Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-06-02
pattern probably in vogue a hundred OF
more years ago.
A GIRL REcLUsE.

/
A GIRL REcLUsE.
With charming grace, both host and
hostess conducted me over the establishment
/ the former offering me his arm with old
fashioned gallantry, the latter following
speaking when spoken to, but vouchsafng
no single observation of her own. Etiquette
demands this of mademoiselle. and made
moiselle is a slave to etiquette. She was
very pretty, very petite, very timid, and she
| blushed little each time I spoke to her.
She had never been to school, never played
with other children, never walked through
the streets, and yet she was 10 years old.
There was ample space in her fathers house
for exercise, and there was no occasion
for her to brave tine peril of an outdoor
promenade. Sunday priest said mass in
the chapel which adjoined her boudoir, and
she had not even an excuse to go to church.
She drove away every day with her father
IN the family carriage, and sometimes sat in
his box at the opera. She occasionally ac-
companied him to dinner or reception, but
this was all. No other amusements or
pleasures had she ever known. Soon her
father would provide her with husband,
and. as was her duty, she would cheeriullv
approve his choice. There was no trace Of
the monotony Of her lie in her sweet, g1rlish
face. Its tranquility shone with strong,
steady Light from her soft, dark eyes.
Her father was tall, stately man of so or
thereabouts, who treated her with great
Difference and addressed her as mademoi-
selle. He had the manners of q Chester
field and the bearing of prince. On the
occasion of my admiring a very handsome
piece of bric-a-brac, he Immediately said in
French 1--WE conversed in that language),
"Cest votre disposition" meaning that
since 1 admired it I might consider il my
own.
THE AMERICAN AN ENIGMA.
believe it is customary in Cuba to pre-
sent guest with anything he or she may
honor with praise. Hence, "C'est a votre
disposition" is a common expression, which
fancy has very little weight in the mouth
of the average Cuban. My own idea is that
an attempt to carry off any of the articles
thus profered would be frustrated by the
timely arrival of the police. OF course I
may be mistaken, but experience has taught
me that it does not do to take these people
too literally. They talk too much to mean
all they say, or so / am inclined to think.
There is this, however, to be said: If the
Cuban is curious study Tor the American,
the American, on his part, is to the Cuban
nothing less than phenomenon.
: A man who actually loves cold weather,
who has an utter disregard for draughts-
aCuban avoids breath of air as he does
pestilence-who smokes cigars in lieu of
cigarettes, who has made all his money him
self, vino never gesticulates or flies into a
passion, who grumbles at his bill but pays
it to penny, and scatters all the loose coin
In his pockets among the street Arabs, who
hangs around the iron-barred windows; a,man
who takes in the whole city in single day,
smattering of Spanish in a month that he
never improves or forgets, who whistles as
he walks through the streets. and who loves
his wife and is true to her, on general prin-
ciples, if nothing else, is mystery to the
Cuban gentleman. LILLIAN SPENCER.