, 1888-04-29

couraged, everywhere. You will stumble
over him at the church doors; give him
the sidewalk on the principal thorough
fares: see that he has a comfortable seat
in the cabin of the ferries; walk all around
him in his various forms at the doors of
the cafes and shops; defer to his being
agreeably seated in the parks and plazas;
give him the pleasantest corner beside
your portero in the entrada of your dwell
ling; and if you are not in a mood or con-
dition to give him aims you would be So
clally damned if you did not at least hum
bly, respond to his request with, "Perdon
a por Djosl' ('Pardon me, for Gods
sake!) There were six of these of the
neither aristocracy of Cuba aboard this
train; and though none of them had paid
n centavo of fare, all the consideration
shown anybody by the conductor was be-
slowed upon them.
In the second class car were from thirty
to forty of all colors, shades and condi-
tons, from the big eyed guajiro, startled
at every sound of bell or whistle or lurch
of tram; the matrite or butcher on his
weekly quest for beeves for the corralles;
a half dozen detallistas or Havana retail
ers setting forth for small consignments
of produce; some comfortably dressed
sitieros or small farmers from the interior;
a few mart clerks from the Havana
shops; any number of well clad mulatto
girls and women, each one an cxhaustless
reservoir Of explosive giggles; and a rude
and roaring party of American sea cap.
tains from their sailing craft in Havana
harbor, on their hilarious way to Matan-
zas for charters" or cargoes of sugar,
enlivening the Journey with sundry attacks
upon mysterious bottles, with songs of sea
brayado and female conquest ashore, whose
flavor and slaves were louder than the
rafting of the train, and with such good
round oaths against everything Spanish,
as would have consigned them all to the
black holes of Moro castle had they been
understood. In the first class car were
my friend and myself; a party of grave
and anxious sugar planters-perfect
types of the digniied planters of
our South before the war; a squad
Of the guarda civil, proceeding to some
municipality to relieve the squad there sta
toned, which would in turn relieve that
OF another village, which system keeps
this branch of the Spanish soldiery In
Cuba constantly IN the move; one or two
American commercial travellers, through
the forceful logic of conditions, depressed
into most demure and humble personages;
a party of the Spanish Bank of Havana
employs on tours of agency inspection; a
pale, gray friar who never removed his
eyes from the thumb nails of his crossed
hands. a to me fascinating, interesting
object In the person of the gigantic Mata-
gas, the noted Cuban brigand, who in the
gulse OF a well to do montero quietly got
aboard at Jaruco, left the train at Colon,
and utterly bland in his consciousness Of
my own caution and secrecy, ignored me
and my previous meeting with him, ac-
count OF which, and this celebrated out
law, 8 relations to some strange conditions
In Cuba, L shall give in a subsequent
paper; and more than a score of Cuban
women of all ages and grades of beauty
TOR there was not one, old or young, who
lacked the quality of beauty, at least in
degree.
And at the risk of making a short
journey long, a few facts and observations
regarding these handsome Cubanas may
prove OF interest. In travelling they
dress precisely as if for a promenade on
the Prado, or an airing along Gale Anche
de! Norte, that is, with extraordinary
richness and extravaganza. Jewelry is
p~rofusely worn; and the splendid Span
ish fan and the charming mantilla, which
American women should wear, in the
summer and on dress occasions, in lieu of
their ridiculously grostesque head-gear, |
intensity the fascination of their superb
figures and faces. Twelve hours uninter-
rupted study of anybody d~iscloses much. |
So with these women. They are posi-
lively heroic in the undergraduates of
position and features. So far as eyes
could see, during the entire day, they
were as marble figures, save as to their
eloquent eyes and almost as eloquent fans.
No other women living can, and appar-
emily all unconsciously, do the maddening
things with a fan which a Spanish or Gu
ban woman never can help doing. And
as to her eyes, here words altogether fail.
They are the very aphotheosis of be-
witching yet innocent invitation, languid
dalliance, tender reproach, and exalted
sirenic contemplation. A quality, too, |
pleasant to know and be near, is one of
self Inconsistencies, if that term may be
used.
Most American women in public places
assume an attitude of aggressive self-con- |
seriousness that seems to say: II would
have you to know, sir or madam, that |
am a female, a woman and a lady. Doubt
that. and | shall glare you into extinc-
toni These women seem to have some
where and somehow gained the knowledge
that all that, without argument, is admit
ted by men and even by women. Two
other incidents illustrating sociological pc
culiarities occurred upon this journey.
An old enora sneezed. Instantly, and
r%everently, a score of passengers respond
ed: "Dioz te guardial' God guard
theel") She sneezed again. The con-
certed ejaculation this time was "Marial"
She sneezed the third time. This was
followed by a chorus of voices with:
jose /" 1t is a universal Cuban GUS
tom and in its motive reminds forcibly of
the quite as universal German custom,
when one sneezes, of expressing kindly
concern by responding with the unctious
and expressive "Gesundheit I"
Again, a young fellow, passing a moth
er and her radiantly beautiful daughter
on her way out of the car, DOTTED his hat,
stood straight and tall before the couple
he had never before seen, and with the
dignity of a veritable Don Quixote said
in Spanish: odd woman, keep that
daughter of heavenly beauty for the un-
worthy one before your Then he strobe
away and nobody assaulted him. The
aged senora resnonded nleasantly ct will