Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-07-07
Central American Women.

FROM the New York Times
Their great trouble is lack Of occupation. AS
schoolgirls they never learn any such fancy work
as is done by other women the world over; they
seldom read; the rarest thing on earth is to see
book in the hands OF Il Central American belle.
The consequence is that from morning to night
they have nothing to do but gossip. 1t is an in
teresJ1ng TACT that babies are seldom nursed by
their own mothers; they are turned over to wet
on they know as little about their own mother
as they do about any one else's mother.
The women as class are not pret;y-about
i've In each republic would pass for "rather
good looking" on Broadway. Some one in
Panama had told me that Costa RIGA was re-
travelling through that country on muleback l
could but echo PumDelly's words "The last
rived" Much OF their unpresentability results
from their style OF dressing. On the street hats
are never worn; parasols are seldom seen; they
powder sufhcfently to prevent Sunburn. Ladies'
are often seen on the Streets wearing what we
call In the United States white cambria dressing
dresses are considered street costumes, and the
more flnery they get on the better they think
themselves dressed. The pretty, plainly made
United States, are never worn by this race, and
would probably excite derision from lack OF "fal-
lal." Their complexion Is not fresh; they seldom
60 OUT their exercise amounts to nothing, and the
lack or bathing facilities to put 1t mildly checks
any freshness that might otherwise come to their
cheeks. knew an American lady who, be ore she
had become acclimaled, was troubled with slight
rash on her wrists and arms. A doctor was called
In and the complaint explained. He Immediately
prescribed bath. but, do tor said the lady 81
battle every morning." The doctor had never
heard OF such a custom. They are poor house.
keepers; everything is left TO the Indian cook,
and there seems 10 be universal lack OF dig
nifty In the treatment OF the servants by the mis-
tresS-all subjects are discussed between them
and soon the cook thinks she is ''goOd" as her
mistress, and doubtless she Is Thus it is that do
nestle secrets are passed to a servant who in
turn passes them to her friends to become the
common talk Of the community resident Of a
New England village or an army post is the
only one capable of forming any conception OF Cos
sip US 1t exists In Central America.
once escorted young lady to ball and was
Invited TO dinner beforehand. was not q little
aston1shed 10 hear her mother, the hostess, call
out to Antonio, the servant, to take the knives
and forks aud wash them for the next course
do not wish TO be charged with having "eateu salt
and then," &C. | only give that little Incident as
custom in families, even at dinner parties and
this family was an "F f."
But the ball was more amusing. The women
have a decidedly Jewish cast of countenance: a
trace Of their Indian blood still peeps out in their
manner OF bedecking themselves with jewels.
Many families are extremely wealthy and they
fairly load their daughters with briliiants Had
German instead OF spanish been the language
would have imagined myself IN the ballroom of
Congress Hall, Saratoga. IL was here that dis
covered a novel use for the ordinary ladies' shoe
polish. Nearly all the girls dresses were stained
black or a scrubby brown around the waist, back
and breast, or any place where they would touch
man while dancing with him. asked a young
German girl what caused the stains She told me
that the gentlemen blacked the gray-worn seams
OF their coats or any other threadbare part with
ladies' shoe polish.
The manners OF the women are not good. have
seen two or three native women pass addressed
European lady, gigge, and ridicule her Dress such
as her hat and gloves, while they had no cCncep-
ton OF how much poorer an appearance they
made, waddling along like barnyard ducks in
too short for decency, immense bustles badly put
In place, and rounded shoulders.