The weekly miner., 1881-08-02
MEXICO.
AS Seen by an American Lady-An
Interesting Interview Upon the
Manners, Customs and Curiosities
Of the Mexican Women.

Manners, Customs and Curiosities
of the Mexican Women.
From the Kansas City Star.
alt is queer country" said Mrs. Belle Diaz,
who has lately returned from Mexico, to an
Evening Star reporter, land it would take
volumes to describe it properly. Every
thing about it is so different from home Gus
toms, that one is kept in perpetual wonder.
Now, here is set Of jewelry of Mexican
manufacture; please examine it." The re-
porter was handed two bracelets and an
aigrette. The bracelets were of exquisite
designs, worked in silver flagree so fine and
beautiful that one could hardly believe
human hands lad fashioned them. The hair
ornament was silver peacock with every
feature minutely reproduced in fine silver
wire. 'These were made by Mexican work
men, continued the lady, Gin country
where such perfection of art could hardly be
looked for. Here is another set," and anoth-
er set was handed the visitor. 1t consisted of
two earrings and breastpin which repre-
sented gold snake with ruby eyes, coiled in
such a manner that the head projected into
the hollow OF dainty she'll. The latter con-
tanned a painting in miniature so life like
that the serpent appeared to be drinking from
the pool in the picture. The body of the
snake was set with small pearls which in a
peculiar manner added to the life-like look of
the picture, and the entire set showed, in de-
sign and execution, the highest creative and
artistic skill. Mrs. Diaz, in presenting these
objects OF art, explained that they were fash
ioned by people who were low in intelli-
gence and seemingly utterly unable to even
appreciate such things. sit is in fact coun-
try of paradoxes,' she said. "Now, a lady
can hardly 60 abroad without having her
sight and senses offended by the peculiar
habits of the people. l have seen men and
women in the plaza picking vermin from
their children, and yet on Sunday morning l
have gone TO the flower market and been as
tonishsd at the exquisite artistic instinct dis
played by these vile Indians in forming bo-
quets. would not believe that they did the
work till saw them at it. They will make
huge basket boquets of rare tlowers-to us
form cannot be equaled by the most able
florist in New York. These exquisite bon.
quets, three feet high and four feet wide, they
sell for seventy-tive cents. In contrast to
this will tell you of an incident.
| walked down the street one afternoon
The stores in Mexico are quite different
from ours, the customers being seated upon a
long bench to one side, instead of stools, as
at home. Just before l reached the store a
woman came out whose appearance startled
ME. She was dressed in very rich and sty-
lish dress, with train yard long sweeping
and whrling in the dirt behind her, but the
the most wonderful part 0. her make up was
| her face. This she had plastered with some
powder until it was as white as chalk, after
which she had painted bright red spot on
each cheek. can give you but faint idea
of her face by calling to mind the make up of
a clown in a circus. l soon discovered, how
ever, that this was universal custom. The
Mexican women, naturally very dark, will go
to any extreme to brighten their compilations
and the result is they make themselves ridic-
ulous.'
% Are they pretty" ," inquired the reporter.
Decidedly not. | don't believe | saw a
really pretty girl in Mexico, and when they
pass girlhood they are simply frighttul. They
all marry young and have the queerest way
of courting. The lover is not allowed to Wis
it his sweetheart at all, and in lieu of that
sneaks to her house at night, serenades her
with guitar, if lie can play, (they generally
play very bad) and if he cannot play he sim
ply stands, like statuesque lunatic ftr hours
at time watching her swindow. When DR..
Shelton, United States Minister, first settled
in Mexico, ile took the next door girls lover
for burglar on account of his supicious
movements, and reported the fact to the po-
lice in great alarm.
Ii ID lover invites his sweetheart out to an
opera or ball 1t is understood that he takes
the whole family. | attended the opera a
good many times. and was as much amused
by the audience as the performance. The
opera house is very elegant building, but