Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-12-27
MEXICAN MANNERS.


winning politeness and excels in pleasant
hospitality. Those who approach the
Mexican with confidence and frankness
will find the natives of the country as soei-
able as the cultured inhabitants of the
New England States, and as hospitable as
the fair. haired sons of Southern Russip.
With his friends the Mexican is, under all
circumstances, obliging, polite and frank
IN his dealings. a stranger, once intro
duced in Mexican house, will please the
better the more frequently he repeats his
Waits and the more he shows unaffected
and easy manners. He who enters Mexi-
can house will be offered by the lady of tie
house refreshments of some kind, and upon
his refusing the kind offer be may hear :
"Sin ceremonies, Senor," but he will not
be forced to accept the offer, as IS custom
airy in the eastern countries Of Europe. 1t
is matter of course that a stranger upon
his first visit is offered the disposition of
house, property and the person of his
host, and these remarks, not taken too
literally, hold generally good, in case neces.
sity obliges you to have recourse to the
services of your Mexican friend. The
stranger who desires to move in Mexican
society is bound to learn the prevailing ex-
presslons of politeness and courtesy, or he
may be suspected of vulgar manners.
Friends who meet quite frequently may be
seen saluting and embracing each other, ex-
changing quite number of complimentary
remarks. The custom of embracing is
especially in favor among the ladies kiss
ing is, however, only thought proper when
children meet a person occupying high rank
in Office, you may salute with 81 kiss your
hands" With ladies you are yet more
polite, and you say, 81 kiss your feet. 2"
Both phrases are commonly employed at
foot of letters and other written documents
The current answer is: "Many thanks !;
may you live thousand years." He who
is not an intimate acquaintance in the
house, upon leaving will be accompanied
by his host to the gate of the house, and
only after the door has been opened is it
becoming to cover the head. If you are
pleased with any object in the possession Of
ypuqdest you will at once hear:
sly is,at.your disposal. II you inquire
~ rAenJ any. object belongs you will hear !:
"2.hine and yours as WELL" These
cout gesiss y0d will reply with ga thou
sand thanks" There are cases, however,
where strangers have most coolly pocketed
objects of considerable value, and the
former proprietor could but smile. These
courtesies in the common intercourse are
not only seen among the better classes, but
they are to be found as well in the lower
class of people, and porters or beggars will
never fail to call each other Senior" or
"Don" whenp talking about their day S
work. In pollteness We may safely
maintain that the Mexican is far superior
to most nations of Europe, and is certainly
not behind the American. How much i'm
portance the Mexican gives to the exterior
forms of courtesy we may understand by
knowing that at school special lessons are
given in "urbanity." Little girls of eight
or ten have quite number of gentle
phrases at their disposal for the stranger
and the friend, and yet they are nsverthe-
less quite artless little things. The children
of the lower class are less noisy than else
where, and when playing in the thorough
fares they will not try to disturb the pass.
erby, as is frequently the case with children
in the States.
4 The behavior of Mexican ladies is gen.
orally pleasing and unassuming. It is free
from atfectation, prudery and sentimental
ity. The Mexican woman has a lively
sensibility, viyacious mind and passion
ate and generous temper. During the
Revolution Mexican women have given
proof of ardent love of their country and
daring courage. In society the lady is
treated with great respect, and frequently
the chivalrous gallantry derived from
the Spaniards prevails with the gentle
men. Appearances are strictly observed,
and those who would perhaps give sweet
look and gentle words to the bold lover
when under four eyes will show The coolest
Indifference when in society. Gossip -four
ishes here as elsewhere. Though the
ladies do the honor of the house to per-
lection, they take little active interest in
household affairs, and need therefore quite
an army of servants. The church, visit
ing and shopping, interviews with priests,
who have free access to most houses, drives
and the theater, take up most of the time
with the Mexican lady. The ladies of
good society have generally fair knowl-
edge of French, and are excellent players
on the piano. Most of them are prof.
Gent in all kinds of handiwork and make
beautiful artificial flowers and wax figures.
If properly educated the Mexican lady
would excel in the cultivation of excellent
natural talents. Music, singing and dane
ing are the chief social employments. The
madness of dancing, so common in Europe,
is not common with the Mexicans.
Spanish dances are performed with
much grace and expression, and the
ladies have a charming command of their
bodies in those dances. Some of the
dances bear the melancholy character Of
Indian dances. Dinner parties on large
scale are not common, as such entertain
ments would, frequently repeated, be too
expensive, the Mexican being of opinion
that when entertaining guests he ought
to serve the most costly dishes and the
choicest wines. Any conner on pot-luck,
however, is most heartily offered place
at the common dinner or supper table.
Those who desire to form correct idea of
Mexican hospitality may go to the hacien-
das, and though perfect strangers they will
be royalty toasted with all their attendants.
The common evening parties, or "Tertul-
las, are OF simple, unpretending char
acter. On the reception days the doors are
thrown open at o'clock, and friends intro
duce strangers. The ladies are generally
sitting on chairs or divans near the wall.
The gentlemen move up and down, smok-
ing and conversing now and then with the
fair sex. Games OF forfeits and others are
played, and finally some of the national
songs are given, and the company gener-
ally separates at 10 o'clock. Tertullas of
an extraordinary character are generally
very splendid, and the expense of the en-
terta;nment amounts not rarely to $1,000
or IS 600. Parties given by Americans
and Europeans are readily visited by the
Mexicans and the latter seem to enjoy
especially the character of American enter
tainments Visits of etiquette are paid
between noon and 2 P. NJ. The lady is
comfortably seated, and though she does