The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-02-01
MEXICAN P0SADAS.
A HOLIDAY FROLIC IN WHICH
THERE Is A TINGE OF ROMANCE.

der Her Window and "PIay Bear
From the Mexican Herald
went to the posadas last week. 1 have
a number of Mexican friends, and very
good friends they are, too. who were anx-
ious that I should see posada in a good
family, real posada of the old-fashioned
style. And as they insisted that should
go with them. went. They all asked me
how 1 liked the posada, and of course I
had to tell them that 1 was very much
| pleased with them And l was, but there
was a hundred different ways of being
pleased. And 1 should like TO tell you
how was pleased and why I was pleas
ed and at what 1 was pleased.
One of the principal reasons why went
TO the posada (or rather that particular
posada), is, perhaps. a piece of private
history; but then 1 can tell you, as 1
know that you will not let it go any fur
Their. You see, there is a very pretty SEN
orita lives in the house where the posada
| was held. She is the sister of my very
| particular friend Don -. But there, il
will not interest you TO know his name
| Well. l was very much interested in the
| 1
tention of playing the bear at her win
dow. But there was a fellow there who
seemed glued to that window One day
! went there al s O'Clock in the evening,
| and l found that stupid fellow there. 1
made up my mind that l would stay there
| until he went away. | stayed there I'M
| Ill l O'Clock, and he was still there, and
| what is more, he had evidently no inten-
ton of going away. So | went away my
| self and left him there. l went back sew
| eral times, but always found that fellow
glued to The window. Then l gave the
matter up in despair, so far as occupying
| the window was concerned but | made
up my mind that I would get inside and
let him keep to the window. So when my
friend invited me to so to the posadas I
hooked upon him as my good angel
Well but there you are tired of this lit
tie bit of private history. So let us talk
of the posadas.
Well 1 went the first night the posadas
opened. I must confess l was not very
much interested in the posada. l went
there to see the senorita. My friend came
to my house for me and took me to his
house. All the way there he talked of the
beautiful things that l would see, for he
had made up his mind to have the finest
posada in the whole ward of the city in
which he lived. l asked him if there were
going to be any ladies there. And he said
as to say that at such a posada as his
they would not omit any of the incidentals
however unimportant they might be.
When we got out of the carriage at the
great zaguan door, we found a number of
young men awaiting us, all of whom We're
waiting to be introduced to the young
master of the house. And among them
was that fellow that used to hang around
outside the senorita's window. My Their
mometer went suddenly down below zero
The patio was BEAUTIFULLY lighted up with
electric lamps with colored shades, and
Chinese lanterns The portales were filed
with beautiful flowers and tropical trees
and foliage. In the artificial light it all
looked like fairyland. In the patio played
a beautiful fountain from the center of
which stared at me the grotesque head of
an Aztec warrior. / could not help think
ing how much that scowling head resem-
bled that of that stupid fellow that used
to hang around outside the senorita's win
| dow.
Soon we went inside Here everything
was lighted more brilliantly than the pa
ito, if that were possible.
My friend took me around and introduced
me to the ladies, who were all seated on
one side of the room, about as solemn and
as much at their ease as though they were
going to a funeral. They made me think
of the big Aztec warriors who stand day
in and day out on their high stone pedes-
Il
shook hands with all the ladies' and they
all assured me that they were my servants
| could not help thinking, as l went along
that row of senoras and senoritas. of how
many servants l would have when | got
through with the formalities of introduc-
ton. by and by we came to the senorita
My friend introduced me as his very good
friend whom he was pleased to have know
his sister She assured me that il was a
great honor TO know me, that her house
was at my disposal and that she was my
most humble servant. After such greet
ing as that L wanted to stop right there.
But my friend dragged me on to an old
lady who had face much like the calen-
dar stone, and a complexion the color of
a Nahuau Indian. She also assured me
she was my servant
After had been introduced to every one
in the room we went and sat down on the
side of the house opposite to the ladies'
Here we sat for half an hour and no one
said anything. In the meantime all the
new arrivals were passed in review before
us, after which the men took their seats
among us and the ladies went to the on
posite side OF the house. The ladies' looked
so gentle that / could not help thinking of
the biblical division of the sheep and the
goats.
After awhile the music began to plav.
and we all stood up and filed out into the
patio, where two or three servants handed
edCn OIL US a COlOTed candle. which we
lighted. Then two children appeared On
the scene with representation of joseph
and Mary and an angel in what looked
like a forest. There was a burro. too.
leaning up against a tree. They were ali
dressed out in festive attire, and even the
burro had a silk ribbon around his neck.
Joseph had on a Mexican sombrero, and
Mary was dressed in silk and satins. and
the angel, as became his high station was
the most beautifully dressed Of them all.
l asked my friend in a whisper if they
were going to the posadas too. He looked
at me as compassionately as much as to
say zone can do nothing but pity 81 CHI
ignorance.
Soon we began to march around The pa
tics and up into the neghboring house, and
up several stairs and from that down into
a back patio. Here we met a large pool
of dirty water. around which we marched.
My friend explained that we were repre-
sentng the wanderings of the holy family
when they went up to Jerusalem to be en-
rolled in the census / asked him IL the
pool of water represented the Black sea.
And he gave me another look that made
me wish | was going on my wanderings.
too.
Altar we had wandered upstairs md