Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1884-03-01

marches pensively to his post, and
does sentry duty with a patient
endurance that would make him an
Invaluable acquisition to any army.
If tits the rainy season, he brings
his umbrella, and fortified by love
and cigarettes, he remains oblivious
of all surroundings, pouring forth
his whole soul In his eyes. Alas,
however. he is but rarely blessed
with sight OF the starry orbs which
first allured him. Very likely the
young lady's apartment is at the
other side of the mansion, and he
thus spending his gallant life in
worshiping the windows of an emp
/ ty room but it is the custom, and
his object is attained. For after he
has offered himself up sacrifice for
several days-or sometimes weeks
the old folks take the matter in
hand. They do not set the family
watchdog at him, nor do they bring
out the blunderbuss, except in rare
cases. If the infatuated youth es-
capes being shot for footpad, or
arrested as nuisance, his name,
family position and wealth are quiz
city ascertained, and If satisfactory,
all ends as merry as a marriage bell.
There may seem to be one small
omission in the above; Viz., the
lady's wishes as to the aforesaid
termination. But strange to say,
instances are rare where she has in
terposed the slightest objection to
the choice of her parents and the
church-for the latter must approve.
Well, she may reasonably be ex-
pected to entertain some sentiments
of pity and tenderness, at least, for
him. who, for her sake, has stood
| in the rain and the mud. and braved
the jeers of the foreign population
| for the Mexicans take it as matter
of course
From the above the American
paterfnnIitiGs may derived valuable
hint. Tie young Mexican lovers
take the course described. Why :?
The solution is easy-because they
have no front gates in Mexico.
Think what vast saving in repairs
and renewals of the un. Mexican ar
ticles could be effected if we would
| only adopt their system! donate
this brilliant idea for the good of my
country.
Last in these papers, mention
what first strikes the notice Of the
foreigner in Mexico. This is the
cigarette-the inevitable cigarette,
without which Mexican is scarcely
complete. AS you pass along the
street, you may often see fair faces
at the barred windows of the
houses, and not infrequently the
scarlet lips hold cigarette, and
breathe forth clouds of perfumed
smoke. The ladies smoke when
sitting in their carriages upon the
PaseO;, it is perfectly en- regLe. And
as for the men-well, as have said,
a Mexican can hardly be considered
a complete Mexican unless he pos
sesses this necessary appurtenance.
They do not smoke in their church.
es, but they do smoke everywhere
else. II is beginning to be consider
ed bad taste to smoke in the fash
ionable opera-houses, but yer, the
back seats generally revel in fog
of smoke. Cigars are consumed
largely by foreigners, especially,
and are excellent and remarkably |
cheap. But in every ta6aQtleria
there may be seen huge pile of
cigarettes, done up in punches of
various sizes, occupying often the
whole of one side of the room, from
floor to ceiling. The dandies scorn
to touch the cigarette with their
lily.fingers, but hold it in delicate
golden tongs, attached to aring upon
the finger by tiny chain of the
same metal. The poorest peon in
the city manages to procure his
daily quantum of cigarTos in some
manner, and whenever he enjoys
moment of idleness, he will daintily
aud gracefully roll up a few crumbs
of tobacco in a piece of corn-shuck,
or kind of medicinal paper they
use.
And now, in cloud of it's per-
fumed tobacco-incense, L take my
leave of Mexico. 1t is hard to leave
this land, with its soft, rich atmos-
phere, its dreamy life in the cool
shade and in the warm sunshine
its tropical perfumes and beautiful
flowers. Here have been spent
many happy days, and there are
some whose memory alone will be
happiness. have said much about
its faults, but they are fewer than
its virtues. 1t is impossible to de-
scribe the nameless charm which
the old city holds over me. It is
hard, and it is sad, to think that
Progress and Commerce will come,
as come they must, with the inevi-
table laws of the tradesman, and
crush out the last remaining vestige
of the happy, drowsy life of the
people, and the Oriental character
istics of the genuine Mexican gentle
man.
And with a long look, and a
whispered farewell, we sail away
from its shores. into the hurrying
life of the North; but none who
have been under thy spell can ever
forget thee, Oh, Land of the Sunset!
s. II. WYATT.
10th February, 1884.