The evening times., 1899-07-05
SEN0RITAS ON PARADE
Face Powder and Carmine as Ad-
juncts to Beauty.
Delights of Hal Mosques In the City
the Tunes of GOurds, Guitars, and
MufIed Drums-FrOm Gayety to
Misery-Water supply Very short.


MufIed Drums-From Gayety to
Misery-Water supply Very short.
Cienfuegos, June 3.-During the war it
was officially stated that in Havana were
twenty women to one man-exclusive Of
the soldiers stationed there-the other
nineteen men being off with the insurgent
army, disabled in the hospitals, or lying in
their graves. This dearth of men was even
more apparent in interior towns; and to
this day the surplus woman is almost as
numerous as in Paraguay after LopeZ's
wars. Promenading the plaza Of Cienfue-
gos on Sunday afternoon, with all the 10
cal world, one meets crowds of we'll
dressed ladies' and at comparatively rare
intervals self-conscious and manifestly
much-valued person of the sterner sex.
Possibly there may be some other corner
of the world wherein the men, young. mid
dle-aged, and old, usurp the female prerOg-
atives OF paint, powder, and perfumery;
but il so, l have not been there. Travellers
In tropical countries have learned to ex-
pect the beauty mask on female counte-
nances, (put on, so they say, to obyiate the
greasy look produced by perspiration in
warm climate); but when the powder is
into hair and beard, lodged in ears and
eyebrows, and powed into burrows down
the cheeks by trickling streams of sweat.
the effect is ghastly. To this unnatural
whiteness the addition of carmine, dabbed
in vivid spots on lips and cheekbones, i'm
parts to the wearer the appearance of a
galvanized corpse. And then the tooth
picktoed, exaltedheeled patent feathers
OF the Cuban dude, his scents, beside which
CT oth untt1i h.axr han hat <1e
an infant, and his ties of aggressive hues
that seem to swear continually at all sur
rounding objects, complete picture which
plainly advertises unfurnished rooms to
rent in the upper story. This unsexed
creature usually, makes 'mashing" the end
and aim OF his existence infesting the
plazas. church doors. and all places fire.
quented by his female adorers; and he re-
ally ought to be exterminated with paris
green, as blight on the landscape.
Not many months ago bread was so
scarce in Cuba that thousands died of
starvation; but the times have never been
so sadly out of joint that any scarcity of
lace powder was apparent, even among The
lowliest! The Cuban woman young or
old, considers it more Indispensable ad-
1unct TO her toilette than mere soap and
water-a primal necessity 10 her attrac-
tiveness which il is her religious duty to
| conditions are welded to the powder-puff
from the grande dame of fashion 10 the
| neglected little orphan in the asylum
from the crumpled visaged octogenarian
/ TO the rosy checked child of half a dozen
summers. Go into any Cuban school and
you will find teachers and scholars alike
unsparingly garnished, powder box and
the rag, or bit of chamois, with which 10
apply IL, in every desk and tucked along
I -
shops where female clerks are employed.
and in the big tobacco factories where two
| or three hundred girls are at work roll
| ing cigarettes, the same thing is true.
One morning l visited La Corona the
| largest tobacco factory in Havana. Ten
! o'clock was the breakfast hour of the en-
| ployes, and when the hands of the clock
| pointed TO a quarter to ten every girl
! stopped work and reached for her powder
/ box. They are not paid by the day, but
| according to the number of cigarettes
| they roll. In the opinion of them all, that
! intervening fifteen minutes was NEEDED in
! which to assume the CHASTITY mask of pow
/ der, in order to make themselves present
| able before going on the streets.
Cienfuegos is particularly gay on Sun
| days, the resident clergy being so accom-
modatins as TO have the last service in the
churches over before II a. N. That leaves
nearly full day, reckoned as the natives
do until midnight, for cockfghting gamb-
ling, and other favorite advertisements. A
| military band renders excellent music il
| the plaza and the broad marble walk i;
| filled with senoras and senoritas In their
best clothes and under drifts of powder
parading TO and fro, while admiring male
onlookers stand in solid phalanx on either
side.
One is impressed with the extreme you'll
of the bellies, par excellence-htte girl;
| of twelve and thirteen years being con-
| sidered of marriageable age, while WON
| en- of twenty five or thereabouts, are rele
| gated TO the forlorn limbo OF back mum
bers.'' If one could be satisfied with onl!
a pair of eyes, the undersized and over
powdered Cubans might perhaps, be pro
nounced the most beautiful women in th
world. Their eyes are truly glorious
large black. and soulful; and sometime
the hair. glossy as the ravens wing
matches the eyes to perfection. They tall
with their eyes, flirt, cs;ole, and captur
you with them; but whether they coul
keep the average American forever con
tented in the bonds of matrmony, is quit
another matter. About the only talking O
account a Cuban girl can do is with he
eyes. Her tongue may chatter incessantly
and generally does; but being totally un
educated-beyond the lives of the saint
and a little music and embroidery-con
versation is not in her line. AS rule
all are much too stout for their height
even in early youth, built after the poute
pigeon model and with amazingly broa
hips; small. well-shaped hands and feet
full. red lips, and large white teeth. Sc
far apart. Though ignorant and unsophis
ticated, they make model wives for me
of their own race, being devoted, tende
and full of generous impulses. and in thei
homes charming atmosphere of yirtu
and simplicity prevails
In all Cuban cities there are two Der
, formances in the theatres and opera house
on Sundays, instead of one, as on otht
days. 1t is also the accepted time for ey
, cursions and baseball matches. for bu
i fights and horse races in towns which boa:
racecourse and plaza de toros, and alway
for the swellest balls and reception
Though it is the great pleasure day of tt
week. all the business places are open 6
usual, stores, markets, and other estat
lishments doing their best Cienfuegos ks
an extraordinary number of cafes, saloon
and clubhouses in all of which liquor
dispensed and the games of chance an
, skill so dear to Cuban hearts, are playe
One sees drinking places at every corne
filled with little tables, around which me
, are playing dominOes. Gin is the favori
tipple, considerably diluted Light SPANS
vines are also liked, with numerous ''r.
frescos,'' made from native fruits. 1t
rare indeed that anybody to the mann,
, born ever becomes intoxicated-so raj
that the spectacle of drunken America
soldier reeling down the streets creates
much excitement as fire and congregat,
the gamin of the city.
( On a recent Sunday evening 1 was q
$ interested spectator at popular hal