Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-06-16

GRACEFUL cARRIAGx AND BEAUTY OF IMPRESSION
BOW CUBAN coURrsBIPs ARE coSDUcTKD-sUR-
vEILANos OF YOUNG GIRLS
Special Correspondence of TIE EVENING star:
Copyrighted 1857
HAVANA. CUBA. June IL. 1883.
After all that which interests ybody most
about any foreign country Is its women Upon
their ugliness or beauty their ways and character
and the relation Of all this to their lovers and
bands, all else in sociology and most marked
national traits surely depend. Altogether believe
the cuban woman-and that should also Include
the women OF spanish birth In Cuba-to be one OF
the most lovely types OF the sex. She may not
have 50 much '-soul" as some American women.
have never heard OF one with a mission" They
DO not engage In public defamation about
rights They hold no conventions They do
nog.haunt and harrow newspaper off1ceS Briefly,
they are not bowling dervishes In the home In
society In literature religion, because their sex
might permit them 10 be 81.
But Of the Cuban womans loneliness there can
be no question. She Is beautiful In FORM In move
ment, In face. From the nina or little girl TO old
age she is still beautiful she Is winsome as a
heart, adorable as a wife, dear and sweet as a
mother. and again charming ana winsome when
the days have come wherein she Is a child again.
somehow that sort or thing, all the way along
would seem 20 comprise conditions out OF which
good women could secure the truest worship, the
happiesr lives. And. In spite of what NAV seem TO
be their 0bJectess idleneSs believe they do here.
IN THE PHYSICAL BEAUTY OF CUBAN WOMEN
the commanding features are the foot, whose
daintiness and symmetry are marvellous; the
supple, willowy grace OF movement OF person;
tho exQuisiteIy modelled form; and the ey es which
never loose their luster and glow. cuban women
wear shoes no larger than the No. size for women
IN the states. Nor is this dminutive size
OF any plnching process she Is born that way.
That Is her foot. You could hold two OF them in
your one hand. And, whatever the womans
weight or size the foot is universally this dainty
healflfrll Il Rur
one thing about IL onends the foreigners eye.
That Is the high, narrow heel two or three inches
long, and scarcely third OF an inch at It's mar
rowest part. one feels afraid or accidents and
contretemps from IL. But this pretty footed woman
Is sure-tooted one She Is the most graceful
woman on her feet, in her walk anu carriage, In
the promenade or IN the dance. you ever saw. So
this sinewy, 1.-the grace must also be inbred part
OF the grain, nber. blood, and The very spirit back
OF them OF her form, it Is perfection. Nine women
out OF ten you meet are models OF symmetry. /
should say they were rather under the size OF our
cacy In line and proportion They do hot so tor
ture their persons or themselves. They do not
and those organs themselves, in effort 10 rival
the hour-glaSS IN FORM They are themselves.
Many American women ruin themselves and sicken
the public endeavoring TO be something besides
women all around. These women are pretty nearly
as God made them All women are physically
beautiful when they let God alone In these mat
ters AL women who do otherwise make them
selves hideous 10 even men who pretend gallant
THE CUBAN woNAS's FACE
may be said 10 be wholly interesting and lovely,
rather than wholly beautiful Its beauty is in its
expression rather than in repose. Some faces Of
women are grand and classic IN repose. i have
seen many English, German, ana American women
OF that type. But when they spoke or awakened
20 mental or social activity the spell was gone.
There Is type OF beauty, or loneliness, which
Riows In activity. IL seems TO warm and color and
beam with certain goodness OF nature OF heart
of soul, behind IL. You can hardly tell where it
Il or what II Is, but you IL truly. IL Is some
thing OF this subtle sort men expect and want in
the face OF women. And IL IS something like this
that Is very engaging In the Cuban woman's face.
This face Is or the Latin mold, oval and with a
delicate protruding OF pretty and shapely chin.
uon In her cheeks. But her mouth. large, mobile
tremulous, with Just suggestion OF pathos In the
red and ripe that her ever perfect teeth dazzle In
orillia Mt contrast Her hair is OF that ieadblack
darkness which suggests a weird, soft mist upon
the night and Is indeed glory ever.
