The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1885-07-24
Bellies Of Southern Islaa

Bellies OF Southern Isles.
Those writer's who have extotlaa i.
beauty of the Cuban and other tros sas
al bellies have very little knowledgs
OF the girls of America. If one
fond OF dolls he will admire the troa
ical plant. There are MANY nratt.
girls to be seen among the low.
classes-more in Porto Rico Thar i
Cuba-bright eyed, jolly, sylph I;ks
beings; as graceful and supple 81
panther, timid and modest. bnt ,r;.s
all the c~oquettish graces that bnddirS
womanhood is endowed with ana 81
ways has been in ali ages and ii Ill
ATTITUDES. None of them can read
none of them ever saw the inside az :
school house, and do not know az tba
existence of books; they call Won ~
Americana" but have as little iaaa
where an American came from a. -
the composition of the stars: thew "a
ply ''Se Senor'' to everything Won GOV
to them, and modestly droop tbe;s
long, black lashes over such eyes as il
supposed were the ruin OF ANTONY
and were worn
BY that dark queen for whose mere smile
A world was bartered.
The bellies of the upper classao
those whose languishing eyes and
rich bloom have been the topics Of 4
much literature in prose AMI verse.
may be beautiful and natural. but with
what they choose To consider artificial
adornment they are not. Their ewes
are wondrous black and b~ewitching,
and to be able to use them effectively
Is q matter of education. 1t Is said
that Cuban women-and by that
mean the whole West Indies-can
throw more expression into the glance
OF the eye than any in existence. but
the people who say it have probably
flirted with them or seen the glowing
of a heart in love. To me their ewes
all look alike, beautifully black, sen.
suouslY languishing, and generally in
dicative of 3 bad temper. but other
wise expressionless. They haven't
half the expression of the eyes of j
thoroughbred horse or dog, and are
simply evidences of passion not OF In
telligence.
And with the eyes ends the Cuban
woman s beauty. She would spoil
them If she could. but as she can't she
daubs the plaster or her face all the
thicker. The chemists here sell a sort
OF paste made Of powdered egg-shells
which the women paint their faces
with until they have the appearance
of plaster images. They take the
stuff with them in the cars, to church,
and to the opera, anG when they think
nobody is looking give their faces a
daub. There cannot exist in the mind
of any one of them a supposition that
this plaster of paris complexion de-
ceives people, but why they think
chalk is beautiful is a mystery. The
neck and ears of a West India belle
are about ten shades darker than her
nose and cheeks.
Their mouths are usually large, their
lips thicker than is consistent with
classic rules, but their teeth are usual
ly white, even, pretty, and well pre-
served. Although they make sweet
meats or '.dulces'' a part OF their diet
for breakfast as well as dinner, you
seldom see a woman or a man without
good teeth.
But the most disagreeable thing
about a Cuban woman is her voice
that low, sweet, musical tone which is
told about as one Of the attractions OF
Turkish beauties is not heard here, mol
is the bold accent of the English girl
noticed anywhere in the West Indies.
The voice Of the most refined lady IS
usually as harsh and rasping as the cry
of a parrot, and she always talks very
loud andin a high key.
They mature and fade early, these
tropical women They either dry up
and wither, or else become very obese
There are no beautiful old ladies to be
seen, as in all parts of the United
States. When they reach forty years
of age they are either gaunt and sour,
like q great crab apple, or else fat and
greasy. Their compilations are ruined
by the use of the plaster i have de-
scribed, and the lack of exercise shows
in their awkwardness. as well as tneiI
physique. The only exercise Q Wes'
India woman ever takes is In Q Q 9
ing chair.--P0rto Rico Cor. Inter ocean
The Pm-t0-be-Ph0t0graphe LOOK.