Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-05-29

Ian lived mostly in huts erected on piles !
over the water). he had but to assemble |
the family upon his estate and paddle IL |
away So strong was this natural love for |
flowers that the useful was soon secondary
TO the ornamental, and the little gardens
became gay with blossoms and aromatic
herbs which were used in the worship of
the gods or to bedeck the palace of the En-
peror. Truly, that ancient city, with its
watery avenues and floating fields. must
have been far more interesting than the
modern town-a charming place for tour
lists visits barring such Inconvenience as
the Sacrificial stone and the insatiate anne
tite of Old Huitzilopoctll for the hearts of
human victims
SANTA ANITA
The first village on the Viga beyond the
City of Mexico, is the universal rallying
point on Sundays, both for natives and
sight-seekers from Che capital. There is
always a fiesta at Santa Anita, and the In
dams are forever fandangoing, puloue-
drinking and ballad-singing. On arriving
at this village, the first business of every
body is to secure wreath of peoples end
corn-flowers which the women wear upon
their tangled hair and the men upon their
sombreros- though perhaps the human
form divine" thus beautifully crowned,
and dirty rags. Lovely wreaths sell for a
nlddio (six cents) apiece, and the woman,
young or Old, who is not wreathed before
the day Is over is either deep in disgrace or
hopeleSsly out of fashion. This innate
love of flowers is direct heritage from
the swarthy founders of the floating
gardens. History tells us that the most
valuable gift which Montezuma presented
to the Spanish ambassadors who came TO
his court was accompanied by rare bouquet
and strange anomaly it must have
seemed, the love of the beautiful combined
with their blood-curdling religioni Baron
Won Humboldt remarked upon the same
popularity centuries afterward, and so have
| all other writers on Mexico. To-day those
who sit in the market-places must EN-
bower themselves in green branches gar
| landed with flowers, while some prosaic
pulque barrels are wreathed with roses.
and mugs and pitchers are similarly
adorned. The poorest village church has
It's floor strewn with blossoms, and fresh
bouquets are always arraigned upon the
affairs before service begins The babe at
It's christening, the child at its confirmation,
the bride at her wedding and the corpse in
its coffin are alike adorned.
AT THE INDIAN VILLAGE
Next above Santa Anita is a rare old
church, which was built by Cortez more
than three hundred years ago, but is still in
daily use. 1t is well worth visit. and if
the doors chance to be closed. few cents
will induce the custodian (who lives con-
Venlently near) to produce the key and re-
veal all its treasures of antique uginess.
In the rear is ed-grown graveyard, with
rows of grinning skulls ranged along the
arms OF its central cross, which is sur
rounded by the usual heap of human
bones. In front of the church, facing
the plaza fountain where the wom2
en- collect with their water Jars and linger
| to gossip, as even Indian women will-are
| several blue painted adobe tombs. The
vaults are mostly empty, except few
| moldy bits OF collins (aS any one may see
| by looking in), but each is graced by the
| owners skull and cross bones placed care
fully on top. There is something charm
| lngly grotesque i'll the idea that these long
dead folk have come out to watch the little
world they left and listen to the endless
| gossip at the fountain and each eyeless
dome OF thought" seems to wear a cheer
! full grin as if approaching the situation
Nothing more picturesque can be imag-
| lned than the evening homecoming down
| the Nlga-the happy-hearted natives sing
| ing on shore and in their boats, or fandango
| dancing to twanging guitars, while the
| dusky gondoiers keep time to the music
with their paddles; meantime the sleepy
water is growing purple beneath the will
| lows and the soft twilight of this marvel
| Gus climate is throwing its glamour over
all. Everybody, of whatever age or color,
sex or station, wears poppy wreath; and
since 1t Is better to be out of the world
| than out of fashion, Betsy and don them
| also and enter heartily into the spirit of
the occasion. FANNIE b. WARD.