The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-04

Very Romantic, but n Severe Test of
the Lovers Devotion.

After describing a recent high-class we'd
ding in the City Of Mexico between Juan
Andrade and Carmen Pradillo, the CORE
spondent of the New York Tribune describes
the romantic style of courtship which had
up to it and which is characteristic of coun-
tries of a Spanish origin
At the conclusion Of the mass the BRIDE
groom took his girlish sonora to a magnlh-
cent home that he had prepared for her,
which contains the finest private chapel III
the city, and where six truSty servants or
the bridegroom family have charge OF the
house and are trained to relieve the young
mistress of her household cares. Then, Tor
the first time in their acquaintance, the
bridegroom and his bride were alone to-
gether.
For years they had been waiting. but
never once had they seen each other alone,
and never once had .hey kissed each other.
To do so would be diSgraceful. The Mex
lean girl who permits a caress loses her
lover. Most of the love-maklng Is done by
letter. For two years Carmen Pradillo and
Juan Andrade were devoted lovers, yet
never spoke to each other or met
Little Carmen was twelve years old when
Senior Andrade, then nineteen, began 10 Ioi-
her mother or with the servants OF the tan-
ily When she would disappear WITHIN her
home he would take up his position on the
street and remain stanCing for hours await
ing a glimpse of her at some window lie
was following time-honored custom III
Mexico, which is called playing bear, ana
up to the present date the arlstocratlc lam
lilies have all honored it.
If the young woman favors the suit
gIimpses of herself behind a half-closed
shutter to a position on the balcony al GER
tain hours of the day. Then love IS made
in the most ardent fashion, either by the
finger alphabet OF by a little telephone es-
pecialIy manufactured and sold for the pur-
pose one part of which the young girl re-
tains while she drops the other TO the lover
waiting below. When she has signifed her
willingness he enters the home and ad-
dresses the parents. If they have no oh
iections to him he is then permitted to visit
= he pnrbnnS twice week and his
sweetheart always in the presence of one
or more older members of the family. until
the day of the wedding arrives. The break
ing of an engagement Is the rarest OF all
rare THINGS in Mexico, and an insineere lover
is an anomaly.
Plenty there are who are not worthy and
who are unsuccessful in their suits, be-
cause. often, of the wisdom OF the parents.
but the Mexican lover has nothing 10 gain
by inSincere attentions.
The Mexican girl is never looked upon as
being a pastime or an amusement. There
are no walks, no drives no theaters no
tete-a-teteS, and counting is hard work
There is not much fun In standing for
hours, day after day, week after week and
month after month. the street, gazing
skyward. with the only reward. perhaps,
fleeing glimpse of the fair one. IT Is not
only hard work. but it is q serious business
Everything else must give way 70 il. Pro-
fession or business must suffer for the time
while playing bear is the sole object of
living.
1t depends upon the senorita how long
the beau is kept on the street corner 1t has
been seven years in some instances. This is
not an exaggeration. though ii is. of course,
the exception
The Legislature has recently forbidden
this time-honored custom of counting. but
it will be generations before ii ceases. Mean
while il is not uncommon TO run across
handsome Mexican on any of the prominent
streets so busily engaged in making love
TO some one in the house across the way as
to be all unconscious Of interested observ-
erS.