Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1884-02-02
: lalAa0 AeogT ras clTY of MExlco.


xUMBER II.
TO the CHRONICLE:
This IS the country of all the
world. You cannot connect your
idea of Mexico with the idea of
Locality, while you are breathing
its atmosphere and living its life. 1t
seems world of iiself--a new and a
strange world. with a strange and
happy life to be spent there. There
is something about the place
which compels the most energetic
Northern temperament to subdue
its thirst for action, and live on in
the old dreamy life OF Southern
skies, and sweet flowers, and rest
fulness. One instinctively looks
for the I.otos among its floral luxu-
rance. And Mexico is an ernlnently
restful land. | have heard the
anecdote told there, that our Ances-
tor, Adam, wishing to see bis we'll
remembered and beloved Earth
home once more, and having OBJ
tanned permission, was taken by an
angel into the many countries of
Europe, Asia, Africa and America
but he shook his head mournfully
at each place,-he recognized it not,
until finally reaching Mexico, he
exclaimed joyfully, "This is the
very place; everything is just as l
left it," And it is very hard to be-
lieve, when you go out into the
interior, that any progress has been
made since the beginning of the
world. There, bread is made from
meal ground or crushed by hand.
In the vicinity of the city there are
several mills; but they are so few
that each one has a reputation and
a name-a high-sounding name, as
Motin0 del Rey, the "Mill of the
King" where a great battle was
fought during the war with the
United States. AS a rule, | believe,
the Mexicans are averse to connect
ing their patronymics with shops or
petty enterprises, especially those
connected with trade. Down the
street you may see on either side,
the signs, each with a title for the
place, and seldom, except in the
case of a German or Yankee, with
the name of the proprietor. One
place, / remember, is called "La
Noche IF'iste," "The Night of Sor-
row." in commemoration of some
particularly terrible night or other
that Cortez passed ; l do not remem-
Der the story. Another is called
"La Montana de Mere" or 1.-THE
Mountain of Snow" This latter is
more appropriate than the majority
of the titles, as you may obtain ices,
Aelados, etc., at the establishment it
adOrns.
A great deal could be said about
the flowers of Mexico; but | am not
one who can say it. lido know that
most of our rare dollhouse plants
grow wild, almost everywhere.
Double blossoms of every species
is the rule, and not the exception.
Aud even the most modest weed
has fragrance. The Odor of a small
nosegay will permeate and linger
about the atmosphere of whole
room, varying from the most deli
cate and rare 10 the rich, heavy per-
fume of their tropical flowers.
Every morning in the year flowers
are soil in the Zocalo; you may
buy a magnificent bouquet for a few
reals, which would cost in New
York at least ten dollars.
The Mexicaps have holidays, or
festos, upon the slightest provOca-
ton. They celebrate every occasion
when a victory was ever gained by
Mexican troops, and they have some
dozen or two Saints days in the
year. They also celebrate Flower
days among their many holidays.
These are days when every one
closes his establishment and gives
himself over to day of pleasure
and rest,-buys some flowers, or
takes a short excursion up the small
canal called La Vigd, to the remains
of some of the old floating gardens
of the time of Montezuma, and
gathers all he can carry. Every
where you meet crowds of persons,
decorated with garlands of flowers
round their hats; flowers are strewn
along the street, and their perfume
floats upon the air throughout the
city. Half the people are singing
as they go along. You think what
1 strange country this is, and how
different from the world that is In
the rush and turmoil of the great !
cities In our EStddcs UnidOS del
NOTte.
People who love flowers, love
music. The Mexicans are a striking |
exemplitication of this maxim.
Everybody sings, and nearly every
body sings we'll. They have not, as
yet, much of record in the history
of cultivated music, nor many pub
fishing composers; but they have
of native melodies, and
to understand and easily
reproduce the music of the great
masters, of the French and Italian
schools in particular. Their native
songs all have peculiar and often a
melody, and sound as if
or sung in minor key, or
OF that kind.
Three nights in, the week there is
music in the ZOcdLO. This is the
square, or plaza, of the
city, though not so large or so beau
tiful as the alameda. The Cathe-
draI, the National Palace, the mu-
nicipal and governmental offices are
all situated upon the ZOcGtO.
4 Al q, - rryally, hnAS |