The Republican journal., 1897-02-04

and reaches nearly to the feet, often with
two or three hounces around the bottom,
In reality it is sort of low necked Moth
er Hubbard, and when confined by sash
answers very well for both skirt and
bodice. In the street a raboyo, or long
scarf, is gracefully twisted around the
shoulders, and on extraordinary occasions
shoes are worn. AS a rule, however, the
women of THIS class go bare footed; and
very pretty feet they have, small, we'll
arched, the toes separated like the pickets
of fence. These girls, with more Indian
than Spanish blood in their veins, are far
handsomer than the ladies of high degree
in Nicaragua. About the prettest sight
you can find in Leon is the little stream
back of the town on wash days, when
these women are out by the score, arrayed
in vivid reds, blues, greens and yellows,
for no color is too bright, or combination
too glazing, to suit their taste. Uncor-
seted, supple and graceful they bend to
their task with cheerful industry, chatter
ing the while in the ducet tones of their
native pdtojs
The ladies of the aristocracy are ex-
ceedingly proud, and having little educa-
ton and less knowledge of the outside
world, are firm in the conviction that
| Nicaragua is above criticism and Mic
araguans superior to all the rest of
Adam race. Indeed ancestral pride is
often so conspicuous in their demeanor
and conversation as to border upon the
| ludcrous, or the offensive, and the fact
! that a person happens to have been born
outside this country seems to them mis-
/ fortune which can never be ''lived down."
| This is also true in measure of both sexes
of the upper class, but is less pronounced
among the men, who are generally we'll
educated and travelled. But it is a fault
easily lost sight of among their many
virtues. All are kindness and hospitality
personified to the stranger, and the wo-
men have universally the sweetest and
gentlest dispositions imaginable. Though
contented to spend most of their lives
S"lhS lHS luty III lhtlI HdnWockS, tney are
devoted to their husbands and children
and the tenets of the Romish church.
| Truly the denSeSt ignorance is better than
that dangerous thing, "a little learning
which in the north sometimes begets those
unsexed monstrosities, petticoated poll
ticians The Nicaraguans are much more
social in disposition than the other peo-
pie of Central America. They have their
tertulias, "a near relation to the 'high
tea, and balls, and are much given to
dinner parties, at which latter entertain
Goldfish. Everybody lin society," rides on
| horse back-the tavorite hour being be-
fore six a. m. when the air is deliciously
fresh and cool. Five o'clock D. m. is the
fashionable time for full dress parade in
the plaza; then home to dinner OF tertulia
and by nine o clock everybody is abed
The climate at this time of year is as near
perfection as one is apt to find in this
world, little too hot at mid day-but
then the siesta reigns and nobody minds
it The wind which always sweeps up
| toward evening carries refreshing cool
ness which makes warm wraps and blan-
kets agreeable necessities after sunset
! The great annual holiday of the Nicara-
guans is known as FL Paseo al Mar. lex
| cursion 10 the sea. 1t occurs toward the
end of March, when the dry season is we'll
advanced and everything buried deep in
/ dust, after the harvests are gathered and
the crop sold, and while pater famiias
feel flush on the proceeds. Preparations
are made long in advance, and as soon as
the March moon comes carts are packed
with d little furniture and a good MANY
trunks and the exodus begins 1t is only
about Is miles from Leon to one of the
best bathing beaches along the whole Pa
citic coast; but the journey is made the
occasion of as much planning and prepar-
alton as many people eXpend on a trip to
Europe. Everybody goes, the peon as
well as the hidalgo, and for a fortnight
Leon is deserted city. There are no
HotClS VI DpdIulIS iituStS dI Ult DtdCIl,
but each family takes along tent, or sets
up a bamboo shack and lives in neglige
under the shade of the splendid forest
trees which extend almost to the ocean S
edge. The government sends down a
battalion of troops ostensibly to preserve
order among the picnicers, but in reality
as an excuse for giving the officers and
soldiers a share in the annual holiday. 1t
is said that social laws are very much re-
Taxed during this Paseo and that Cupid is
king during these few weeks of the Nicar =
aguan year. There are no bathing houses,
and no bathing dresses are worn. The
people 60 into the surf as nature equipped
them, the ladies on one side of long sand
spit that stretches out into the sea, the
men on the other side. The Paso al Mar
is the perpetuation of semi religious In
dian custom, which has something to do
with the baptism of st. Peter, o insure
plenty of fish during the rest of the year.
Leon has more churches than all the other