, 1888-02-19

in lace and gold; rich planters in white,
in gorgeous turnouts; noble caballeros on
magnihcently %accoutered steeds; and
thousands OF carriages crowded with the
most strikingly beautiful women in tie
world; form moving lines of CLINT aud
flash and color intercepting and separat-
ing the masses afoot; until the changes
OF color, the futter of laccs and fans, the
fash of jewels and gold, blend and scin-
tilate in Understandable brilliancy. The
most tremendous kaleidoscope has never
more endless change and glowing flash
ings. On its nDblest days, the Paris
Champs Elysees palcs into insignifcance
reside it.
When night has come the city is one
tremendous blaze of light and blare of
sound. The aristOcracy resort to the
splendid casinos where the most brilliant
balls of the world are given. Most of
these are en- masque. What would stand
for an American fortune is frequently Law
ished upon one woman's costume. The
less rich, the middle and lower classes, the
very coolies are provided for. All Havana
is a bundle of casinos, or centres. Every
grade Of human belongs to some one Of
these centres. They are usually named
from the Spanish province from which
members came, or were descended, as
Centre Galatians Centre, Gallego, Centre
Andaluz, Centre Castellano, etc. At
these, 1000 merry makers resort to feast,
sing and dance the whole night long. A
hundred thousand souls carouse upon the
streets until daylight. But the dream
of the year to the average anybody is
the ball at the great Tacon theater.
It's entire parquette floor is raised
by means Of stationary screws to the
level of the stage. This, the stage and
wings from which the scenery is removed.
with the courts and areas within and
about the theater, give space for 1000
dancers. Seven thousand spectators are
also in attendance. Among these are rep
resentatives OF the aristocracy, invariably
mashed, and perhaps 1000 American and
other foreign tourists without hat much
regard for decency. The theater is one
mass Of flowers. Two. and often three,
orchestras are provided. The manage
ment furnishes large numbers of huge
bouquets, and one colossal one-una gran
pucha-which are from time to time I'M
loosed by hidden wires, so that anyone
present may secure at will a gorgeous bou-
quet. Until midnight the dancing and
revelries are quite within the bounds of
moderation; but from thence until morn
ing the orgies are indescribable, far out
stripping in wanton indecency anything
ever witnessed at the old Jardin Mabile,
in Paris.
The dances here INDUCED in are La
DANA, an universal Cuban dance very
similar to the German waltz; Ell Damon,
derived from La DANA; and when the
orgies are at their maddest, La Habanera,
the most passionate of all dances known
to man. OF this the Cubans say: Hace
p~estanar un Santo de lleso 1T would
make even a plaster saint wink ~ And
so it would. 'Old Women's Sunday"
THE Dandy's Sunday" "Sardine Sun
day and the barely tolerated Sunday
of the Sardine's Burial, - are each simply
q repetition in every respect of Primer
domingo de carnival-save that on
"Old Women's Sunday" old women at
tend the balls in large numbers, are shown
special Difference in all conceivable ways
of mock and real courtesy, and, in rivalry
of the beautiful senoritas present, demon
strate with astounding vigor hat a Span
ish woman's foot is a structural marvel to
the end of its possessor's days.
The brief reioindcr among Span iards
and Cubans Etc. inquiries regarding the
ethics Of all these carnival orgies is sim
ply: No venimos a resar!-"We do not
come to pray!"
EDGAR l.. WAKEMAN.