Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-03-18
CUBAN WOMEN.
Tho Hand that Rocks the Cradle Rules the World in the
Antilles as tlsewhoro-rho so-ealled Weaker Sex in
War-Philanthropy Literature Society and the Home
circIo-Sor1e Notable Examples OF Genius.

the war was a marriage ceremony, per.
formed at dawn IN the mountains ~
Puerto Principe The groom was
Captain Robnu. a handsome. well cdu-
the bride, the runaway daughter Of
one Of his tenants. Kobcau had long
loved the young lady, but aa she was In
humble circumstance. the rigid rules
Of cuban etiquette kept them apart.
AZ the beginning " the war h. recruit.
ed n company from his own nuighbur-
hood. composed entirely 81 hia personal
friends. ali weli-brcd young men. When
they started for the feid-tholr horses
tails braided with ribbons. each man
wearing a wreath ~ palm around his
hat In honor ~ the cnptain'H sweet.
heart. they rode direct to the girls
house ana salu,ed her as she stood on
the balcony with her mother Rohau
went inside and asked that Boo might
marry her at once ana take her with
him. fearing that some evil mlrht hefai
her Ia his absence. The patents ~.
fused. and he rode away broken heart
ed Two days later. when the DIiupau,
had gone many miles. the giri. mounted
ON horse. dashed 10 the Captains
side. She had run away from home In
order to Join her lover. without an
hours delay iRobau sent two mon. with
an extra horse and an empty saddle. to
fetch the nearest priest The roOd
padre, mutteriug Ave Murlls nll the
way, expecting to be Killed. arrived
with his escort Just as dawn wua break.
inn IN the east. So the young lu1ple
were married. sonora iiohau followed
her husband all through the war. ana
now with her little boy is at home nn
the i,obau plantation.
The women ~ San Juan Martinez
took no small part IN the rebellion.
when the Spanish troops under Cor.
nell were on their way n that city, the
citizens. men and women, met ana took
"a vote AZ tn what course they should
pursue. They decided to burn their
town TO anhcH, fnihef than have II dee-
truyod by Spanish soldiers. So while
the men took all the horses and hurried
10 the field. the women set their own
homes ON firc. ma then. with their
children In their arms. walked 60
Guanc. twelve miles distant. Tho Span
iafdr. cnrnEcd nt finding themselves
bnfiiod. started In hot pursuit Hearing
~ their approach. the women nrrd
gunnc. and walked To- the ncNt town.
Montczumn, and 20 they they kept up
tho merry chase. burning village nftei
village until they reached the inuur.
gent army.
The wife ~ senior Damien Poreroic.
"a political exile In tho Isle uf piucH.
followed her husband 10 ~. penal col
ony. resolved 10 lihcrato him. While
he was working with several oth-rt,
follinR timber she suddenly appeared.
fnatched "a gun from the rufpiircd
guard and pointing Il at HE head.
threatened him with Instant death "
he moved. Her husband nnd hiH COM
fndea rushed forward, bound nnd gagged
tho guard before he could Hivc alarm
aud escaped from the island IN an opcr
boat. They reached ciencrn d. Iapntn
In safety and afterwards iolmcd the re-
evolutionary forces. Mrs. Hernandez
acting IN a nurse until the cnd u Ia"
war.
Though 20 fearless IN the face ~
danger. belligcrancc " farth'roHt fro.i
the natural bent ~ the cuban woman.
Most ~ them Ind their hearts content
In the quirt Of the homc-circlc. with no
ambition 10 shine In public favor.
Now aud then. however. a genius ap.
pears. whose light cannot be hid. Such
was the poctesn. GertrudeH Gomez dc
Avclinndra. who has been called 'hc
Elizabeth browning ~ Cuba. She WIS
born IN Puerto Principe. In isii, ~ tho
ugc ~ twenty she went to spain. nnd
soon became known In Seville, 'hdlA
and Madrid through her lyrics. dramas
and novels. A. prolific n writer as our
Mrs burnett. she has published dozen
novels. several books ~ poems, blogfn
phiea and essays. and NO less than nine
successful dramas. Among the latter.
her saul. laltnrnr and cntilinn have
been translated into several languages
aud long held the boards In France ana
spain shr died In Madrid IN iNia'
Another nuthorcHH of hlrh mcrlt u
i.uiFn Perez. born In Santiago de cuba,
In iSg5. Her father being u poor minei
In the Cohrc mountains, she educated
herself. with the aid ~ few books,
While stiil young. she was celebrated M
the Island poetcHH' second only 10
Avolinncdn. In later lie she translated
a number ~ works, wrote volumin'
nus treaty on sducnclon y Irhhnidnd,
and published several cHrnyF After the
death 81 her husband, senior Ramon
Znmbrnna she ceased writing alto
gcther. and yet lives In iInbann, dovot-
"a 10 her family
Aurclln Castillo de Gonzalez ~ nm.
other weli-knnwn literary GUIANA
she drrt acquired fame through the
newspapers 81 hcr native city, Puerto
and then her poems passed
Ia other countries. Not long ago she
which has been highly commended on
both Sides NJ the water; ana n y said
hat nhe ~ now writing an Inner history
NJ the war.
Not less famous In n different way II
Sonora Marta Abrcu dc Esteyes,
daughter Of rich family Of Santa
clara province and wife ~ the learned
professor ~ Jurisprudence, Dr. Luia
lcstoVVz. "senora Marta" ms everybody
lovingly calls her. " distinguished Tor
her great philanthropy. while yet IN
her teens" she donated a finc theatre
10 her native city, applying It's Income
Ia the support Of the free schools. fui
many years. Ia connection with hei
two aisters-thc ponna Rosnlla Abreu
de- Sanchez and Rosa Abrru de Gan.
has supported an asylum for
the poor. n school for the colnrrd child
rem, u seminary for white girls and a
college for boys. The Hia.
iers devoted the entire fortune lett
them by their parents, something over
$50. 900. to these ana other charitable
bona Marta de Estevea,
now u wldow-dovotes her entire time
la them. attending all the examinations
NJ the schools ana giving large sums In
prizes. both 20 pupils and teachers. Her
theatre. called "Ei Tentro dc caridnd,
IL "A nne building and yields a steady
Income for the good work, and her free
baths Tor the public are a no less nc
ccptable charity
Sonora lienitez. q lady Of Ilnbnna,
founded the free school ~ santa An
gel" In that city, supported II during
her life. and az her death left u amply
and In charge OF the Society
Amigos del plna, Friends of the
Country" II has thirty free Hchol-
arHhlps and affords primary irHtruc-
lion 10 three hundred day pupils.
FANNIE nRiCHAM WARD.