The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-05-20
From the Washington Star.


vana of the oriental ancestry Of its
Spanish inhabitants. The house Is east
ern in architecture, with It's open GEN.
tral court, it's fiat roof or azatea (where
the family spends the evening hours.
and the fountain splashing its water
on surrounding flowers. This Is the
house OF the better classes, having mas
sive walls of stone, and maintaining
a seclusion, wrapped In an air of mys-
terry, as deep as that enveloping the
harem of any Turk in Carlo or Con-
stantinople.
The characteristics of the family,
also, are oriental, bearing the impress
of the Arabs who conquered Spain a
thousand years ago, and who lived
seven long centuries in the Iberian PEN
insula. The Cuban home life, in fact,
differs in no particular from that OF
Spain and Mexico; but 1t is very diff
cult for a stranger to obtain even a
glimpse of the Hispano- American gy-
naeceum. 1t is not done by Willing
away the time at the Gran Hotel In
glaterra or the Paseje, nor even by
loungng in the Parque Isabel, or visit
ing the Tacon theater. In the writer 9
experience it was obtained primarily
by engaging quarters at n Spanish
boarding house of the higher grade. in
dignitied row Of houses on the Prado.
Meeting at table several "solteros," "
or bachelors, like myself-editors OF
papers, attaches at the captain gener-
ais office-she was brought in CON
tact with some of the best people in
Havana. But even then no invitation
Issued for visiting the casa Of any of
their aCquaintances, for the taking of
a stranger with one to call on friend
at his home is considered a breach of
privilege. However, there was a bright
young lady of German American par
entage also boarding at the house, who
was in love with a Spanish gentleman,
who had a nice-looking cousin, who
wasn't in love with anybody in par
ticular, but who kindly consented to
accompany her male relative in his fire.
quent calls at the casa huespedes"-
to use the more elegant Spanish term
for boarding house. Now, if the read
er can make out from this rather-in-
vOlved explanation that the little cousin
who, though very pretty withal, and
extremely interesting, was yet consid-
cred by the lovers somewhat in the
way, it will be understood how it camc
about that the writer, In the kindness
Of his heart, took the Guiana out tu
the balcony and engaged her attention
while the lovers held their tete-a tete
in the parlor.
ALIKE THE WORLD OVER.
A disinterested act like this wrought
its own reward. for from his fair inter-
locutrice the writer obtained deal of
information not set down in the books,
and eventually his introduction into
the home of her family Women at
heart are pretty much all alike, the
world over, their differences being for
the most part, superficial. Sometimes
one will unburden herself to COM
parative stranger, or rather talk more
freely to him than she might to one OF
her own nationality, especially where
an incomplete acquaintance with each
others language infers a simplicity
that does not exist.
Be that as 1t may, the balcony inter
views were very enjoyable to one who
ever in search of information, welcom-
ed any addition to his stock of knoWl-
edge, from whatever source it might
come. The conversations quite easily
turned on love and the exceeding fool
ishness Of lovers in general, and the
query naturally arose whether there
were really any differences in the man.
ner of love-making, as practiced by our
respective nationalities. The subject
was treated in a purely tentative way
for our mutual instruction merely, and
yet there was a modicum OF interest
N 20 h.. 81
will not be necessary to detail.
In Cuba, as in Spain, the lover rarely
sees his inamorata alone, and in case
he does, it is the result of accident-or
design on the part of those most inter-
ested. The mother, or aunt, or else
some trustworthy member of the fam
lily, is always present; indeed, the
young man may consider himself par
ticularly privileged if he he allowed en-
trance to the house even. He generally
compromises by clinging like a bat "a
the bars Of his lady loves grated win
dow, and making frantic efforts to seize
her hand. Do not shudder, gentle read
er, for the bars are strong, and the
walls not an inch less than two feet
thick. This fact the "novio" frequently
bewails. in most impassioned accents
sometimes accompanying himself on a
cracked guitar or mandolin.
LOVE IN POETRY.
The writer made the discovery-per,
haps not an original one-that the
Cuban lover, like his Saxon sympa,
thizer, frequently drops into poesy a:
a means Of relieving the pressure or
his overburdened heart. The stocl
poetry of lovers is about the same ir
both languages, English and Spanish
differing mainly in having n different
tag on it; one quoting Byron or Ton