The Washington weekly post., 1899-05-09
PEASANTRY OF PORTO RICO.
Peculiar Customs of the Country as to
Marriage and Divorce.
From Harper's Weekly.

from > weekly.
The life OF the peasant. the peon, of
Porto Rico is not a dream of ease and
luxury: neither has he ever passed
through the nightmare Of wretched hun
ger and biting cold, which adds so vitality
to the hardships OF the poverty-stricken
Of Northern climes.
In squalOr and filth. in crudity and ig-
norance, the larger number of the In
habitants go through their comparatively
short lives; for one does not See many
aged people among them. They die Off
from fevers. contagious diseases. and
troubles handed down from sickened
fOrefathers, at comparatively early age.
At no period Of the poor mans exist
ence can he suffer the tortures OF star
walton because his job OF work has given
out, for, while during the whole months
of the year he may not earn a single
centavo, he still has his little plot OF veg
etableS on the hill; then. If worst comes
TO worst, or the landowner turns him
out, he may live on the profusion Of
fruits and roots Of the forest. or, as Is u
common practice of the country, upon
the fruits filched from his more opulent
neighbor.
In the dry season he complains OF the
cold OF early morning. yet he needs but
the merest rags to cover his naIedness.
for on no day in the year is it colder than
our mildest of autumnal weather. Shoes
are useless burden to his bare and sole
leather lined feet. which have trodden
the rocky, briery trail, In their nakednes5
from infancy and a hat. IL he Tnust have
II, ne makes in his own house from the
grass grown around the doorway
The house in which he is dOmiciled he
builds in few short days from poles and
thatch and bark rolls OF the royal palm;
and good house 1t Is. In spite OF its
primitive appearance, for IL screens him
from the colder winds Of night, and sheds
the water OF the driving rains like 4
ducks back.
Children are an ever-present and abun-
danI factor in the domestic economy of
the peasants life. 1t is called domestic
economy, since 1t costs nothing 70 supply
the air Of day for the lungs Of these little
waits; 1t costs nothing for their clothes.
for they run about in the sunshine and
the rain Just as God made them, and
sleep in odd corners without cover for
the first half-dOZen years or their baby
lives, and when older single discarded
tattered garment adds 10 their natural
grace the shield Of decency. SO they live.
without expense. and with little tender
ness bestowed on them IN the shape or
material comforts. though the mothers
Kiss is often given and the father pats
the little head. They soon toddle, at the
command Of the mother, to do small er-
rands, TO help weed the garden, 10 bring
i'm the handful of wood for the fire. 20
dig the tubers for msager meal, and,
lastly, TO hold up their tiny hands, and.
with pleading eyes. gain copper from
the passer-by on the roadside. They are
a good investment 20 the family. the ma
j0rity OF them die at an early age. and 70
costs but a few strained hours to the
mothers heart, q Bit OF cloth for a
shrOud, and the energy needed 10 carry
the tiny form to the pOtteTs field. OF
setting this Is the usefulness Of those
who, by the laws Of survival or the ht-
test. pull through with sturdy forms. 10
pick berries, work in the cane and to-
bacco fields and add 20 the common fund.
until, al a varying age, they rebel against
the paternal banker. and live for them
selves I'm poverty and IN bondage - the
landed kings. just as the generations who
came before them.
Marriage is almost unknown among the
very poor classes. and the DISTINCTION of
| having the written word and the blessing
4 OF the priest carries with IL no special
| badge ~ honor. II Is suggestive only OF
! another poor man gone wrong aHq 4
| gFasping padre a few pesos richer II is
| a much easier matter FOR man 70 select
/ his cOmpanCnable partner and st uD
/ housekeeping IN new "icKlup under tnr
| banana tree without more ado.
| A legal marriage Dy license has less I'm
/ IL which meets approval Ia the native
/ funcfloHary for tde padre might Away
| save them from hell. while the nations
sanction Is absolutely a baT-faced rob
berry Gen. Grant one day gave hearing
/ TO a much-s gitated man. who stated than
/ the priest would not marry him % the
woman he loved without excessive fees
and he prayed that his eEceiiency would
I order the errlng father % marry him a.
/ a rate commensurate with the size % h.s
| pOcketLo0k The General sorrOWfgily
/ told him that he could not pretend %
| interfere With the church rulings. even
| though his sympathies were aroused. and
| suggested he DF content Wifh the legal
/ form which me- all the lawful needs u
/ our Own country. and pay the small r..
/ 10 the civil authorities. The man gisf~d
/ al him and DISAPPEARED. the manifest cue
/ psaity of American officials was beyond
his power 70 express IN words.