Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1883-09-28
HOW WON,
tourting without speech Wthtn so-h
Hounds do Mexican i"ver.I sigh aud
Sigh again.

Ntsh
Courting. from all accounts. is I
pretty tough job, in Mexico. The
young man is first supposed 10 meet
the young lady on the plaza. They
never speak, bui they always gaze n,
each other as they pass. When ihs
lady does not make her appearance
on the plaza the young man will re-
pair to the street fronting the hou-e.
and walk up aid down IN front of IL
Tor several hours liz will always
gaze earnestly nj the window as he
passes. The young lady and her r.
male friends are inside. and she will
return his glance After ~ o'clock
the young man will ~ home. This
performance 10 continued for compile
of months, and at last the young man
will knock boldly at the door and ASK
for the lady Of th. house He will
tall her he IL III despair Tha, her
daughter is an angel from the Para
disc valley of Heaven; that she /.
beautiful beyond compare that she
IL better than she N beautiful, that
he II wildly ia love with her, aud that
life has no possible interest for him
unless he can win her lie will then
tell OF his prospects IN life. what lac
IL Possessed of and hope to be poH
sesscd of. III this latter part IL salts
factory Ia the mamma. she will com
misserate with him. toll hun that Hhe
has noticed his attentions Ia her
daughter, and finally concluded by
inviting him 10 the inner circle and
introducing him to the young lady
IN tho presence 81 the assembled
family. The grandma 90 there IL u
grandma ia the family will sit he
tween the young people and witness
their cooing. All tho rest II tho
family remain in the room also. unless
they are otherwise engaged. hut un-
der no circumstances must the young
people be left alone second This,
you will admit, IL pretty tough, hat
that is not half what tho young man
must suffer before the padre closes
the bargain and gives bim "a propri
etary interest in his lady love. II.
psrchance, the yonng lady has a pair
OF ing brothers such In gener
ally the case unfortunate swain
is expected % treat them 10 cigar
ettes every time they meet n a cir
Gus u. n theatre company visit thu
town II il the prerogmtive OF the
young lady TO ask oil her female rel
atiyes to accompany her 10 the show,
and the young man OF cour~c IL or
pected and required 10 foot tho bill,
But the worst part of the business
for the love sick young man re
mains to be told He can not walk
by the side of his ailianced On the
way or from the theatre. bhe will
start of ahead in company with some
female friend, while the young man
will bring up the rear on the arm Of
his grandmamma, OF some equally
venerable dame. This is the Tecog
nized and inviolable custom Of the
country, and while il exists tho Amer
ican young man will not be 4 social
success in Mexico. He can not stand
the racket. II the young couple ars
very spoony they can be married In
six months, though well regulated 90
ciety demands n twelve month"; court
ship.
AND THIN rur WEDDING.
The wedding IL n simple affair
enough, but usually consists of two
ceremonies. There must be a civil
marriage under the law. and thu Ia
dies invariably insist on a religious
ceremony afterward The marriage
ceremony In conducted cheapiy.
though have been informed
OF fe~ instances where the grooms
we're Americans, and were, conse
quently. bled to tho tune Of o20O
When tho young couple are married
they can enjoy the first real privacy
OF this acquaintanceship Not even
an hour before they are married will
thoy be allowed a few moments Of
interrupted converse. All tho tender
noth;ngs ard sweet billing and COO
ing habitual 10 lovers in the United
States are denied them, unless they
choose TO indulge ia such luxurics
before witnesses. THIS rule Of eti
quette is carried 10 such an extent
that a young lady's reputation suffers
II she in seen for a moment alone ia
tho company Of young man. A
an illustration Of this I will give a
little personal experience. There
resides here very respectable and
somewhat wealthy family, who lived
Y for several years in California. There
is a young girl in the family about
20 years old. She was educated In
San Francisco. ~ were her mother
and father, and as n CONSEQUENCE
they are somewhat more progressive
in certain matters than their neigh
bors. l formed the acquaintance oi
the family, and was invited 30 maks
a visit i called nj tho home at
o'clock in the afternoon. The moth
ar was busy, and loft the young lady
TO entertain mo in tho parlor. SooI
a neighboring woman arrived unan
nounced. A look OF terror seized m,
fair rus a ris, and with futter sL,
pointed to an adjacent door. snt
begged me To- retire hastily. I III,
SO. the door was closed Immediately y
and l found myself in u bed broom
There was 10 window, the only vsnti
lation being the door opening 10 the
sitting-room. This being closed. 20,
may imagine my condition. with th,
thermometer los degrees in the shade
There, however, had TO remain To-
full forty minutes, when the visitin,
lady took her departure When th
door was opened ] was in yer,
amiable and n very warm condition
Apologies, however. were profuss
Both tho mother and daughter spok
nj the same tire. They said tina
they formerly lived in the Unite
States, and consequently were not n
rigid in enforcing parlor rules whe
Amer leans were tho visitors. Blu
the sudden appearance of the neigh
boring women struck terror in th
young lady, and in plying tones sh
; informed me that IL she was see
alorc with mo in the parlor her rcpr