The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1884-08-06
T4F NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. COOL.
Lessons Learned From Life in Hot
Country.

LOuHL1,t
I'll may be surprising. but it is none
the less true, that The art OF keeping
cool is understood in Cuba hundred
times better than here. The very first
thing that strikes us after we get to
Cuba Is that all humanity seems bent
on keeping cool, and everything is d.
rected to that end. We strangers in
our cloth garments are the only ones
who are hot there The natives look
as cool as they feel They look pictur-
esquely cool. They wear suits Of linen
or thin silk, of light weight white duck
or drill, with light, lo8-cut shoes. silk
or lisle-thread hose and undergar-
ments; hats made of fine straw or
grass, that do not appear to weigh an
ounce. / cannot give to gentleman
clearer idea of how cool they must feel
than by saying that there is not such q
thing to be had in Cuba as shirt with
a separate collar. You say that such
suits of clothing as I describe, look
unshapely and even unsightly. So
they do; because our tailors do not
seem to know how to make them, and
our laundresses starch them too stiff.
Experience and practice would soon
| overcome that. Havana is a very
dressy and fashion fearing city. The
/ tailors make those thin garments as
stylishly and as shapely as our suits.
| The women there do not dress SO very
unlike our own women; that is to say
| that American women dress more sem
sibly in summer than American men
do. In both countries the result is
reached by lessening the number and
weight of the undergarments and DON
ming summer silks or almost gossamer
goods for summer wear.
The Cubans have hot weather way
of managing their business affairs. Let
| no one run away with the idea that
business in Havana does not amount to
much. Havana has long been one OF
the great seaports and commercial CEN
| tiers Of the world, the head of the sugar
and tobacco trades, and the seat of an
immense miscellaneous shipping indus
try. There are many men and firms as
busily engaged in making fortunes
there as everywhere else. To begin
with the business houses are built to
provide GOODNESS by means of shade
and air. They are more open than
what we call an ''open car, yet can be
closed as tight as any Wall street bank.
1t is delightful to visit them. 1t is
amazing to see how cool the men who
work in them keep themselves, The
merchants and their clerks quit their
beds at $50 o'clock, perhaps earlier,
enjoy bath, dress in leisurely way,
take coffee, and reach their counters
and desks at $50 O'clock. 1t is cool at
that time in the streets, and they are
not half so exhausted when they begin
work as we are At 1880 or ! o clock,
under a sunshade or in cab or car,
they 90 home again to breakfast.
Nothing short of the explosion of
powder magazine, which made them
forget themselves few weeks ago,
could induce man or boy among them
to hurry. The only two nasty or ex-
cited movements | saw in Cuba were
on the part of a young woman and
boy. The young woman was ballet
dancer in cool, ppen-air theater, and
was engaged in te-too.tum EaQvements,
lasting only few moments each night
for large salary. The boy actually
ran in the open sunshine-but he had
stolen sugar cane in the market and
was afraid he would be caught. No
body ran after him, yQu may be sure.
On the way to breakfas the HAVANA
merchant and clerk do not drink three
beers and cocktail, and at breakfast
they do not demolish q heavy beefsteak
or plate of chops, or of liver and bacon,
rs we do the year around. On the con-
trary they are very partial to fruit; fish,
boiled, broiled or baked; broiled poul- |
try, or small birds, salads, omelets, oat |
meal or rice, wine thinned down with |
settler; coffee or tea. They take it ca
sy at the table.
At 4:50 or : o'clock, when the heat Of |
the day is past and the delightful, cool /
hours of the evening are at hand, the
and the clerk close the places
Gall but the little retail stores) and go
home or to the restaurant for dinner.
And do they eat the solid meat, the
stews, the graVies, the puddines and
pies of our bills of fare of July in New
York? Oh, no! They wish 10 be cool
ind healthy and comfortable. They
uek the juice of an orange or two, and
axe little thin broth or consomme II
CUP, II little wine thinned down with
old selizer or water, some nice fresh !
ish, bpoile4 bird Of some kind and sal /
d, or slice OF soLAe ssrt af neat, well ;
ono, and then guaVa paste. OF Jelly, / I
r fruit and cheese and coffee. CT adj {
lit that the sweetmeats and cheese is
lad and there is too much cotfee-but !
10 one is perfect. !
IN THE COOL OF THE EVENING. ]
At night comes the recreation; the !
iIliards, cards, cigars, theatres, par
les, carriage rides, promenqdes, idle t
ours in the parks listening TO the mu- /
ic of band, courtship, companion Z
hip, sociability. At 10 o'clock or IL Z
otfee and bed for some; bed without q
Office for others. But do they not '
rink. You ask. Yes, indeed. They 4
re addicted TO soda water, lemonade, 5
ocoanut water, lime-enade, tamarind 4
'ater, mineral water and all other beV- +
RACES that cool the body by cooling !
&c blood. and that are slightly Iaxa- h
We. Among strong dPinks Yarmouth q
popular, Spanish wines and French :
arets are in demand, and the labor n
70 people drink gin. Note the nature =
these drinks, you who understand q
lie subject. There is reason in all of 7
rem. All except brandy. I forgot r
lat. AT night, in the cafes, / saw sew n
al persons drink brandy. That is t,
ontrary TO everything else they do. It 8
most unwisc. u
There are many hints in the above q
sneral observations of life under 4
lrning sun. Dress for the season. 1t i
IN be done here as well as there and .
! safely, for the nights are cooler /,
ere. Besides, one can put on a q
,avier coat at night if need be. Keep y
It of the sun. Carry sun umbrella. j,
IN I hurry. Nothing is gained by it
s N