HER GROWING LONELINESS.
But her eyes are her priceless, browning lowell
ness, her never-ending power and charm. They
cannot Be described When you say that behind
their long, dark, hiding lashes they are large
dark, dreamy yet glowing, flashing with IRE.
1nexpressible expressiveness. They are the same
eyes at 8, at 10, at 80. And so 1t is that this
woman, her features In active play, her grace, her
means good-heartednesS. seems 10 you the perfect
maid and mother; because you md IN her the
IT,
mires, the charm OF modesty all save women OF
pretended genius can tolerate, the fidelity that
Mseif holds all Loyalty TO II. and the lazy and
woman true, who appreciates and loves that royal
Queeenship which owns the home holding as the
nost priceless and noolest realm OF woman. This
Is the real cuban woman, honestly told.
SURVEILLANCE OF GIRLS
Probably no people are so rigorous In the care
and surveillance OF girls the spanish. The idea
extends to women In many wise respects The
American "gadding' IS unknown In school, at
play, IN the social home gatherings, the boy ana
each otbs are s1eTy Kept apart n or permitted
espionage. A little girl cannot step outside her
home without a protector. maiden or young
lady Is never seen upon the street alone. Any
woman thus seen is instantly known as a doubtful
person or worse. II my nina goes TO school a
father, brother, or mother accompanies. The
airing Is nearly always taken in u carriage. In IL
must be responsible member Of the family No
young, unmarried woman may visit friend, at
tend the theater, or be seen at a reception or a
Dali, unless her parents are with her. She is not
out OF the sight OF loving and guiding eyes from
the cradle TO the marriage bed II She have a
lover he must come 10 the house and pay his re-
spects 70 her like a gentleman Hisattentions are
not secret, surrepstious, dangerous His choice is
business all around Her proper privileges and
his. under this regime, am inclined 10 think are
Siester; not less She goes as much. but the
whole family, something as with the sensible
German people, go along also.
CoUKTsHIP RESTRICTIONS
II the lover desire an engagement to the ball or
opera with his senorita he must frst propose at
Headquarters Then her pleasure is sought II
she accord there are no MISUNDERSTANDING in that
family. IL Is accommodated all around. III it be a
ride on the Gale Ancha del Norte or the Calzada
oe Ia Reina, they are all again there II II be a
promenade on the Prado, the whole family promo
nades, frequently both families The lover him.
sell, In short, IN all these underI akings. while
treated with real dignity, IS much less an a TO
De considered than other things. And perhaps
that Is well. In our country we turn our daugh-
ters, al about fourteen, over TO the caprice OF
every roue that comes along In the guise Of lover
or even OF company" ana trot on TO prayer
meeting" God Is very gOod 10 America thar
matters are worse than they are under such
circumstances There Is doubtless golden mean
between utter license. as with U.s. and utter prohi-
pillon, as mere, where mothers with religion In
their hearts and common sense In their heads may
make such wise and true companions OF daughters
tnat propriety and SELF polse 20 hand In hand with
Courtshlp. But as between the one extreme and
the other, one would hardly have the temerity 10
conoemn the cuban system with daughters
AFTER MARRIAGE.
A curious observation comes however. when
almost q reversal OF conditions Is found In both
countries after marriage. With u.s. whatever the
freedom In society and with short-term lovers the
American girl has been given TO whatever extent
she may nave rirted 10 her own delight and the
scandal OF her family, with however ma nv lovers
ner relations have been Infinitely more loving than
and all out as comprehensive Is. wifes subse-
Quent relation 10 her husband, the moment she "A
weooed custom binds her 10 a reserve, a silence a
pIe.ehueu secluSlon and Servltude, that as alb
suru as they are pretentious; and that make OF
too many homes q smlieless, lightless, songless
lateu place; while with these people the girl who
Hns leu almost the life OF nun, blossoms into q
tAirer beauty, more delightful companion, a new
eod giaddening gaiety, and the full ripe loving.
nesA IVY