St. Landry democrat., 1879-09-13
WOaahan's Life i'm Mexico.


If we are to believe that "thc first
! requisite of man is to be il good ANIMAL
our Mexican sisters are vastly onr Supe-
riors. Instead Of perfect health being
the exception, rs fear is too often the
! case with us, fecbleness and ailings are
rare. The women, rs q rule, live to a
hale and hearty old age without even
having heard of the thousand and one
ailments that atflict their sex elsewhere.
, The Young are vigorous, and bear an
almost unlimited number OF children
without apparent decrease OF strength.
This physical snpeSiority does not seem
traceable to any one cause. Perhaps
it is the survival Of the tittest."
Children are cared for in what would
seem to us most reckless manner. [
have seen new born babes, for example,
i'll biting cold weather, wrapped in Il
small cotton sheet, without other gar
ment than Il cambric shirt, and this is
the universal custom in the best rcgula
ted households. There are no statistics
at hand to support the assertion, but
judge the average number OF births III
u family to be from 10 to T.. A large
per centage of these never reach maturi
ty, and it is allowable to presume that
, those who have the most power OF en-
dlirance survive.
On the other hand, corsets are but
/ little known, and the old fashion of
high heeled shoes has never reached
here. There are no reform waists to
supply the place of the corset, but the
skirts are usually made light and worn
with sacques, so that the outrages to
the human form are less glarinS than
in more civilized ~ communities.
Steels, whalebones and tight wasted
dresses are for gala days only, and
/ then for the privileged few. The home
garments are invariably loose and COM
Portable. This, though not the perfec
ton of dress reform, is an improve
ment on the dress of the average Ameri-
can woman.
Again, these women are not over
worked. They perform their labor in a
slow, easy going manner, whether Ill
the kitchen or bed room, or in the par
lor at their sewing or fancy work. tn
like us, who know 10 moderation in the
use OF a characteristic, valuable in it.
self, but the abuse OF which is sapping
our very life as people, they do not
exert their nervous forces i'll huricd
races with time. If to-day is not suffi
ciently long, manana, tomorrow,
stretches out Inyitingly before them in
delightful indctinitcneSs. Time is alb
solutely 10 object.
1t would be curious to investigate the
! reason why, in this land, where '.wo
mems rights are almos. unlcard OF,
where in mahy respects the women are
lopcles4ly dependent, and where there
! is so little general nlightenment, mar
ried women are independent financial
| ly; that is to say, they are treasures OF
! the partnership, and arg not subjected
| to the humiliation Of asking their hus-
bands for every cent they need for
their own expenses and those Of the
household. The husband considers
that his wife is as much entitled to his
earnings as he is, aud leaves their dis
! bursemept to her Judgment. am glad
! to say that she does not abuse this con-
! tidence. She is prudent and economi-
I cal, and often shows more sagacity
than he in the use Of the money.
This seems to me the wIseat solution
of the financial prQhlem III marriage: