The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1879-02-25
DAUGHTERS OF THE AZTRCS.


The commonly received opinion that
all Mexican women are Of the deep
brunette type, with corresponding su-
serb black eyes, enchantingly mysterious
in their glances, says the San Francisco
Chronicle, is fallacy which arises from
ignorance. There are now visiting in
this city three families from Mexico, the
ladies of which are blondes OF the most
perfect ideal, and who in their own
country are classed under the title OF
las gueras, term generally applied 20
all light complexioned people, whether
natives or foreigners. The Mexican
gueras are OF pure Spanish descent,
their ancestors having come from the
mountainous regions in the north of
Spain, where the people are as fair as
are the Danes, though differing in the
tinge of complexion. All the social up
heavals in Mexico for the past sixty
years have failed 10 mingle the blood Of
the Indians with the blue blood of
certain element of their conquerors and
descendants Of the conQuerors. This is
the guerra element, amid temptations
which nothing but a naughty pride of
race would or could have resisted. In
termarriage among this Spanish element
i'm Mexico is as stfict and exclusive as il
is among the Hebrew people. Pride has
built an impregnable wall against which
passion, lust and love have in vain
dashed themselves.
1t is woman and not man who has
preserved the distinctive type of race
called the gueras. She alone has been
true to herself, and she alone has kept
the man within those bounds that have
ever preserved him from entirely falling
into the chaos of blood admixture.
Whenever the woman element of the
Spanish race was wanting there the
Spaniard willingly succumbed TO the
crude charms and fervid destinations of
Indian maidens. The pure current and
the mixed current of blood, So visible in
Mexico, typifes the fidelity Of woman
to a higher moral principle than man.
Were il not for heroic devotion to this
principle, Mexico, as represented by the
Spaniard, would have been 80 thoroughly
Indianized that pure descendapt Of
the Spaniards would not have been
found from the Rio Grande TO Yucaian,
from the gulf to the Pacific. Through
the love and devotion Of the Spanish
women, who left their native country
and settled in the land of the AZtecs, 10
an exalted idea Of the marital relation,
il due the existence Of such a portion Of
the population as the gueras.
All through Mexico you will find
them in the heart Of settlements thickly
populated by Indians and mixed races,
forming colonies in themselves, marry
ing and intermarrying year after year,
and rearing families who hold TO the
social customs aud traditions Of their
parents. There are two types Of gueras.
The type mentioned has some very dis
tinct characteristics. The face is spirit
uelle, and has that subdued expression
which invariably results from religious
meditation, and in color is white as ALA
baster. The flesh is faultlessly white,
tinged with a refined but healthy pal
lidness. The eyes are usually dark,
large and lustrous, and the hair abun-
dant and black as the ravens wing. The
teeth are perfect, and white as snow
flakes. The "rubias," the second type,
are superb specimens. Of womanhood,
and are so called because they have
auburn or golden hair, which in some
instances runs into a flaming rich red
color. The eyes are often deep blue,
and soft and enreating in their expres-
sion. The flesh has a sunset tinge to il
which indicates more warm and sens
uous nature than Of the paler-hued
women. Near the town OF Aqua Cali
ente, state Of Sinala, there is village
Of rubias, the young women Of which
are matchless in their style OF beauty.
Tall and graceful, with richly rounded
busts and symmetrical forms, and a step
as 1.-the and elastic as a fawn's, they
move about, the very symbols Of the
poetry Of motion. They have something
in heir manner aud sty mil n 10 the
higher classes Of Russian women, and
whom they greatly resemble. The Iu-
bias, like the gueras, live mostly IN the
interior, where the climate is more mild
and genial, while the dark races inhabit
the hot regions along the coast.
In Ia Paz, Mazatlan, Acapulco and
other coast towns, however, there are
considerable numbers OF families Of
distinctive Spanish blood. They are
usually the wealthy classes, and their
mode of life corresponds with that oi
their ancestors. The residences have 81
large entance-way; there is always the
patio or large vestibule, such as may be
seen in the Palace hotel Of this city. A
water-fountain, flowers and birds often
adorn the patio. IL is here where the
little gueras hold revel and seldom mix
with the outside world, except when
taken out by the nurse. Having arrived
appear on the public street without
their moZa, or serving-maid. A Spanish
mother never allows her daughter out
of her sight, without the ever attendant
moza: il is the social custom, and as
faithfully obeyed as were the laws of
the Medes and Persians. Warm, ardent,
impulsive natures and tropical climate
render the mozas important personages
in the social life Of the higher classes Gf
Nexicans. They have all the family
secrets at heart, but 10 divulge them
would be perfdy. SO true are they 20
their trusts and so faithful 10 their mis-
tresses that they are looked upon a.
virtual members Of the family. The
mozas are born, live and die, without
ever going, 30 to speak, a block from
their patio. Their happiness is supreme
in serving those whom they look at as
their protectors and parientes,
Notwithstanding the various blood
admixtures in Mexico, all are bound
together in strange social harmony by
the sacred tie Of religion and one com-
mon language. All the women are the
most devoted Catholics, though the men,
especially the educated class, are violent
freethinkers. Troops Of matrons ana
maids Of the ruling race. and troops Of
a -