The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-10-03

for not many Americans now desire or
care to enter into such relations. with
their results. for a lifetime. The man
agrees to give the girl an establish
ment and fits 1t up. and she takes pos
session. Here comes the most Won
derful part of 1t all. have never
known a man to fail In his promises
to the woman. Whatever he may do,
or whoever he may cheat or lie to. he
keeps his faith with the woman who
is his place.
BOTH ARE FAITHFUL.
1t is a curious thing, but there are
reasons for ii. No married woman
could more faithfully keep her marri-
age vows than the place woman keeps
her faith. They never break their
pledge. Every Sunday the man dimes,
If possible, with his place, and he is eX-
pected to come to the house once or
twice a week. but there is no hunting
him up OF bothering him with notes or
messengers at his office or club.
Sometimes he may invite a very inti-
mate male friend to dine with him at
this house. I shall never forget din
ner of this sort, some years ago, where
the host was a young Greek merchant.
whom / knew well, an enthusiastic
young fellow, as handsome as an old
time Greek god. The girl-for she was
only about 20-was as white as he; in
fact. she had that clear, ivory complex
ion that Is seen to perfection only
| among the best bred Octoroons of Lou
| isiana and the ladiest of highest rank
in Rome. Naples and Venice. The
young couple We're very much in love
with each other, and there was no
more sign of the coarseness and vulgar
ity than one usually sees with relations
of this character than there is in the
prettiest nest that man could select
for dainty bride, In which she should
be shut out from all the world. And
after a dinner that in refinement and
correctness of service and arrangement
could not be surpassed. the girl sang
some low. charming love songs in i
sweet, foreign tongue, for. like most of
her class, she spoke very little English.
/ wondered If there could be any sin
where there was no knowledge or in
| tention of evil, for our first mother
| Eve herself, over whom no priest drOn-
| ed a service when she mated with
| Adam, was not more perfectly without
guile than was this child of the tropics
There are perhaps in New Orleans to-
| day two or three hundred couples
whose relations to each other are those
mentioned. 1t is matter that is eX.
tremely difficult to write about because
of its delicacy, but somehow the innate
vulgarity which Is always part of re-
lations between the sexes not sanction
ed by law was absent from all those
| have ever known place. AS a class no
women are more fascinating than are
| these QuadroOnS or octoroonS. They
have the prettiest little hands in the
world and the daintiest feet, scarcely
larger than those of a child. And ther
such eyes! Large. full of languorous
sweetness, and fringed with the deep
est black lashes. 1t is not difficult fol
one who has ever seen these women tC
understand their wonderful power over
the men of the far South. There Is a
| larger percentage of beauty among
them thar there is in any equal number
of ladies in the best society anywhere
| in America. AS has been stated, they
are well educated, ad nearly all of then
sing beautifully. for with their drop OF
negro blood they inherit the marvellous
negro voice, and because of these
things | presume it is that the mer
keep faith.