The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1881-07-02
The American Colony In Mexico.

you can always count on the weather,
and if the house is too small you have
all outdoors. People here don't under
stand remarks about the weather, and
in my capacity as general interpreter
l have had occasion fifty times to ex-
plain to my fellow.countrymen that
they need not expect me to translate
their comments on the weather. Some
times = daring neophyte, flushed with
his mastery of Castilian, will open the
conversation with the remark, "Hace
bel tiempo," ''lt's very fine weather."
and l have never failed to notice q look |
of dismay and surprise on the facs Of
the Mexican-as much as to say, "What
does he mean by saying it's fine wealth.
err" It's always fine weather, and the
weather for the Minister'S ball was what
it always is-not too fine, but just fine
enough.
The Legation is like nine houses out
of ten here, where building lot is
100 feet square, and where, instead
of putting the house in the middle Of the
yard, they put the yard in the middle of
the house. The Minister lives on the
first floor, and neither knows nor cares
who inhabits the ground floor nor the
second floor, except that there is q
concierge or porter in q cave near the
entrance. The porter and his wife are
Indians; they wear low.necked shirts
and trim their hair with . jack.knife;
their children don't wear much of any.
thing, and don't trim their hair at all.
They earn their salary by saying
"Quien sabe " when visitors ask If the
family are at home, but on this occasion
their services are dispensed with, and
we walk upstairs in procession of all
nations. Upstairs the landing opens
on q broad porch that runs all
around the patio or court. Op.
posite the landing are the ante
room and main parlor, occupying one
side Of the court, of which three sides
are given up to the reception. We pass
through the ante.rcom, and at the door
OF the saloon We are received by the
Minister and Mrs. Morgan; in the cen.
ter are General and Mrs. Grant, and
Mrs. Grant is obliged to sit down, on &C.
count of q sprained ankle. Young Mrs.
Grant is not well, and can not come, bu,
there is q Miss Sharp in the imperial
, party, a niece of Mrs. Grant, and a very
, pretty girl, but with dangerous resem
blance to her aunt. Don Matias Romerf
is steering the Grant party, an insigniii
' cant-looking steersman; but think bet
ter of him subsequently,, when am pre-
sented to Mrs. Romero; she was Mis-
: Allen, Of Washington, and her husband
. showed good taste, If she didn't. Mrs
Mariscal, the wife Of the Minister Q
:: Foreign Affairs, is q blonde from Balti
more, and more than sustains the repu
tation of the bellies of the Monumen
City. In fact, America shows up well
!. Judge Morgan has three pretty, bright
eyed daughters, fresh from school il
\ Paris, but thorough Americans for al
: that. Consul Trowhridge has come u
e from Vera Cruz with three .ughters
. who were born in Decatur, H., but VIII
|. after twelve years residence in the trOp
(. les are more Spanish than the Spaniayd
'e in certain slim ness Of shape and sin
,e uous grace of movement. Gen. Fri>bie
y of Syracuse, has two daughter
le who are more than half SPANS
is in virtue of their descent fror
rs old Governor Vallejo, the last Mcxica
y Governor of California. could max
ne a catalogue as long as the list OF Hi
5. mer's ships, but l forbear, because, will
IS out any disparagement to the America
a. beauty, l had to admit that Mexico too
3 the cake. Truth is greater than patrio
he ism, and am willing to stake my rep,
to tation for veracity on the assertion tn.
;. there were at the ball dozen ladies .
Of Mexico who, In face, form and styl
N eyes, hair, gait and dress, would he ~
he knowledged as unusual beauties in an
NJ ball.rooms in, the world. l had bee
in looking Jor TIC much-vaunted beauty .
er Mexico % long l Had begun to doubt i
ed existence, but there was,no doubling Il
Il. evidences Of my senses, and il l resiste
firmly I surrendered gracefully whe
s surrender was inevitable.
The ball WAS much like any America