The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-03-13
Jhg PARKS OF HAVANA,
The whole city Is ~ rairyiand by slight.
\ Great Outdoor Parlor.

TIE whole city Is ~ 1airy1tnd by N1snts
4 Great Outdoor Parior.
All Havana is in the parks or cafes or
on the housetops at night. As the sun
goes Town it seems as though from every
quarter come thousands for the nightly
onting. Tho streets, plazas and cafe
dazzle with light flaring from the quaint
est Of burners and frames. and the
brilliant colored glass, 50 universally and
richly used IN decoration, adds Il beauty
and charm 10 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, on listening 10
sweet notes Of the guitar. In this en-
trada, with Il court filed with rich lights,
plants, flowers. and quaint corridors be-
hind. in an almost oriental background,
are perhaps several families seated halt
out upon the street, and among them
somewhere Is music. Here, there and
everywhere upon the housetops, among
luxuiiant gardens, are merry crowds
singing, playing or 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 oven and
through the streets.
The whole city is as a ~fairyland by
night. II Is the moro keWildenng to the
Leholder, because there are in it one
ilindedness and oneheartedness that
make melody and gayety lot only with
The well conditioned. but rs truly within
the grimy walls Of the charcoal mans
little stall down At the water5.de among
the swarthy bOterOs. over there in Reg
ll with the toll scoureod stcvedore5 and
lIncheros; up Balquafte, way among the
labor bent layenderas; and IN every odd
and mOldy corner where human life
lasts in layers, it lights up all with a face
a. free Of care as if ever unknown. All
TINS comes 10 you, and you know the
fact. You leave those who like 10 quar-
ri over the involved ethics. But ali this
time, when an entire great city has sud
denly resolved itself into a vast pleasure
garden, o completely that its influence
seems even to have touched and trans
formed, without exception, the d:rest
conditions, the gayer and moro restless
elements swarm the paseCs and plaZas.
and no European city presents more bril-
liant scenes. But in this one city of the
world. 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 l%istless, as TO 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 N good selves true evil
dence of true lightheartedness and JOY.
I do not believe the world has elsewhere
such q condition and study.
In these nightly carnivals fully 10, 900
c|quipages. filed 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. 10
which the Uaseos AMI tho Prado lead, |
where military bands discourse the lively
OF sensuous airs Of Spain. Here thrOng
hosts Of pedestrians, bat, instead OF the
rudcaess and clamor usual in such con
courses in other cities, every %frequenter
Oh the locality only intensilios the every
where manifest chiyairOus courtesy and
Charmmg consideration that 50 dis
tinguish them. Il Is as though here
were a mammoth reception Of the courtli-
est Of mon and ONE Indeed, it Is the
great outdoor parlor Of a great city.
where every city is "a noble guest. In
the pause5 Of Tie music p~ronenading IS
continuous. Il would net then be uncom-
mon for you 10 see at one time, and in
the one plaoo on the globe where that is
possible, 1900 women Of SURPRISING
beauty. Of wonderful winsomeness Of
marvellous grace. It is not until some
time after midnight that thecrowds seem
to diminish; for at some hour Of the
evening every gentleman and every
SONORA and seuorita in the city makes it a
social obligation or pleasure to be present.
But from midnight until morning, by an
unwritten lax, the parks and paseos are
in possession Of less dense gatherings,
m intenser and far more ques-
tionabls character of pleasure seekers.-
Edgar L. Wakeman in New York Mail
and Express.