Smyrna times., 1875-07-07
A Town Without Women.

Looked at from a social point of view, |
what Immediately strikes stranger is that
Havana, like the Rome OF Romulus, is
city without women. There die annually,
out Of a population of 2O5,OOO souls, 1862
white males to ,204 white females, while
the deaths among the colored people are,
for the males, l,04G; for the females, 1,O99.
| Thus, while the sexual numbers of the
nogro and mulatto population are almost
balanced, with respect to the whites the
proportion is something more than three
males to one female. The fact, however, is
sclfevident. Hardly any other women than
negresses are to be seen about. Ladies'
with any pretensions to youth and beauty
would sooner die than venture out unpro-
tected, even for their early mass; and so un-
common is the sight of decent woman unat-
tended in the streets that foreign ladies,
unacquainted with the custom, and saun-
tering from shop to shop, become the OBJ
jects of curiosity not unfrequently degene-
rating into inpertincnce. The causes of
these disproportions between males and
females are not so far to seek Besides the
priests, the soldiers, and sailors, and the
public functionaries, whose tenure of office
is extremely precarious, who are either de
barred from marriage or dread its encum-
brances and responsibilities, there are thou
, sands of Spanish immigrants of the lower
classes, attracted to the spot by high wages
but looking upon themselves as birds OF
passage, who, consequently, would hardly
dream of sending for women from home
while their contempt for the native race
seldom allows them to look upon the Creole
women with honorable intentions. l neeC
not dwell upon the obvious results of thi.
state of things. Suffice it to say that regarC
for women is by no means enhanced by
+ their scarcity. There ensues an exclusive
I male society. The charms of cafe and clul
life, such as they are, wean the Havana
husband from home where real feminin,
accomplishments are as unknown as hearth
rugs and firc-irons. Housekeeping in tn,
IL town, and still more in the suburbs, j
terribly uphill work. Foreign consuls an,
other strangers usually try it on thei
IS first arrival, but soon learn to look upol
II the hotel, with its smells and noises, as
g haven from domectic storms. Nothin
n like available free service is to be obtaine
i'll a slave-holding community; the lazines
'd and, unless awed by the lash, the insolenC
as of the negro bondmen communicate then
III selves to the hired help, whatever be tn
IN color, race. or sex, working at the sam
lis task with him in common household
Hence mans life in Havana is wholly oil
10 of doors, while for women there is no Ii
at within them. In no town in France (
ne Italy have | ever seen so many, or pr
nj portonately such sumptuous and Co
stantlv crowded cafes and restaurants. III
ed Havana merchant is as eager to NAL
he money as he is ready to squander it. b
is, the town supplies little besides gross m
on teral enjoyment for his money. A box
his third-ratc opera, drive in his drca
prado, are all the amusements he can ha'
in common with his wife and daughte
r." For the rest the women are left to mo-
gel alone at home, playing bopeep with Il
passers-by from their window gratings,
pacing the fiat roofs of their houses like
M, many Sister Annes waiting for those wi
are never coming. With so little whol
Tas some domestic society, it is pleasing
mt hear the characters universally given f
good conduct to the Havana women. Fe
Ter of them, even of the lowest classes, freque
the cockpit and the bull.ring, and the pr
all filgacy, the symptoms of which are ever
RS where only too conspicuous, is of SPANS
or Amerioan-altogethe of foreign impc
tation.--Phila. Sunday Tribune
he A single Goldfish produces more than
to million Of eggs in season,