The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-07-02
The American Colony in Mexico.

A ball in Mexico has many advan-
tages over ball anywhere else, because
you can always count on the weather.
and if the house is too small you have
all out doors. 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," 'It's very fine weather."
and have never failed to notice a look
OF dismay and surprise on the face 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 a building lot is
l00 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 lnhablts the ground floor nor the
second floor, except that there is q
concierge or porter in 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 broad porch that runs all
around the patio or court. OPP
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-room, 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 ac.
count of sprained ankle. Young Mrs
Grant is not well, and can not come, but
there is a Miss Sharp in the imperia
party, niece of Mrs. Grant, and a very
pretty girl, but with dangerous resem
blance to her aunt. Don Matias Romerc
is steering the Grant party, an insignifi
cant-looking steersman; but think bet
ter of him subsequently, when am pre-.
sented to Mrs. Romero she was a Mis-
Allen, of Washington, and her husband
showed good taste, if she didn't. Mrs
Mariscal, the wife of the Minister O
Foreign Affairs, is 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 Trowbridge has come vi
from Vera Cruz with three daughters
who were born in Decatur, ILL.,, but WIT
after twelve years. residence in the trop
les are more Spanish than the Spaniard
in certain slimness of shape and sin
uous grace of movement. Gen. Frisbie
of Syracuse, has two daughter
who are more than half Spanisl
lin virtue of their descent from
old Governor Vallejo, the last Mexican
Governor of California. l could max