Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-12-01

drive or promenade, or even to sit at home
III tDelr own parlOrs with gentlemen who
are not their nearest kin, without the Wig
lIaht supervision Of mother, duena, or
onhperOne' III our more matter-of-fact
| hOrtnern gentlemen were accorded none
OF the privileges of social propinuuitv, it
Is greatly 10 be feared that an alarming
increase or old-maidism would ensue, and
corresponding decrease Of matrimonial
STATISTICS. But the old, old story, as new
ana charming to every modern lover as
70 the hrst pair in Eden, will be learned
oy southern youth despite all restric-
When a Mexican gallant fixes his affec-
Ilons upon a girl be has generally greater
PROBATION and tribulation to undergo be-
lore ne can win her than the Bible lover
mac VINO served seven years. OF course,
ne mas no special acquaintance with her
ana may not go boldly TO the paternal Ca
sa 10 call upon her, so he meanders back
ana Iorth before her windows, day after
day and night after night, until he has
| succeeded IN attracting her attention
naturally attracting the attention of the
Wn0Ie nelghborhood as well, If not that
Oh uhe police, the family bulldog. and pa
Jeralmlllas' pistol. Ii the damsels affec-
uons are not otherwise bestowed, you
may De sure she is not slow to respond,
lor 10 her dreamy and mOnOtonous exist
en-. w hen she begins 10 smile but ever
so coyly upon him, he holder grows. and
losses bouquets between her easement
bars when the old folks are not looking)
WIN Dlilets dOux hidden in their hearts
Ike "loye among the roses" This is
called making the bear" why, do not
know, except that those restless quadru-
peds are supposed to be constantly pacing
TO and fro. Sometimes il is kept so for
| faithful ,Fobf
found beneath his Juliets window. She,
secure behind the cruel bars or alOft upon
her balcony, leans forth in the moonlight,
smiling sweet responses to his serenades,
or renders him rapturous by improvising
lovers telegraph from spool of thread,
by means OF which imprisoned messages
may travel between them, or bouquets
ana other cages glamour be hauled up. To
MIN mat Fragile line is like Jacobs lad
der, leading straight to Heaven, and an
angel is at the other end Of il.
One couple of my acquaintance have
oeen doing this sort of thing for six long
years. The wedding day is no nearer
than ever, for this Romeo has never yet
spoken to his Juliet, or touched her tiny
hand. Call these not wasted years. We
unpoetic Yankees, but rather the hap
pest season of life, the springtime of love,
whose ideal joys have no returning. Why
should ne haste to brush the bloom from
his peach, when it is beyond the power OF
earth or heaven to restore it again? The
sentimental raptures when merged into
matrimony, would soon degenerate to the
commonplace. Perhaps as Byron philo-
sophically opInes,
When linked together for every weather,
They pluck loves feather from out his wing
Hell stay forever, but sadly shiver.
without his plumage, when past spring.
During these srOoning days it Is aston
ishing how devCutly religious the lovers
become attending church constantly, and
their precious health likewise demands
vast amout of exercise in the piazas, for
these are about the only places where by
any possibility they may meet. 1t is the
custom among these good Catholics to at
tend mass very early in the morning, in
fact, to 20 to church at all times and all
seasons, and the young peoples routes
thereto Invariably lie through the plazas.
Day by day, from the first glimmer of
dawning, young men may be seen loiter-
ing in these flOwery trysting places
awaiting the arrival Of their Dulcineas.
; They glance and smile, but may not
speak to one another, and silently each
devoted swain follows the maids OF his
choice into the dim old sanctuary, where,
venture to assert, many kneeling lover
has WOrshiped living saint rather than
dead ones.
And then in those same plazas on moon
light evenings when bands play and all
the town turns out among the roses,
Juliet Is certain to be there securely
hedged and guarded by relatives, but her
starry eyes betray the inward query.
Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou, R0-
meO P'-and grow tender at his approach.
Round and round they promenade, the
ladies' always in one direction, the gentle
I 11or In ha nfh hot fbavr
rally meeting; and though this fruitless
lantomime seems to us rather unsatis-
ActOry, it is to be presumed that ''heart
snswereth unto heart, as deep calleth
unto Deep" the same as when we old
bgies were young and silly. Truly these
llazas are delightful places, and the uni
Tersal Mexican custom of walking mnch
within them is a most charming one.
When the trOpio air is heavy with the
breath OF orange blossoms, the fountain
softly murmuriug and the band render
i ing sensnous airs by the light of a south
ern moon, any saint in the calendar. were
he living, would feel his pulse quicken
under the influence.
Even after a couple are duly engaged
and the paternal blessing bestowed, which
happy climax is brought about by a third
party, who negotiates for the lover with
the young lady's family. Romeo is not
]
ment alone. He may call at stated in
tervals, if the parents consent and con-
verse with his fiancee in the presence OF
her family; but although the formal be-
trothal is legal ceremony duly witness
ed and recorded, and almost as binding
as marriage itself. not until the nymeneal
knot Is securely tied can he exchange one
word with her in private, or join in her
perambuatiOns on the plaza. or attend
/ her any where in public. Such tritling
details as ascertaining her tastes and get
ing acquainted with her temper are re-
erved for connubal bliss. However,
unsuitable the union may prove there is no
nlease but death under this Catholic
ngime, which makes divorce impossible.
Naturally. domestic tragedies sometimes
Ocur, but truth compels us to admit that
; tey are far more rare than in our own
land, where every opportunity is afforded
fr intimate acquaintanceship before
marriage. The reason lies in the different
eucation OF the weaker sex. In Mexico
there are no strong-miuded females. no
gnsping alter unattainable spheres, nor
striving for rights which include the
waring Of unmentiOnables. Girls are
nc cultured up to the Bostonian point in
ocult sciences, but the utmost limit OF
thdr learning is little music, smatter-
inlo drawing. and perhaps a language
or wO besides their own. Their dainty
6nhrs can execute marvels OF lace-work