The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1875-08-14

/ IKE priests with little 1alSo cows, who tod
died along, and looked very funny; then
little mites of monks, with long dresses,
who also toddled. Then girls with wells
walked hand in hand, and little girls with
little wells carrying tapers. The houses
along the route were illuminated in sim
/ pie and effective way, by tumblers half
( filled with oil, colored red, blue and green,
and having floating tapers in them. Later
in the eveing the music and dancing began
in the largest houses of that part of the
city. AS we walked along the bright little
streets, senoritas stood in the light of the
lanterns to be looked at, and laughted and
tiirted; they threw at us bits of cotton
with flash power on it, as they do at carni-
walls; it would nearly reach us, and make
, us jump, and then go out, greatly to the
amusement of the girls. The most bril-
liant balcony was that presided over by
"La Bonita;" they all clapped their hands
with glee when they saw us coming; threw
their entire stock of flash cotton at us,
scattering us, and then invited US to come
up. We gladly accepted, and at once
plunged into the dimly lighted stable on
the ground floor, found the stone staircase,
which we assembled, slid across the slippery
| floor of the sala, and joined the gay party
on the balcony. 1t was curious scene;
the street below us, thronged with Span
iards and Indians in their fantastic, re-
markable costumes; the profusion of shirt
on the men, and the confusion of colors on
the women; the scores of lights on every
house; and the lovely girls on the balco-
MES, with their ever-moving fans. The
young ladies of our veranda, proud of the
capture they had made of foreign middies,
glanced triumphantly at their neighbors,
and famed themselves with renewed en-
ergy.
1t is fascinating to make love in Span
ish; so l found it that evening as sat in a
quiet corner of the balcony with Mia; she
looked SO bewitching in the glow of the
tapers! Then the tapers died out and the
full moon rose, and thought she was more
lovely still. She told me how she had been
once to Spain, to CASTLE, where her uncle
lived, but how she dropped and sighed ever
for Manila, where the happy days of her
girlhood had been passed. So they brought
her back, and now she said she would quit
the islands no more. Transplanting was
worse than death.
A shade of melancholy stole over me at
this, and l told her in earnest but detached
Spanish of the beauty of America, the soft
southern cline in Winter, and the clear
balmy air of Summer on the northern hills;
aged by the gentle pressure of soft little
hand that had accidentally gotten into
mine, went on to state the many charms
of that home upon the Hudson, and the
welcome that would be given to hand
some Spanish bride. With dropping lashes
and quickly moving fan, Mia softly drew
her hand from mine. glanced idly at the
old clock tower of Manila which stood upon
the adjacent corner, and observed that it
was time for me to return on board ship,
which 1 accordingly did, and without any
supertluous conversation.
Every evening some one section of the
city took it's turn at the illumination, dane
ing, and festivity, and thither went all the
youth, beauty, and pleasure seekers of the
town and suburbs. The most curious of
the entertainments was ball at the house
of rich Chnaman; there was a peculiar
blending of barbarism and civilization in
the furniture, table service, and appoint
ments. There were present large num-
Der of Chinese Mestiza ladies, with more
or less of the almond-shaped eye, but some
of them rather pretty and very fond of
dancing the Habanera, and of looking with
a sort of Hspano- Chinese tenderness out
of the corners of their eyes. Their dresses
displayed an Indian repugnance to super
fluffy, Spanish love of bright colors, and
a Chinese popularity of "cut bias" The
wealthy Celestial received us very gra-
ciously, and presented us in Spanish to
most of the ladies present. About four
teen languages were being spoken at the
same time in the sala, producing a most
remarkable tumble of sounds; and, COM
bined with the inspiring strains of a native
band, the view of great Chinese banners
and carvings, and the varied costumes of
the mixed races, made wild, weird scene.
l was dancing with young Mestiza,
when her mother and three sisters beck
oned to US from the staircase to come to
them, which we obediently did, and I was
asked to escort the party to another ball.
Finding myself captured, surrendered at
discretion, and replied that 1 was in for
any thing; so, taking Miss Buckeyes on
my arm, went to the van of the convoy,
and obeyed signals given from time to
time by the Dana who occupied the posi-
ton of flag ship in the rear. We crossed
the plaza and passed the clock-tower, and
l suddenly became aware of the fact that
we were about to pass the house of my
fair charmer, Nita. "Good Heavens!"
thought I. elf Nita sees me with this
pretty girl am forever dashed from her
good graces, and will be the laughing stock
of the mess" for, of course, was not dis
couraged by such a slight contretemps as
that of the previous evening. l dragged
the convoy across the street without signal
from the rear, and tried to creep along in
the shadow of the wall. Horrors! There
sat Nita in her favorite corner of the bal
cony bathed by the gentle moonlight, lean
ing on her perfect arm, and looking directly
across the street. I kept my eye on her
sideways, and, as we came within the sweep
of her bright black eye, she started a little,
saw my confusion and the fair Mestza on
my arm, and bowed coldly, sending yet
colder chill through my trembling frame.
My partner looked at me as if to say,
"Who is your friend ?" but l assured her
it was of no consequence, and we soon
after arrived at very handsome house,
through the windows of which came sounds
of music, laughter, and soprano voices.
We entered the basement, went up the
broad stone steps, and met the host at the
| top. He waved his hand toward the row
of forty pretty girls, to whom gave one
general bow, which was supposed to intro
|