Morris tribune., 1889-03-13
NAIDENS OF lUCATkN.
@f0uS FOR THEIR BEAUTY OF
FORM AND FEATURES.


FO9M AND FEATURES.
.!,tI lot Is seldom Al Happy One-NIaAing
l!..,:2r;tea-.is.t to sho E;,co nIaI,ors--A
! "."'H -: ""o-Is"n""".r1t nnh Amiabn-
.'.>. 1.,.':;.::l women Of that most inter
..r v,,.ntry are famed rnr their beauty
a.. t.. @AI fH&turc.;, ;."Undunt silky
!.1.s ,,v..l.', large dark eyes and easy,
}.i.:r...., ;~'u:M. r.. Gr., rally they are
&&i; .::'. t2"i Az pTr;t bat their lot
i'&,'l:, .: ,!li2.' one, y.'.lp5 the arc
+ too Ia. .1G. t. h iua, !" appreciated
AHo"t > il eight CIT Is the state of
mat%i.'%:..y, and thcSe appear to be the
. least happy, Owing to great excess of
! female population-the consequence of
many revolutions and w&r with hostile
lndianS-a large number of women de-
pend entirely on their own exertions, and
their field Of labor is limited They are
not employed i'll stores, such places being
monopolizcd by white handed youths
who think cOarSeI toll beneath them.
Those individuals of the stcrner Sex OK
! pect the gentler, under all circumstances,
: to remain at homo, no matter how pain
full thrir position. Orphans aust cat the
bread Of dependence in Tie house of re-
latiOn8 or friends, and on no account
Shoe; public opinion by trying to earn Il
living away from their place Of abode,
ncr lHay they venture t. dwell apart
from elders who shall conlr.I their cvcrT
movrmvnt. They IHlV h,ltl>'r everything
except actual starvation, yet must sal
init ii they WOull IL respected.
y few arc wonderfully c!vvur at MAX
Ing most beautiful fruit3 and flowers of
sumar, bat cannot r.,|1u living by ii, the
ti.nl and care needed in the manufacture
cntai!i2, SO r.ul'!I r:;,,.il >c that only the
wcaithi>sS:t give 81 order on vcry special
occasions. Nothing trucr to nature than
these Vegetables, fruits and flowers Of
Erlglr cll IL Imagined. A pineapple, an
car Of cora, I! Eoid"n k;lshew, with its
odd shaped apDvndHYc, . spray Of snow
white t;i:yT, ....;-@I CVH :lly perfect in
i0:!n .Nl c.}i v; while l"r-p, full blown
roses, Crt..! OK, r..i!:, ;,.21 yellow, appear
as if tic l,.~il !~2.>; Viii fall from the
stem il lrrlt3i2d u,.12. Only the taste
coHvin2o.i IL Dist tA>. go rot what they
seem; and III" t:.lvOr1 iTyn to them by
their s.iil.,i 1N'o. .!r2r ;sr,' g. delicious as
the Work i G;::nirabL'.
:iAI.!Ntt CHARITIES.
Tho making; OF cigarettes affords en-
! ployment to hu2drcG; Vi girls, because
men, woncn and children there indulge
in the u3, OF tobacco. In city, town and
village pretty eenOrita3 sit behind the
prison like window gTGting5 deity wrap
ping UP tobacco in small pieces Of the
outer covering OF lD2i..2, which, when
toasted, icnparts q delightful flavor to
the cigarette. Twenty cents & day is the
most that one pair Ci hands can earn.
DTeGsinakcr8 arc nunlcrOus. Others
anxiouslY solicit orders 10 Cmbr0idcr in
silk, thread Or wor5tcd. Pillow lace was
formerly manufactured in Merida, but
being expensive, there was no demand
for the article. Less costly laces are
largely used No mcztiza'6 holiday
dress is complete without ample founces
of it; this converts their simple white
linen garments into expensive attire.
Cheap lace is imported, bit al r11io cAn,
prefer t. wear that made il the country,
it being handsome as well as moro dura-
bic. This is not sold III tho stores but in
the public market place, where it is car
ried by servants; fOI, strange as it may
appear, the most poverty stricken have
frequently help to support their mis-
tresses. Generally they have been given
to the family, when children, By their
parents-t0O poor to provide for them.
They work hard for little food and 6canty
| clothing, are very faithful, and will bear
hardship and i'll treatment rather than
leave those to whom they have become
attached.
Being directed to family Of girls who
supported themselves, we made our way
along q broken narrow sidewalk to house
No. in row of dwellings, each con-
sisting of three rooms, and an clubhouse
that served as kitchen. Werapped with
our knuckles, and q sweet voice babe us
"come in" Pushing open the door, we
found ourselves i'll q room containing a
small table and three low seats, occupied
by young women, whose appearance in
Dictated that they seldom enjoyed a hearty
meal.
A TALE OF WOE.
Yes, they could make all the lace we
| desired, if we could advance money to
buy net and thread; they had none, even
to buy medicine fCr their sick mother.
| We asked them 70 rcSullc the work that
Our arrival had Interrupted. This they
did, embr0iderlI1 tl2 net with q long
/ fine needle and thread drawn from y.
linen cloth. The designs, their Own
tation CT native flowers, arc traced ~-l
wlAte paper that is tackled to the net :
frame is used only for very wide lace.
After or order WI.3 given a tale Of
woe was poured forth, with an appeal for
money in advance. a few days later q
messenger came from our lace makers
with an earnest petition for another
small installment, and so on, every few
days, the full price being paid long be-
fore the lace WAS made. We engaged
ono woman to mako eight yards of lace
eighteen inches wide, ard having paid
the full sum in advance, never obtained
more than four yards. These people earn
from twenty to thirty-fvc cents day.
In spite Of their cherries homes, mo-
notonous lives, and continued toll, there
is q wipsotno refinement and aniability
about these maidc:2s that surprises and
charms. They seldom indulge in gloomy
fore5odinGs, and when things are at
their worst mako light CT them. Their
dinner may have consisted Of but one
tortilla, they may not have a cent in
their possession, CT tallow dip to chase
the darkness from their empty room,
but they will throw open tho street door,
letting il q ilool CT sweet moonlight and
| IOI1 ~