Daily Yellowstone journal., 1888-05-01
THE PARKS OF HAVANA.
The Whole City Is "A Fairyland by Night.
A Great Outdoor Parlor.

The Whole City Is "A Fairylnnd by Night.
A Great Outdoor Parlor.
All Havana is in the parks or cafes or
on the housetops at night. AS the sun
goes down il seems as though from every
quarter come thousands for the nightly
outing. The streets, plazas and cafes
dazzle with light lmring from the quaint
est of burners and frames, and the
brilliant colOred glass, so universally and
richly used in decoration, adds Il beauty
and charm to countless pleasing scenes.
There is music everywhere. Here in
a half lighted, richly decorated balcony
is a group of men and women chatting
in low, musical tones, or listening to
sweet notes of the guitar. In this en-
trada, with a court filed with rich lights,
plants flowers, and quaint corridors be-
hind. in an almost oriental background,
are perhaps several families seated half
out upon the street, and among them
somewhere is music. Here, there and
everywhere upon the housetops, among
luxuriant gardens, are merry crowds
singing, playing OF dancing. The half
lights of the night hide and reveal.
Sound and light and shadow mingle until
the ear and sight are ravished by what
is heard and seen, and what is listened
for and heard in thought. Melody in
word, laugh and song, and from musical
instruments Of every nature and in every
place-nothing loud and sonorous, but
everything soft and dreamful-pulses in
harmonious chords above and over and
through the streets.
The whole city is as a ~fairyland by
night. II is the more ~bewildering to the
beholder, because there are in il one
mindedness and oneheartedness that
make melody and gayety not only with
the well conditioned. but as truly within
the grimy walls of the charcoal mans
little stall; down at the waterside among
the swarthy boteros; owe there in Reg
Ia with the toll scourged stevedores and
%lancheros; up Balquarte, way among the
labor bent lavenderas; and in every odd
and moldy corner where human life
lasts in layers, it lights up all with a face
as free Of care as il ever unknown. All
this comes to you, and you know the
fact. You leave those who like 10 quar-
rel over the involved ethics. But all this
time, when an entire great city has sud.
denly resolved itself into a vast pleasure
garden, SO completely that It's influence
seems v 10 have touched and trans.
formed, without exception, the direst
conditions, the gayer and more restless
elements swarm the paseos and plaZas,
and no European city presents more brill
liant scenes. But in this one city of the
wsrld, this single rich blossom Of the
tropics, all its people, in these hours, are
pleasure givers and pleasure receivers,
and that, too, whatever the individual
condition. There is none so high and
naughty, or low and ~listless. MS 10 think,
or dare, refusal of this individual conces-
sion, or gift Of word and way, to this
universal something we would be quick
to call among our good selves true evil
dence Of true lighlheartedness and Joy.
| do not believe the world has elsewhere
such a condition and study.
In these nightly carnivals fully 10. 900
equipages, filled with richly attired and
merry occupants, may be seen. During
the early evening the favorite drive is
along Gale Ancha del Norte, by the sea.
Later the Calzado de Ia Reina and the
Paseo del Tacon are sought. As the
night advances the great center of this
brilliant life and luxurious activity is in
the vicinity of the larger city parks, TO
which the paseos and the Prado lead,
where military bands discourse the lively
or Oensuous airs of Spain. Here throng
hosts of pedestrians; but, instead Of the
ruleness and clam0r usual in such con-
courses in other cities, every frcquenter
Of the locality only intensifies the every
where manifest chivalrous courtesy and
charming consideration that so dis.
tinguish them. 1t is rs though here
were a mammoth reception Of the cOurtli-
est Of men and women. Indeed. il is the
great outdoor parlor Of a great city,
where every city is q noble guest. In
the pauses Of the music promenading is
continuous. II would not then be uncom.
mon for you 10 see at n time, and in
the one place on the gloSe where that is
possible, 10000 women Of surprising
beauty. Of wonderful winsomcncss OIL
marvellous grace. 1t is not until SOM
time after midnight that the crowds seen
to diminish; for at some hour Of th,
evening every gentleman and every
seIrDra and senorita in the city makeSi it
social obligation or pleasure TO be present
But from midnight until morning, by al
unwritten law, the parks and paseos arr
in possession Of less dense gatherings
though an intenser and far more ques
tiouabl- character of pleasure seekers
Edgar l.. Wakeman in Nsw York Mai
and Express.