San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1879-03-15
,,,,,li- Grus IN NeW Orleans.

Ia
.oruing, to rule the city for one whole
Law Generally, he is represented as a
handsome old man, with white hair and
n.ard and rosy cheeks, and no one
.novs who he really is. For metime
before he arrives, the newspapers an
nouuce, his coming, and placards ARE
rosted about, stating what grand things
sre to be done on glorious "Mardi-
Gras" The great jewels (made of
ouartz) which are to sparkle in his
,rovu. are shown'in jewelers. windows /;
merchants pin his name to their richest
Goods; his colors, black and gold, faunt
an banners across the streets, or are
stretched in great festoons from house
to house.
Everybody expects q good time. 1t
seems as if some real royal person were
coming to bring all the rich and poor
together, and, while he stays, make
them forget their different hardships in
Shrove- Tuesday, or Mardi- Gras," as
tbe French call it, is movable feast"
Of the Roman Catholic and Episcopal
ian churches, occurring in February or
March: but it makes little difference to
the people of New Orleans whether it
comes in one month or the other, for at
tbis season the air blows soft from the
hazy Mississippi, trees are laden with
blossoms, the gardens are full of flowers,
and tropical leaves nod and wave under
cloudless skies.
Often, on Monday night, but at any
rate as soon as daylightbegins on Mardi-
Gras morning, maskers gather and COM
mence to enliven the streets with pranks
and fun. They are seldom rude; on
this "maddest, merriest day." when no
authority is acknowledged but that of
benignant Rex, who gives to all their
own way, the people overflow with good
will.
Early in the morning you hear the
shouts and merry voices of the children,
and see little knots of them passing by
your door, dressed in all manner of fan
tastic costumes, and wearing grotesque
masks. A great many of them have
simply pink or blue paper-muslin ruffled
skirts and sacks, with caps and masks to
match, so that all you can see of the
children themselves is a pair of bright
roguish eyes looking out at you from
under the mask.
Later in the day you see all sorts Of
maskers. Here and there are groups of
mounted cavaliers dashing through the
streets with jingling spurs and plumed
hats. Yonder are five or six courtiers
in Louis XIV. costume, with sword and
powdered bag-wig, bowling and gallently |
kissing the tips of their fingers to the
ladies' in the balconies. Next comes q
band of gray friars with "sandal-shoon"
and shaven heads, telling their beads
and greeting the promenaders with
"Par vobiscum" Now and then a
huge monkey darts into the middle of
the street, where he goes through hun
dred queer antics amidst the joyous
shouts of small boys. Here we see a
mOnstrous bat speeding along the side
walk, spreading and Tapping his huge
wings in the air. Close behind, are q
brown speckled toad and a green frog
arm-in-arm, hopping along in a very
iovial manner, and smiling sweetly on
each other.
The crowd keeps on increasing, and
never loses its good humor nor its good
manners, and you look down frors your
balcony on the gorgeous shifting piano.
rama. Harlequins, clowns, dwarfs, ogres,
lmps of all degrees OF impishness, prin-
ces and peasants, alike pass in review
before you. You see representatives OF
all nations on the face of the earth,-
white men, black men, yellow men, and
red men! All of them are masked, and
the costumes often show much skill and
ingenuity. But the great event is the
appearance of Rex and his followers.
Before the Carnival-king begins his tri-
unphal march, he is formally received
%the mayor, and the keys of the city
ae rendered to him. Then, preceded
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