Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-03-16

. | between ones teeth.
.. Such janglfng and hubbub as thi
= coatless and hatless brigade went up tn
: | hill! Grief was unknown, and the tiny
J white collins bobbed up and down be
? | tween the quarette of conveyers as IN
four ends OF the rope frightened or Wer
temporarily released. Farther down TN
: hill came four other men, carrying o.
their shoulders, as the perspiration Eel
in great beads from their brows, the bod,
OF a man, a Cuban, who had left behin'
six orphan children. Hatless and coat
; less was this brigade, too, but clouds
tobacco smoke arose above the comm De
/ tween times that the jargon and bante
ceased At the heels Of the casket walked
a dozen or more men, these, too, II
sleeves, but all putting away for dear hi'
at the cigarette or cigar.
A few hundred feet behind these pail
! bearers and "mourners' came sontary
man with white coffin slung under MS
arm. He wore hat and coat, and Wmle 2
| cigar was stuck in his mouth, 1t WASH
burning. He talked to himself as he went
along, and had every indication or one
who was sad Right behind him came
woman, an old woman, with broken
shoes and wrinkled face, and at her side
fastened with ropes in such way as 70
form a hand-grip, she carried another
white coffin-carried it much as the color
| ed porter in a hotel would carry satchel.
| Another brigade of coatless, hatleSs, but
| not smokeless, men, with an adult comm
| on their shoulders, and a merry laugh on
| their clustering lips, went by, and then
| came along man and a woman, wheel
ing in a wheelbarrow two infant cofi1ns.
| They were silent, silent as the little lips
beneath the uninscribed coffin lids. The
| man rolled cigarette between his myers,
rolled it neryously, and went along
| like one in a dream. On came the hearse-
less dead, one, two, three, now dozen,
| and amid the clang of the mournful bell
| they turned into the cemetery, and then
| fathers dug the graves OF their own chill
| dren, husbands those Of their wives
| brothers those of their sisters. Not a
| tear, not a pangi 1t was the good, old
way of Death-and smoke.
These are poorer funerals. The burials
of the rich are attended by long trains OF
carriages, and the hearse is decorated III
the most astonishing and gaudy colors.
chiefly red and yellow. The driver or
the hearse, with the assistant who sits
alongside him, is bedecked out in scarlet
coat and knickerbockers, and a cooked
hat of the same color. In fact, he looks
more like an English admiral, except for
colors, than an undertaken. None or the
hearses enter the cemetery, remaining
outside the gates, the remains being then
carried in the cemetery for a half a mile
or so at time by relatives and friends.
THE BEGGARS.
They beg every day in the week along
the streets of Habana, but Saturday is
the legal holiday-that Is TO say, while
the police make no attempt whatever TO
interfere with the mendicants on other
days, they encourage the practice on
Saturday by contributing their own mite.
1t is the most common thing in the world
to find a businessman absolutely refuse
to give aims during the first six days Of
the week, but on the last day nearly
every solicitor of charity who may visit
his store receives something or other |
1t is a strange custom, and one that re-
fleets great credit on those people Of the |
island, who are able TO give and who do |
The laboring-man, who works twice as |
hard as his fellow creature up North, |
goes to and comes from his work every |
day during the week with the exception |
of Saturday, without being disturbed by |
or paying any attention TO the beggars. |
But on this one day an observer would /
lack the sentiment Of a Newfoundland |
pup were he to fail TO appreciate the deli
cate touch of goodheartedness that is dis
played In the workingman, with his small
store surrounded by half a dozen or even
each OF whom he gives at least a couple
OF centaYos
Just as impressive is the performance
OF the carriage driver, who brings his
horse TO a standsull, jumps down from
his box, and runs across the pavement |
to the curbstone to shove a few pennies
into some unfortunate palm. Even the
driver Of a hearse, gorgeously equipped
has been seen 10 stop In the middle OF
funeral procession and twirl copper at
"A baOVqr'g Drfaef nh
from Barcelona four years ago is known
TO give away in charity every Saturday
four fifths OF his stipend. The fact that
one Is entertaining friends at dinner I'm
one of the big hotels does not prevent
an interruption on the part of the beg
gar. n bookseller near the Captain-Gene- |
rails palace sets apart each week So |
which he distributes to the poor on Sa-
turdays. 81 give for my sins. and can |
afford TO do it," he explained to an |
American acquaintance for / stick on |
the price when you foreigners buy" A
practical illustration of Goldsmith's line:
I'm penance planning sins anew"
The government, too, helps the poor on
Saturdays and distributes rice, bread, |
and sometimes bacon.
mo Sc HABLA INGLES"
There is a strong prejudice against the
English language throughout the island |
and particularly In Habana English |
schools or academies are unknown or, II !
AHOWu, are merely ufagslnS their weary |
ength long. Children are forbidden by
heir parents 10 talk English. except
where there be some financial prospect |
n sight, and they obey the mandate TO
he very letter. German is frequently
heard on the street. I'm the theatres, and
about the hotel. and French, which is 9
bought by many TO be twin tongue
o Spanish, but which isn't, Is commonly
,ossiped everywhere. The same may be |
laid OF Italian But an English-speaking | ,
,erson might talk himself deaf dumb
md blind and receive the threadbare
eply of mo comprendo" in return FOR
lis trouble. Just now there is more Eng
ish spoken in the streets OF Habana | q
han at any other time in the remem-
rance of the most learned veteran. This
5 due TO the Maine disaster, which |
rought about the presence of an un-
Sually big colony or not only Americans |
mt Englshmen as well n
The sign English spoken" appears In |
few shops only. and they are mighty | I
aw, and the spokesman for the estab
shment has a complete monopoly OF the | Z
elief that he has mastered the tongue &
lis guesses are certainly longer shots | n
nan ever appeared on the blackboard AT
righton. A former resident OF Brook
m, who established drugstore here n
as had seven children born In Habana -
nd they know es little OF English assl =
ley did the day they were born. He n
as asked how this could be. and he
lid that his customers avoided hts store r
ntil he gave up the idea OF teaching
lem his native language. II ought Ia
2 ashamed OF IT, TO be sure" he added. C
but am in no position TO dictate terms | a
these people. My children are well | =
iyanced now. and would not talk Eng