Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-04-16
CUPID M MEXICO.
IA Requirements Of Courtship In the
Land Of tho Montexumaa.

1eA0AIOMA0uS0 OF C0VEC9nlp IN t00
Land OF the Montexumss.
When a young man sees a youngl lady
t. whom he wishes to pay his addresses
he may have caught a glimpse of her
at a window, or on the street, or met
her at a tertulia OF evening palrty-he
endeavors to get into communication
with her to inform her that it is his de-
sire to pay his addresses to her. 1t is
entirely permissible for him to speak to
her and convey his wish, and if she is
inclined to respond to his desire, she
must, if she is well-bred, tell him to
TASK mamma" Then young Don
Fulano begins to appear in the street
where resides the lady of his heart. He
PAGES up and down in front of the
house and endeavors to catch a glimpse
OF her. All the senoritas, and the
mamma, and the aunts, if there be any
in the house, are on the watch for
his appearance, and his promptness is
taken to indicate that he is in earnest
in the matter. 1t ispermissible for him
to send love letters TO the young lady
via the window, but that letter which
contains the manifestations of his
hearts tenderness must be handed
by the %senorita to her mamma,
according to the rules of all decent
society. If mamma approves, the
young man is sure to find the senorita
lowering about the balcony when he is
pacing the sidewalk below, or, per-
chance, the sidewalk across the way.
She may even send him notes, first
having submitted them to tho parental
eye. Papa then begins to stake a
hand'' in the affair. He makes inquiry
into the young mans pecuniary pros
poets. If the sutton is in business, his
chances of promotion are considered
and his salary known. If he is heir to
an estate, that is inquired into minute
ly, the object, of course, being, if the
young nan is not satisfactory, to let
the matter drop where it is and to re-
serve the daughter for a more eligible
person. The young mans habits are,
among respectable families, quite as
much a matter of inquiry and investi-
cation as his bushes or financial pros
poets.
And still the young man is coming
every day to ''play the bear" Macer Ell
oso) beneath the window. Some young
ladies, inspired by the jealousy of the
feminine heart. demand that the young
mar shall appear o schedule time"
every day so as to make tolerably GER
tain that he is not utilizing his time in
the same way with some other fair one.
If the girl is obdurate it may be six
months or even a year that the young
man must play the bear to her. She
gets a peep at him through the cur.
tains, spies him from odd windows and
watches his daily exhibition of devotion
with true feminine curiosity. If he has
been ''real good" as the girls say, he
may, even after a few weeks, approach
the window and whisper soft nothings
to his lady love. Then he asks permits
sion to call upon her, and. if it is
granted, he gets On his best clothes
and makes a most ceremonious call in
the presence of the entire family, TO,
this is a regular estate OCCASION" i
he gets permission to call regularly.
he perhaps comes every third day
but there is always some member
of the family in the room, and the Low.
er gets a chance to have a word
in private. He is always in the full
blaze of domestic publicity.
The senoritas say that there are
ways of talking with the eyes, the
fan and the lips, and if they wish to
show how real their affection is for
their sutton, that words are %unneces-
sary. The ''enamorades" meet at ter
tulias, on the public promenade or at
the theater. They have many oppor-
t%unities of meeting, and may dance
with one another under the eve OF
eternal vigilance. Marriage may come
in a few months, or in a year or more,
according to the means of the sutton or
the wishes of the parents .-Merico
Cor. Boston Herald.