The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-03-03
MEXICAN MANNERS.

slcktcFS Ior etiquette, ana they ctaeS as rough and underhred people who ignore the superficial forms of polite ness. In Mexico one finds land where courtesy goes farther than coin of the realm and this with all ranks and classes. Mark the street greeting of Pelagio rnd Mercedes, two peladiYcs of the lowest. Of goes tho hat of Pelagio, and Mercedes puts out to him her hand, horny and toil-hardened, but friendly and cordial.
 "How do you do, Don Pelaxio? How did you pass the night2 How is your wife? The children-are they well?"
 "Ah, Dona Mercesiitas! am glad to see you. And how is your good family? hope you have had no Ill., ness or trouble. Will 1t please you to make to them all my humble greet 1 ings?"
 Poor, lf-starved, dirty, misenbly clad in rags that scarcely cover their nake,iness, these poor creatures still practice an untailing courtesy that I have too often found lacking among our parvenue aristocrats. sitting aloft on their money bags. And they TO- spond, too, to this trait in their supc- riors more readily than to the chink of tldcos, This is practically demon- strated wherever in Mexico Ameri- cans do congregate.
 A little group will be gathered on corner, q quadores, public carriers, mozoS, what you will, and an Ameri- can comes rushing past. A block away can be read in his eye the inten- tion 10 rush through that group of low born mortals, who are certainly dirty and ignorant, but who are nev- ertheless entitled to the rights and privileges of all humanity. Does he scatter them in catapult fashion really? An, no! The mald of the ctTgddore--a heavy leathern cushion, on which the carrier supports his bur den-strikes him somehow carelessly, but with almost force enough to knock him breathless. The aqud,idr slops some water out of brimming choco- col over his worship's natty garments, and his shoulder will be black and blue for fortnight from the force of his collision with the sturdy mozo.
 By stepping into the gutter he man. ages to pass them, breathless and rag ing. They look at each other com placently, grin silently, and fall into place again as another gringo ap- 1 pruaetcr. 1ut this one did iiot como to Mexico the day before yesterday. He slackens his pace slightly as he comes near them, perhaps touches his hat, perhaps waves his hand In token of greeting, and says cheerily; "Con- su hcencia"-"By your lcavc." The ranks fall open, hat or two Is snatched off, with "PdSe, Wted, scno dnlo"-"Pass, my master"-and per- haps n sandaled foot is thrust out to rub away a splotch of mud on the pavement that might soil the shoes of this courteous foreigner.
 When first went to the City of Mexico l was quite i'll, and SO fever ish that used to stop at every pfid, or public fountain, passed in explor- ing the suburbs, where dwell the masses-the most interesting part of the city to the humanitarian. If chanced to have forgotten my travel ing cup, used to dip up the water like the BhagbhaH of Edwin Arnold's "Mill Song"--"in my hollowcd palm" --and that would always be the signal for rush of women offering me little Jdrrds-earthen jugs-to drink from, and often men of the lowest orders from horrible pu!que shops, rendering glass at which they rubbed assidu- ously to make 1t spotlcss. This was no question of tip, AS I learned after one or two blunders--it was kindli- ness pure and simple, quite different for which payment iscxpected, and, If withheld, greedily demanded. And am sure that only the Irish peasantry could turn compliments as neat as those bestowed on me fin return for the simple acknowledgment with which 1 soon learned to requite them.
 Again, one night came out of Or rims (the permanent American circus in Mexico) and two men of the cdnain obstructed the walk My escort im- patiently caught one of them by the shoulder and sluDg him aside for me to pass. Some instinct impelled me to glance past my friends shoulder and I saw big knife descending about six inches from the shoulder blade of the American. I threw all my weight on his arm and jerked him aside so far that the blow missed him. At the same moment the other tepero caught his comrades arm and cried.
 You fool, don't you see the lady?" "Oh :" said the would-be assassin "it was for lady he showed me was it2 That's all right, then. didn't see her-,1ted per done7 (bcg pardon), , and he went on feeling no afront if 1t were suffered for lady.
 When such traits exist among the