The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1888-10-06

looking foreigner may be able to speak
your native language. You are never safe
even among the lower classes in conversing
in English, because, though they may be
unable to speak it, yet there are many who
understand enough to catch the drift of all
you say. The Europeans fall into the slow
ways of the country very naturally, with
the exception of the English. 1t seems
that when man is born on English soil
few other countries are good enough fol
him to live in. The American representa-
tives of business houses are much more
considerate than their Anglo-Saxon col
leagues from across the water. The most
insufferable snob and cad is the English
drummer in Central America. He sees
nothing to praise and everything to criti-
else He will tell you that United States
institutions are better, "don't you know,
than those of Guatemala, but they "can't
compare, ha, ha, with those of England,
don't you know" Everything he sees is
so primitive and crude. Until he started
on this drumming tour he probably had
never seen much more than London Bridge,
the Thames, and the inside of his employer S
shop, yet the instant he sets foot on this
shore he feels himself so far above the cit
izen of any other country, even OF whose
map he may be ignorant, that he constitutes
himself critic of everything pertaining to
them. His special theme is to compare
unfavorably the diplomatic service of every
other country with that of England. In
this country he struts around with the
same arrogance that he would assume in
some of the small islands which his country
has taken possession of by force. He is a
very loud talker, and seems to have left his
manners behind him in old England.
Guatemala and all Central America is
dotted with boarding houses, to which the
high-sounding name of "Casa de Huespe-
des' is given If kept by French people
the house will be called Casa de Huespe-
des Francesa," and if kept by Germans,
"Casa de Huespedes Alemana." [ have
been in all kinds of them, but the expert
enee l had in the latter, though worse
than in any other, will give some idea of
what one has to endure. While compelled
to remain in one of the largest towns in
Guatemala for four months | tried first
hotel until | could not stand it any longer
on account of the dampness in the rooms.
Shoes that let remain in the room one
day without using would on the following
morning be covered with mildew, and what
kid gloves / had in my trunk were ruined.
sought advice from friends who knew
the town and engaged board at CASA de
Huespedes Alemana," which besides being
well situated and free from dampness
boasted of American and German cooking,
and with all other foreigners in the coun-
try was anxious to escape from the greasy
preparations of Indian cooks. The house
was kept by vulgar German woman with
her three daughters and three servants.
The fine cooking expected proved to be
worse trash than Italian railroad laborers
could be forced to eat The dishes when
brought on the table looked as if coal
HEAVIER had handled them with his dirty
fingers When milk was brought to us
it was watered, and so weak that it showed
that color known in dairies as "Blue John"
The frowsy, dirty proprietress gave the
boarders rest by remaining in the kitchen,
from which her high shrill tones could now
and then be heard scolding some luckless
servant, but this was much better than
having her appear at meals, for there she
would have taken away our appetites.' The
woman was hard worker, but she regard
ed her boarders as so many pigs, and every
thing she spread before us in the eatable
line indicated the greatest economy. Beef
steaks fried in lard was breakfast dish
every morning during my four months
and for dinner meat pie out
of the remnants was always there. The
whole family, with the exception of one
married daughter, were badly overcome
with the "I-am-as-good-as-you-are" idea.
and never failed to express it when you
had the misfortune to meet them. Then,
again, the mother was very ambitious for
her daughters, and while she washed pots
and pans in the kitchen and allowed the
rest of the house to 60 to the devil gener-
ally her daughters were sitting in the par
lor smoking cigarettes. These people
besides made desperate efforts to get into
the best society and to capture the young
sons of rich coffee planters as husbands,
but 1 noticed shyness on the part of
several young men who were attacked, and
when l left the town the three maidens
still adorned the matrimonial market.
While calling .one evening and having
very pleasant time the Misses
and, as my heart was sinking,
in walked the troop of three, all COTTON up
in their best. The eldest walked first,
followed by the two others in the order of
age, and when the hostess was about to in
troduce me to them the eldest replied, (she
always spoke for the two others as well as
for herself:) "Oh, yes, we know Mr.,
he boards with US. :" 1t slipped out una
wares and caused litter to 60 around the
room because the young ladies always care
fully avoided any conversation touching on
boarding houses In nearly all towns of
any size there are a few families among
whom very pleasant evenings may be pass
ed. In the parlors the diplomatic arrange
ment of sofa and chairs is observed. The
sofa against the wall being the seat of honor,
and stiff chairs tall enough for giants are
placed in straight lines facing each other,
and with their sides to the sofa. So few
of the ladies have travelled, and even among
those there are many who observed nothing,
that any conversation outside of personal
ity soon dies out The only times when
there is quiet during call is when some
one is coming in or taking his leave, when
all stand up, bow as gravely as so many
owls, murmuring "Adios, Senor." ;" The
host always accompanies you to his street
door, aud if a lady be in the party the
hostess also.
1t is pity that so beautiful a country
is SO little known to the outside world,
even through the means of photograph
camera. One may obtain views in Guate-
mala City taken in the neighborhood, but
the travelling artist is unknown to the land.
There are scenes in the Cordilleras which
could throw anything in the Yosemite or
the Alps far into the shade. The photo
graphers of the capital have done good
work as far as they have gone, but they
have only scratched the surface of the
mine which lies at their feet. Those of
Quezaltenango, judging from the miserable
know about as much about