenas. In their
sOmbre kirtie and well-fitting bodice,
and their wealth of hair, low, stout
shoes and black stockings, which are
ennObled by the figures which they
I enesse, the Vaseonese are content TO
trudge to their well furnished markets
or visit the shrines of their saints.
Their children imbibe with their
mothers milk the noble character of
the Basque matron, and as they grow
| up they initiate the beauty and virtues
of their fathers. They are trained to
/ habits of self-relianee and moral sObri-
ETY., and thus we see them models of
manly beauty, faithful friends, gener-
Gus hosts, simple yet inflexible OBJ
servers Of their word. The young
I girls are remarkably handsome, most,
| ly of light complexion and gray eyed
small mOuthed and extremely grace
full and animated in their movements.
What surprises strangers about these
/ maidens is the extreme length of their
/ hair, which falls down the back in
two long streaming folds. This was
the ancient style of their maternal an
I eestors when the nation was named
Iberian, and it is as old as humanity
/ in the Orient. You may see it on the
/ frieZes of the Astic temples and at
| Ephesus. Ovid, in his "MetamOr-
phoses," speaks of it-"coHdidd diUid-
tEd tdgeTte coma" 1t is the present
custom of the Arab women through
out the land of Egypt and Arabia, of
| the Syrian women in their country,
and who will not dare say it is much
more graceful and becoming than the
hideous senormities gathered by French
JriSellrs, (which look like ugly tumors?
Among the visitors at San Sebastian
are many French ladies from Paris,
Bordeaux, Bayonne and Biarritz; but
though their eyes are black and num-
Der many brunettes, yet the Spanish
demoiselle may be picked out easily,
for the French stare, but the Spanish
are stared at; the French rock, Span
ish Senoritas walk; the French are all
pretty and young looking; the Span
ish are either beautiful or ugly, and
are young or old; the French are al
ways affecting other character than
their own; the Spanish seldom are
but themselves the Spanish eyes are
deep, yet frank and decent; but, then,
what prOfundity immeasurable in a
French lady's eyes; you may reflect
yourself and ages of futurity therein.
Ask question of a Spanish lady and
she will answer Eyes" or mo" imme-
diately. Ask one of French woman
and l am told it is Eyes" always. A
Spanish girl looks towards marriage
as supreme happiness as soon as she
is out Of her teens; but a French lady
regards marriage as a necessity, hate
full to think of; would prefer love al
ways. A Spanish girl is in love only
to thirty years old, but French wo-
man is in love from the cradle to old
age. A Spanish girl will wait a year
or two for her lover, but French wO-
man can't wait minute. A Spanish
girl dresses to please her husband and
most intimate friends, but French
woman dresses to win universal ad-
miration--prefers, in fact, the admira-
ton Of strangers. A Spanish girl
smiles and laughs only when she is
pleased, but a French girl quivers
with laughter; her whole body is in a
state of risibility. The Spanish wo-
men dance, but q French woman
jumps and hops; the Spanish sing,
but the French shrek. To conclude,
the French girl is an artist, but the
Spanish girl is simply woman. So
say those who know, and it is my firm
haIfaF r,,rrah ~ =