Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-08-18

Instances where they are almost as dark
as the negro. The men, as rule, are of
average height, we'll proportioned and capa-
BILE OF doing a good days work.
The women are smaller than an average
American woman. and are usually very
pretty. Their eyes are their distinguishing
feature They are extremely expressive. 1t
is understood here that they can talk with
them. BY an almost impcrceptible altera-
ton of the muscles above and below their
CRIBS of vision the expression of their faces
undergoeS complete change. Their
features are small and regular, their skin
Opaque, so that a rush of blood to the face
noes not change the complexon-that Is to
say, they do not blush-but whether or not
this popularity may be attributed to quail
ties in the cutice or to lack of artificial
means adapted to cleanliness is debatable
Their teeth, as a rule, are almost perfect
Nature has added grace TO symmetry, but
limited her Projections in this regard to
but few years. A woman natures at
the age of thirteen or fourteen; is seen at
her best at from sixteen to seventeen; at
twenty she begins to fade and at twenty
three or twentyfOur she is old. The word
old means much 10 her.
AS child she runs wild with the animals.
is rarely sent to school, although they have
schools and school laws in Mexico; then she
Is given her share Of work to perform, in
the house and in the fields. grinding wheat
gathering ard carrying wood and water,
ard as she becomes larger and stronger
burdens are added; she cooks and governs.
or tries to govern. the children, and occu-
pies her spare time in flirting.
Marriage is slavery.
1t Is not unusual for these children at
fourteen or fifteen to become mothers and
some four or five years later when mar
riage is contemplated. they have but little
to say In this regard. the parents nego-
tiating the transaction, and IL there Is suffi-
Gent property involved to make 1t worth
while the priest Is called in and the mar
riage ceremony performed; otherwise YER
bal contract Is sufficient, and the girl Is
mad" mistress of n house, usually q shanry
VITA hides hung up for walls. As the world
goes, for time they are happy. the hus-
band twice the age Of the wife; she true to
him. he false to her: time tells the rest; he
a free lance, she slave.
The boys life Is brighter. He is much
older than his sister before II Is suggested
that there Is anything on earth that's use
full for him to do. At length he natura Ny
drifts To the Zoaui Indians, his ambition
being to own a house and become a cattle
herder. This achievement once accom-
plished, he remains cattle herder until old
age or accident disnuaIifies him. Few
hOrsemen in the world equal to the
Mexican. The aim of his life is to obtain a
horse superior to any owned by his COM
panions and to excel in horsemanship.
His income for his services are about
$40 United States money per month
which Is promptly spent for 'mescal," a
native whisky. On certain days that be-
long to the saints he mounts his horse and
| calls for the girl he loves. who mounts be-
hind, and they proceed to town TO partici-
pate In the sports, such racing short
dashes and quick stops; to dash at full
speed, picking up a handkerchief from the
ground, and to triumphantly flourish 1t
overhead, whilst the horse leaps high and
| kicks as he runs, to show that he Is In it,
too.
Cruel Amuscments.
The societies for the prevention Of cruelty
| to animals are not In 1t. A rooster Is buried
| in the ground, excepting that its head is
suffered to remain above the surface and
| 1t Is well creased. The horsemen are
| formed in line In the distance position de-
| pending upon lot; then, one after another
| they come by at full speed to ascertain who
| has the trick to do ito pull rhe rooster
| from the ground, remaining mounted; for
| the one who succeeds in this Is privileged
| to ride In pursuit Of all contestants, and
| larrup them over the head with the struu-
| Cling rooster until the time is up for an
other act. We all have our amusements
The rest of the day is spent In telling
| stories, swearing, drinking, gambling, fight
| ing and other acts that have no relish of
| salvation In them, and as the boys grow
| older the scars upon their faces multiply;
the more and deeper the scars, more envi-
| able the record. Their only weapon is the
knife. In few instances, however, the
| young men prefer farming to cattle herdIng,
| obtain a small parcel of land from some
| large ranch owner and farm on the halves.
Such are the best citizens in Mexico, bring
| ing up their families under such influences
| as tend to inculcate the doctrine of Justice
| to others and mercy for the afflicted, but
| the relation of man and wife with them, as
| with the more reckless class, seems to be
settled in the popular estimation as bind
ing only on the part or the wife.
He Regained His Bride.
This Is not saying that there are not
thousands of Instances where the Mexican
| remains firmly bound by the marriage vow,
| and In instances where love Is brought to
| the test they are to be depended upon. A
| pretty girl Of sixteen, named Alcaria, re-
| siding with her father on a small farm west
| Of Sonora, was promised In marriage to a
| young man named Alexandra, a prosperous
young ranchman. He had a foster brother
an Indian. who also loved Alcaria. On the
| day fixed for the wedding the Indian stole
| Alcaria and carried her off to the noun
tains. When Alexandra arrived and learn
| ed that his love was gone. and that his
| brother had stolen her. he mounted his
| horse and started for the mountains never
| to return without her. A year later he
found her. yet a prisoner, killed the Indian,
and returned home with her, arriving ten
| days after We arrived. The date Of the
marriage Is fixed and we expect to be pres
ent at the wedding
While IN this section of the country we
visited the beautiful farm of Don Juan of
Luken, named Labor" near the settlement
| Of Hacienda" the inhabitants of which de-
pend entirely for their support upon en-
pioyment from the owner. Labor Is
| twenty miles northeast of HermosiIlo. It
| contains $1,000 acres of land, 1000 Of which
| Is under cultivation, the remainder in use
| as pasture. The entire farm Is subject to
| irrigation, the water being conveyed In a
| big ditch q distance Of fifteen miles, one
portion of 1t consisting Of an aqueduct con-
structed at a cost of 1900. Labor" was
| grant to Ynigo Ring, a Spanish gentle
man, In 1890. A Luken married into this
| family. The present owner was born in
| South America In 1910, hts mother a Span
| lard his father q Philadelphia gentleman,
| at the time United States consul at Ecua-
| dor.
| Big Farm.
Don Juan has about 40 people on his
farm He raises large crops Of corn, wheat,
beans, cotton and barley, for which there
Is a good market. On visiting the barn we
| found the ancient wooden mold-board
pillow standing by the side Of late Ameri-
can steel plow. showing that this an
ctent relic Of the backwoods was here, at
this late day. only In the process Of aban-
dominant HIS dwelling house u built In
the Woorfsh style forminS n comnlefS