The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-05-15
Queer Scenes In Mexico.

In their love-making -Me1icans are
equally innocent of any suspicion Of the
impropriety of public demonstrations.
You see couples walking through the
crowded plaza with their arms about
each others necks, totally oblivious Of
their surroundings. Except among for
eigners such exhibitions excite no COM
ment. Driving along the Guadalupe
road one afternoon we came upon q
strapping fellow seated by the roadside,
with young girl lying beside him, her
head resting in his lap. AS we passed
she turned her face up to his, reached
upward, and with a shapely hand patted
the impassive brute in bis lantern-jsw-
he all the time gazing stolidly at the
passing carriage. You dog !" roared
the exasperated colonel. But the dog
maintained his equanimity all the same.
At another time, while riding out to the
iron baths on a street car, we encoun-
tered young couple bedecked in gay
holiday ribbons and clean clothes, walk
ing down the broad roadway with their
arms lovingly clasped about each others
necks. She was young and quite hand
some, and he was young and carried in
his unoccupied hand pitcher of pulque,
stray drops of which were sprinkled
along the road. Evidently 8 couple OF
lovers returning from a pilgrimage to
Ihe shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe;
slightly the worse for their potations.
Their arms were twined about each
others necks for mutual support as well
as to demonstrate their affection. They
walked pretty steadily, however, though
with that oblviousness of demeanor
which we see in more civilized drunkards
when they try to play it on the people, and
think they are succeeding. We watched
our two lovers from the rear of the car,
and saw their steps grow gradually un-
steady until they began to totter and
wave. After drinking ahalf dozen glasses
of the eferYesent water fresh from the
bubbling spring, we took another street
car for the city. We had forgotten all
about our two lovers until we came upon
them again, lying prone upon the ground
by the roa' side, their arms still lovingly
intertwined, and their cheeks together,
the pitcher broken at the fountain, and
o tortuous streak of moist earth showing
where the pnlque had meandered away.
I may as we'll state once more, however,
that helpless drunkenness is an uncom-
mon sight in Mexico, Notwithstanding
the oceans Of pulque consumed every
day. Once I saw haf-naked Indian
lying on his face in the street in front Of
the plaza, dead drunk. The coachmen
considerably drove around him, the
herds of panniered asses stepped ten
derly to one side, and no one seemed to
think the sight worthy of comment. On
another occasion an old grey-headed
woman, bare-armed and bare-legged,
with petticoat of blue stuff about her
body, tottered on the sidewalk in front
of me, gave lurch, and pitched head
long into the street. She had few little
trinkets wrapped up in q handkerchief,
which were scattered in the fall. Rising
upon her knees, she began cropping
blindly about to recover them. I have
never seen a more pathetic sight, or one
that left deeper impression, unless it
was that of poor fellow whom 1 saw
the morning after my arrival. He was
thin of limb and face, and seemed less
intelligent than the average "greaser. !"
His entire wardrobe consisted of what
looked like piece of worn-out rag car.
pet tied around his trunk, and reinforced
at the hips with bit of old leather tied
on with strings. Hat, shirt, coat, panta-
looms and shoes he had none. He had a
little bundle of sticks, scarcely more
than you could grasp in one hand, tied
up with cord, and was kneeling on the
pavement to readjust the fastenings. He
looked SO utterly and hopelessly miser-
able--he was SO shamefully and squalidly
poor-it made me sick at heart. The
poor fellow submitted stolidly to criti-
cal inspection, aud seemed stricken
dumb when I gave him quarter. By
and by he recovered his tongue, and be-
gan an eloquent invocation of all the
saints in my behalf, which lasted until I
got out of ear-shot, and may be running
yet for aught know.