Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1882-04-25
LIFE IN MADRID.
Lacy WAY THE sPAs1ARDs HAVE.

The Madrilenos offer not o fat, but
rather an extremely round, contradic-
ton to this general and accepted idea
OF the national appearance. Slender.
ness is the exception with them. Their
city Is q forced flower in the midst OF
mountain lands, and the men them
selves rejoice In q rotund and puffy
look OF success, which also partakes OF
the hot. house character. They ore peo-
pie OF leisure, and, after their manner,
OF pleasure. How they swarm in the
cafes, in the Gate OF the Sun-where
they keep up the Moorish custom OF
calling walters by two claps OF the hand
or on the one great thoroughfare.
Gale de Alcala, or in the bull-ring OF q
Sunday! They are never at rest, yet
never altogether active. They never
sleep, or IL they do, others take their
places in the public resorts. The
calmor OF the streets, and even the
snarling cry Of the news-venders-
"La Covespoadsncid," or "Ei Demo.
crata-a us kept up until the
small hours; and at or 6 the
restless stir begins again with the silver
tinkling Of feet mule bells. There are
no night-howling watchmen in Madrid |;
but the custom OF street hawking is
rampant in Spain and here, in addition
to the newsmen. We have the wall OF
the water.criers ministering TO an IN.
quenchable popular thirst, the lottery
ticket sellers, the warma.ch peddlers,
and dozen others. The iavorite bird
Of the country is kind Of lark called
alondra, Inuch hung in cages outside
the windows, whence they utter-with
that monotonous recurrence which
seems q fixed principle OF all things
Spanish hard, piercing triple note
impossible TO ignore. This loud. per.
sistent "twit, twi;.twit," resembling at
distance the click OF castauets, begins
with daybreak. and gives u most dis
couraging notion OF the Spanish musical
ear.
or course there is home life and there
is family affection in Madrid. but the
stranger naturally does not see great
deal OF these; and then it may be
doubted whether they really exist to
the same extent as in most other civil.
ICED capitals. II becomes wearisome to
make salIies upon tho town, and day
after day find so much Of the population
trying to divert itself or killing time in
the cafes and clubs. The feeling
deepens that they resort 20 these for
want CT a sufficiently close interest in
their homes. More than that, they do
not seem really TO be amused. Even
their language fails to express the
Amusement: idea; the most that any.
thing can be for them in the vernaculs-
is entertaining. Still the choice OF light
diversion is varied enough. Obeia
fourisbes in winter; in spring and sum
mer the bull.fght; theaters are always in
blast; cooking. mains are kept up.
Hitherto gambling has been another
fsvorite pastime until checked by the
authorities. Not content with all this,
the Madrilenos seek in lottery shops
that excitement which Americans derive
from drinking. saloons. The brightly
lighted lottery agency occurs as fire.
quently as that other indication Of
disease. the spothecary's window. in
American cities. People Of oil classes
hover about them, both by day ard by
night. Posters confront you with an
nouncements OF the Child Jesus lot
terry. the lottery to aid the Asylum Of
Our Lady Of the Assumption. or the
National, which is drawn thrice u
month. with chief prize OF thirty.two
Thousand dollars, and some four hun
dred other premiums. There are many
small drawings besides constantly going
on: no. day passes. in fact. without
your being solicited by wandering deal.
crs in these alluring chances at leas.
half dozen times. George r. Ld0IrQp,
in Harper.