Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-03-08
WEST INDIAN WOMEN.
Maud Muller of the Tropics-Hew The
Dress and Adorn Themselves.

Maud Muller of the Tropics-Hsw They
Dress and Adorn Themselves.
Are the ladies prettyl said Porto Rico
letter. 1t is purely q matter of taste.
Those writers who have extolled the
beauty of the Cuban and other tropical
bellies have had very little knowledge OF
the girls Of America. If one is fond of
dolls he will admire the tropical plant.
There are very many pretty girls to be
seen among the lower classes-more in
Porto Rico than in Cuba-bright-eyed
jolly, sylph-like beings. as graceful and
supple as a panther, timid and modest,
but with all the cOquettish grsces that
budding wOmanhoOd is endowed with and
always has been In all ages and in all
attitudes. None of them can read; none
Of them ever saw the inside of school
house and do not know OF the ex istence of
books; they call you an Americana"
but have as little idea of where an Ameri-
can came from as of the composition OF
the stars. They reply 'Se, senior" to
everything you say to them and mOdestly
drOOp their long, black lashes over such
eyes as is supposed were the rum Of An
tony and were worn
By that dark queen for whose mere smile
4 world wac battered.
These girls, these Maud Mullers of the
tropics are beautiful; have an animal
beauty and calls for admiration that is
genuine aud makes them the victims of
the lust of men ana the poverty or ava
rice OF their parents.
The ladies of the upper classes dress in
the most gorgeous fashion, and go great
way towards making up the deficiency in
those of lesser caste. Like the birds of
Z the frnnIPS the NJ OaI1Hv
plumage and wear what would be cOnsid-
cred extremely loud among the bellies OF
the temperate zone. GewgaVs of the
most absurd ana barbarlc description are
loaded upon their persons. and only those
who have been in the United States or IN
Paris show any degree of refinement in
taste. They wear The most extraordinary
combination of colors, and when dressed
tor a ball the tropical belle looks as if she
had legged herself out to represent rain
bow at a masquerade.
They still clingtO the fashion OF loading
their heads with masses of false hair, and
the chignOns which were worn in North
America fifteen or twenty years ago still
are found on sale in the shops here, in
closed in paper boxes with glass covers,
like the lid of coffin, and are seen on the
heads OF the ladies whenever you happen
to find one without the lace scarf, which
! they all wear instead OF a bonnet. 1t
looks like old times TO see these water
ais" which in the States are supposed to
be obsolete.
The bellies of the upper classes, those
whose languishing eyes and rich bloom
have been the topics OF so much literature
in prose and verse, may be beautiful and
natural, but with what they choose to
consider artificial adOrnment they are
not. Their eyes are wOndrous black and
bewitching, and to be able to use them ct
iectively Is 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 eyes all look alike, beautifully
black, seusuOusly languishing and gener-
ally indicative of bad temper, but other
wise expressiOnless. They haven't half
the expression OF the eyes Of thorough
bred horse or dog and are simply evil
dences OF passion, not OF intelligence.
And with the eyes ends the cuban wO-
mans beauty. She would spoil them if
she could, but as she can't she daubs the
plaster on her face ali the thicker. The
chemist here sell 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 care. to church
and to the opera, and when they think no.
body is looking give their faces a ddub.
There cannot exist in the mind of any
one of them a suppositiOn that the plaster
of Paris complexion deceives 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 che ks.
Their mouths are usually large, their
lips thicker than is consistent with class
ic rules, but their teeth are usually
even, pretty and well preserved. Al
tbOug they make sweetmeats or "dulces"
a great part OF their diet for breakfast as
well as dinner you seldom see a woman or
man without good teeth.
But the most disagreeable thing about
a Cuban woman is her yOice-that low,
sweet, musical tone which is told about
as one of the attractions of Turkish beau
" is not heard here, nor is the bold ac-
cent 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 and in high key.
They mature early and fade early, these
tropical women. They either dry up and
wither or become very obese. There are
no beautiful old ladies to be seen, as in
all parts of the United States. When they
reach 40 years of age they are either
gaunt ane sour, like a crab apple, or else
fat and greasy. Their compilations are
ruined by the use Of the plaster 1 have de-
scribed and the lack OF exercise shows in
their aWkwardness as well as their ply
sique. The only exercise west India
woman ever takes is IN rocking chair.