The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1881-06-04
Mexican Social Custo,ns.

oNASSy ~ "0 UEaSs01 oSUk1S4 ~ lUo0l11u1
the free and easy intercourse of friend
and acquaintances, of men, women snd
children, does not exist in Mexico. Nat
urally reserved and solitary, the Mexi
can has been forced toremain 50 by tn,
circumstances of his life. His home i!
not only his castle, but his citadel. Hi
social circle consists mainly of his wit,
and children. His business he transact!
at his Office. His friends he meets .,
the cafe, or on the Alameda, or the
Pasco, but his family-that's nobody'l
business. He is next to the Turk In the
exclusiveness with which he regards The
seclusion of his home.
When We speak about society, and
especially of "good society,"" we mean
lovely woman, and ia American society
the prominent feature is tho supremacy
of the young ladies. The position Of
woman in Mexico is something very diff
ferent. In fact, as far 40 the ordinary
life of every day is concerned, woman is
conspicuous chiefly by her absence.
At first sight Mexico recalls Denver or
Deadwood by its excessively masculine
aspect, and the question promptly
arises, /" where are the womeAp" They
are at home, where the Mexican thinks
they ought to be. In. the morning one
may see few Of them going to church
and returning for it Is Lent, and the
custom of daily mass is partially OBJ.
served, and Friday devotons are well
attended-but they never 20 upattend-
ed, and they look neither tothe right nor
left. In the afternoon those who have
shopping to do sit III their closed car.
riages outside the store, while the clerks
bring them goods for their selection.
Later, as the sun is setting, they 20 out
for . formal drive, always in closed
carriages, in the Calzado de Ia Reforma,
and slowly drive. up and down the ws.
tered half-mile. Night comes Oh very
rapidly after sunset, and the carriages
drive home with lighted lamps There
may be deep, delirious intoxication in
watching . lot Of carriages 60 by in the
dark and fancying that they hold the
lovliness OF creation, Just as there NAV
be in eating soup with & fork: but I
have failed to see it. .aJf 81 'lat 51',t5
As far Is 1 know, every Newspaper
correspondent who has. been in Mexico
has had Q desperate time in guarding
his tender affections from the bewitch.
ing influence Of the soft Creole ewes.
from the languishing chances, the tender
the supple grace and myriad
charms which lie about his path. The
story has been told % often that il
sounds plausible, but it is manufactured
out of the whole cloth, and it is repeated
partly because it costs nothing, and
partly because nobody likes to acknowl.
edge that b has been in the land Of 10
nance and hasn't had any Of the 70.
NANCE. ,,,.t. ,,,5ss Is 80, 80
My Mexican friends tell me that with
lew exceptions the women are poorly
educated; society is not intellectual: IN
tereoarss Is not cultivated; girls are
Kept IN prison until they are married.
md after marriage only find closer con-
tinement with harder labor. Naturally
the ties Of family are al more CLOSELY
drawn. and the domestic affections as
Borb the hearts OF the women, q their
household duties absorb their tirne.
They say, 1--WE would like to have
things ~ you have them In the States.
bot We simply can't DO it. II must 30
he work Of time to change these loar.
social rules, and Is lonr a
Ehey last our society must be compera-
lively dull AFFAIR. ''iHdg 3iieffaJ = q
q The natural result of the absence Of
women is that among the men there Is 8
yeneral disregard Of : great many amen.
ties OF conduct At dinner they Sener.
My wear their hats, because tho houses
IRE cooler than the streets, and there Il
} great dread Of colds; they keep their
elbows on the table, they expsctorats . |
great deal, and they have unfixed pin
,iples 10 regard to folks. That Chicago
belle who ct her visitors down . yulesr
people because they put the edge Of |
heir knives In their mouths instead ~ |
he backs would be astonished ct the |
eats Of the knifs.swallowers here. Yetl
bis IL tender point with good society, |
1 Mexican lady complained to me tie |
'thsr day, saying, "Why do your peo-
,le always accuse Us q eating With our |
knivssr One would think rs were not
civilized" Hall On hour later. st her
,wn hOspitable table. ont az thu airht
gentlemen, who we're fellow countrymen
!, ! fhels, there were int eight Who soorned
he fork CDR. Sc. Louis G7obe.Den,o.
:; The landau i Tho popular vehicle u
Washington. '. .s...oi,