Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1884-02-09
~ sdno As3u1 r4g Iclrr o. Nsxlco.
NUMBER III.

Il .
[ NUMBER III.
10 the CHRoxIcLE:
There are three national replies
| which are thoroughly permeatesl
with the national nature. Ask a
man aquestion requiring more than
Il moments thought to answer, and
lie shrugs his shoulders, lazily ele-
Yates his eyebrows" Qlsie,a sa6e 20
Calling infieetion) which, literally
taken, is a counter-querry OF "Whd
knows ?' but which is the equiva-
lent of the blunt English ''Don't
know!'' And if you are in a tear
ing hurry, and want something
done "inmediately. if not sconer,"
you are mel by placid, encourage
ing smile, and the soothing response
of " 1Naad,sd" (to-morrow) or POGO
tienapo,n which may be freely trans
lateal'to mean "There's plenty of
time. ~ They do not believe in
wearing cut their lives by over
work or strain upon their systems,
and they always act upon the motto
kH HNeverput off till o-morrow what
you can put off until the day after"
Their dwellings are not marvels
of convenience, but there is some
thing of a light and CHEEKY nature
about them that is very comfortable
there where it is warm every day.
It can almost be said that they have
no summer,-no winter. The chan
ges in temperature are very slight.
An average of about CO. is main
tanned, and the variations are rarely
more than ten degrees either way.
Every day in the year, at noon, it is
warm-almost oppressively so-in
the sun; but in the shade one feels
deliciously comfortable. And every
night In the year two blankets are
about what is required as covering.
70 judge Mexico by its climate, II
is paradise, especially during the
dry half ofthe year. From July to
December, a gentle shower falls
almost every afternoon. Often the
Htyphus fever prevails in the city,
but this is chargeable to the mlsera-
ble condition of the public streets
and sewers, and not TO CLIMATIC
influences. True, 1t has deleteri-
Gus effect upon some constitutions,
but they are few, and this Is owing
to its altitude and the rarefied at
inosphere. The city lies 2 ,460 feet
above the level of the sea, but it
was once great lake, and now you
cannot dig toga depth of three or
-four feet, anywhere in the city,
without striking water-teirk. rank
water, that makes one wonder how
it is possible for human beings to
retain good health while living upon
the thin crust Of earth that covers
it. ItgIs impossible to obtain good
drinking water, SO they have re
course to various other fluids. Seit-
ger and mineral waters are largely
consumed, and their native wine,
sometimes mixed with these, con-
stitutes the regular dinner drink of
the better class. Others. are satisfied
with pulQue. aaea sfgaa
Let US cntera dwelling of the bet
ter class. The houses are universal
,ly BULL pfIa kind Of adobe, bricks
baked in the sun, but as solid as
stone,-and are lplastered shining
white on the. outside. There is
nothing OF what we would cali a
yard, for the outer doors of Mexican
houses all open upon tnestreet; and
the most magnificent of them, even
those of the PuidciO, bear strong
resemblance ~ our stable-doors.
But give a few heavy kicks, and
the portero will come and unbar,
after closely reconnoitering through
tiny barred window. He expects
tip, so we give him a real 123
cents), and enter the stone-paved
patio, or courtyard. The house is
built in the form of hollow square,
and up each side, as we stand en-
closed, are ranged the balconies for
the respective fioors-which are
rarely more than twO-all lined
with flowers. Above is the sky.
unobstructed by roofs.
You can not have been very IA.
vorably impressed with the outside
of the house; let US enter. Close
the door, and you can scarcely i'm
agine where you are. The finest
and soflest of carpets, rich tapestry
embroidered with gold, dark, heavy
furniture curiously carved-an in-
laid table, and few fine paintings
on frescoed walls. You half-sit,
half-lie, in the deep cushions OF
YOUR chair. The host claps his
hands, soft-fOoted credCId enters,
an order is given, and she brings in
glasses and bottle of wine-or as
you prefer, curaeoa, absinthe, or
cognac, for Mexican hosts are uni
versally hospitable, and this little
form is never omitted. Glance
around the room. In that alcove
there hangs picture of Christ in
the Agony; aboveit is small stat
ue OF the Holy Mother; and before
them burns a small wax candle
Like those in the CatedrGl, this
burns night and day. When mem
Der of the family is sick, they place
flowers before the little shrine, and
light other candles. Sometimes the
candles go out. Then they light an
other, and mourn the loss Of the one
VINO has departed.
Going up the heavy stone stairs
with quaintly-wrought iron banis
terS, you enter a light and airy bed
room, the floor covered with flag
ging. The bed-frame is of brass
AMI wire net supports the bed
Vo,, notica ono thing that is want