Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1886-12-09
The Women OF Mexic0-THcir Char.
acter, Life ,,nti labor.
&c Correspondenee Of the Alexandria GAzErrEl

The Women OF Nexic0-TH,cir Char.
scter, Life anti labor.
| correspondence Of the Alexandria GAzETrE.l
CITY OF MEXICo, Nov. 30.--The higher
class may be justly regarded az az excellent
type Of true modesty and polteaess, rervent
love and lasting affection, with 8 strong
| spirit Il forgiveness. charity and yir-
tue. They have smiles knd words,
and sweet compliments lGr all and silence
with them takes the place otcensure They
are ever ready TO forgive, and chali,y seldom
appeals 10 them in vain; bat their virtue, OF
| ing &c thepTisonhomesi III winch thcypass their
! ilveS Is las has been truly su!G) OF That sick.
~ na;ure Of not house plants which wther
ana perish when exposed! 10 The weather,
| They are taught that association even in the
| best society presents many evil temptations
which they have not power to resist, hence
the young ladies go but little in society. and
| seldom even to church without an cscort
from the same family. This weakness. with
her retiring in0Gesiy ana lack Z! sci: re!i-
ance added TO her very uleagcr knowledge
of household affairs constitutes the :aurEs of
| ner rank in society, and strange Us il may
| seem they pride themselves in the possession
OF these qualities rather than Try 10 pre-
vent them: yet their education is not ne.
| elected, but it i9 not OF that practical Kind
| by which the possesSG1 may earn her own
living if left iii the uord alone.
1t Is rather veneagina composed
Of the wbm5 and mGnGals5 of
fashion, polished with soce!y yaru.su Ard
iaiald with fashionable ideas of religion and
an Inherited adherence for al! kctis of dc.
nestle employment Ihis, united with an
| unboundsd display Of oGtwar.! appeared, IS
| kept intact by The !uhG.i.G& t3r.Uus. 80.
cured IL The days Oi the conquest iIy .ig! au-
| cestors, the results Of which the lovely
senortas display ''ior all its worthn o.! ali
| church and state occasions. Blu, st other
! times the fair pUssessOr i3 confined 10 her
| prison house, where she has servants TO
| come and 10 st her call, and is now. aud in
| future expects tc be relieved Of the RESPONSE
bilty OF her own support hence, cannot III
the biblical sense be called heip.macc Ia
snort, her home ls ono oil luxury, we'll sup.
piled with light literature musical instru.
ments aud the latest Partisan novelties, and
she like bird in lis cage hiss complete free
dom within the beautiui enclosure Gut
the pure light and the fresh sir of tie o;l-
side world is not always hers to enjoy
again it is as Il hive where she sips HE
sweets gathered frcm all the flowers in the
land; get for her, the slave OF fashion and
the pet of pride and position, It Would be Il
shame TO work TO ;eln them
But, dear Carotta, what redeemng quail
tea does she possess Why, she has q pair
of liquid black eyes, and long wavy
tresses. possessing siiken softness and
as black as night, and small and
delicate chin with IL pretty diupe
which she has power to paint with her mod.
est bushes and enlarge Or diminish with
her smiles. Then she has q pair ofjet-black
eyebrows peeping out in Il very bewitching
way from beneath charming suit Of patent
baugletls, She has also pair of rosy lips,
and cheeks enchanting that have power 10
produce hunger OH the lips of the lauguid
lover who peeps ct her over the garden wall
under the mellow moonlight. Besides. she
has tender, sof5 and delicate little hands,
with jeweled, tapering fingers, dainty
enough to be kissed but too frail for house
hold use. And when papa and mamma isn't
at home she can be as merry as 8 mockbirC,
and run and romp like the fsheIman's
daughter who lived in Wild Rose Cottage,
on Shanty Hill. Again, she can laugh as
iight-hearted and gay as any girl that ever
woke her country's mountain echoes with
her laugh. In addition she possesses the
sweet trait of expressing JOY in your pres.
ence, pangs OF regret at your parting, aud
the sweetness Of hope in your absence. aud
her love for her lover, even through bolts
and bars, is as pure as the dew drop on the
petal of the lily in the valley, and her af
fection in time becomes az devoted as the
idolstry Of Mecca. This in after years
ripens into the love and sympathy Of wife
and mother, and is then as a pillow of
downy softness, or healing balm that faii5
like the dews Of mercy on the bruised and
troubled heart OF her husband.
The lower class, and the life they live, is
as dark background to the bright picture
just presented. Here women's lot is to Lead
life Of the lowest drudgery, with little Or
no attention given to the development of
any Of the nobler qualities OF her se1. BY
color she is confined to the cast of mestizos,
or mixed blood, in which cast if she is ia
vored by fortune, she may become criada
de menage (housemaid) to ono of her fairer
sisters in the former class. Otherwise, she
may fill the place of the mestizo maid in
the market, or kneel before the metate and
| grind corn upon it from early morn till late
at night, or do servics as scavenger for
her lord in tho mansion at from ID to 15
cents per day. Else she may spend her
days with her husband as q beast Of burden
10 the streets, with her babe on her back,
and pass her nights on the stone floor of
windowless dungeon in some low tenement
house; and after time and the torture Of
drudgery has deprived the two OF their
strength, she must rely on the aims Of the
public for her support, until her last re-
mains are borne away to coffinless grave
Even here she is permit cd TO rest only un-
I'll the final dissolution Of the body is partly
perfected, when her remains are disintsrea
and exposed to the wind and weather. Thus
5ootb Sbo r,,,st rix,a bor pla