The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1888-10-06
Cur 0liu.
LIFE IN A FAIR COUNTRY

Correspondence OF me ". 4. 1tmeS.
QUEzALTNANGo, Guatemala, July "a
Neither the dwellers in the Faubourg st.
German, the ''swells'' of Belgravia, nor
New York's 400 can boast of the exclu-
siveness practiced by the aristocratic "Don"
of Central America, who traces his blue
blood back to the time Of Alvarado, the
fair-haired Castilian conqueror of this coun-
try. He antedates the st. Nicholas and
New England societies requirement for
membership, and he smiles when you speak
to him of ancestors who came over in the
Mayfower, or who built log cabins in Ul-
ster County, because, when Hendrick Hud-
son and his merry men sailed up the beau
tiful river which bears his name and found
only wilderness, the city of Guatemala,
built by dis forefathers, was wealthy and
powerful, and the centre of the grapdest
region in the New World south of the val
ley of the city of Mexico. There is a
small set in Guatemala to-day who are so
careful of themselves that they seldom
venture on the sidewalks, and fortunately
for them they have saved enough of their
inheritance to enable them to keep ear.
riages Confinement to the house seems
to make them bashful, and when they are
actually caught outside they blush and bow;
then comes a shower of Spanish compli-
ments and they pass on. They have little
receptions and entertainments among them
selves, and SO rigidly do they adhere to
their "blue book" that only Kings and
Presidents can hope to secure invitations,
if not of their set. While speaking the
other day to a foreign resident of many
years in the country he told me that when
he came to San Salvador about 30 years ago
a young man calling in the evening was
expected to bring bottle of wine or whisky
in his pocket, so that the expense of en-
tertainment should not always fall upon the
parents of the young ladies'. But times
have changed, and nowadays it would be
regarded as an insult should the swain
bring his liquors with him, though his
face expresses desire for the return of the
good old days when asked to take lemon
ade
In the truly native entertainments, where
no foreign element has hand in the man
agement, the men crowd on one side of the
room and the women on the other There
is no such thing as walking arm in arm in
the beautiful, dimly-lighted corridors, and
there is no love-making between dances.
Almost the first idea which strikes one on
entering their delightful courtyards, filed
with the fragrance of every tropical flower,
is what a lovely, cool retreat they would
afford after dance in the hot salon; but
if you do inveigle girl out there, in three
minutes, as you glance over your shoulder,
you will find her chaperone following at 25
feet. When large parties are given all the
doors connecting rooms are thrown open,
and, the houses being only one-room deep,
you may go through one after the other
until you end at the main entrance where
you started. Each room has also door
open to the corridor, which in fine houses
is marble-tiled, broad walk, covered with
sloping roof and supported by handsome
stone pillars toward the inside. The peo-
pie seem fond of creeping vines. and some
times the corridor is made as dark as
tunnel. In the evenings on gala occasions
these vines and the trees of the courtyard
are hung with Chinese lanterns, which, with
the clear, starry heavens above, produce an
effect which is truly lovely. Many owners
have lately adopted novel means of adorn-
ment of the courtyard. In the United
States, many persons to brighten up Christ
mas trees, use different colored light glass
bulbs, cheap, and easily broken, and vary
ing in size from walnut to an orange, but
here these glass bulbs, about one foot in
diameter, are used to stop off" every post
in the yard. In the daytime the effect is
hideous, but at night with the surround
ing lights, they are handsome additions.
Ball suppers when supplied by some for
eign caterer are matters of wonder to the
Guatemalteco who has not travelled But
ter is very scarce article, and one evening
noticed an Israelite shopkeeper explaining
to his native friend that the mayonnaise
which covered some canned salmon was
butter, and they both scooped it off and
spread their sandwiches with it. The
Spaniard tasted its lemon favor and said
the butter was rancid. noticed one young
HAL WIN WAS edlinS oJseei Pd1eS. ne
knew that they contained oysters, but he
had no idea that the white sauce and pastry
were intended to be eaten, and he demolish-
ed and ruined dozen Of them by picking
the oyster out. The contemplation Of that
supper table and the misuse to which every
thing was put, and the many disappoint-
ments suffered by those who ate what they
should not have eaten, and who missed
what they should have tasted, brought to
light many performances just as ridiculous
as when Handy Andy ate salmon zen pa
pillote," paper and all, andrefused second
outlet, saying he thought the skin tough.
Singular to say, no matter how gorgeous
ly a belle may be gotten up, there is nearly
always lack Of attention to the details Of