New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-01-15
THE MEXICAN SENORITA.
WHAT SHE MAY AND MAY NOT DO TO
AMUSE HERSELF

This is only a woman's view Of it, but there
has been so much Of masculine rapture over
the soft-eyed Mexican sefiorita and her fascina-
tons and her beauty that anything In the way
of facts and novelty ought to be welcome Once
there was a man who was honest He spent
fortnight in the City OF Mexico, and admitted
fcarfully and in hushed tones, as Of one who
burns that which he has adOred; then. more
openly. and at length boldly with pride In his
courageous veracity. that in all that time the
one pretty girl he had seen turned oui to be an
American.
This too sweeping. Even among the
sehoritas there are rather pretty girls Among
the women Of the peon class. the women whose
heads and shoulders are wrapped In the grace
full rebozo, there is beauty. But sehorita will
not understand you II you say So However, the
girl of the City Of Mexico is not the typical one
of the country. though the prevalent idea In
the United States of course, is that all beyond
that town is waste land and mud villages.
Away off to one side Of the republic up five
thousand feet among the western mountains
there is city called Guadalajara. 1t is a beau
tifu city and old, and it boasts an orderly we'll
governed population Of two hundred and fifty
thousand souls Except In that 1t is exceed
ingly clean, this, by the Mexcans is counted
the typical city of Mexico. For the capital is
so Americanized that the very street vendors
talk English But in Guadalajara there is little
10 attract the capitalist and the syndicate, and
II Is out Of the route Of ordinary travel
The sehorita is uncontaminated by the bold
freedom OF the Grnga, and she harbors no dis
turbing aspirations for greater liberty In her
placid breast When she is little she Is carried
In the arms Of black-shawled nurse, good ma
tured and not over clean. She wears wonderful
caps OF lace and colored silks and false Slip
long and flowing OF the same, over her simpler
baby clothes. When she is little older she is
laced into long, stiff stays and sent to the con-
vent and at night she walks in the Plaza and be-
gins to think about novio. The novio is thence
forth the one aim and interest Of her life She
first knows that he is likely to become such. be-
cause he has stared her out of countenance
whenever she has come upon him in the streets
and has turned squarely about on the sidewalk
and gazed after her, which Is good manners and
a mark Of proper appreciation OF her charms
Then he is always to be found In the Plaza when
she Is there.
ON THE PLAZA
And the Plaza itself since It is a national in
stitution, and the stage whereupon are enacted
many OF the most thrilling scenes Of her LIES
romance, merits a word. 1t Is a garden sur
rounded by wide walk. Several times a week
the band plays there at night, and damsels who
would look their tolerant horror and surprise
when told that in the States a girl may in the
daytime walk in the public streets with a man
come in the darkness. two or more, unattended
from remote parts Of the town. They Join the
line Of women who walk from west to east and
watch the line Of men who walk from east to
west Latterly the spirit OF the age is creeping
In. and man, upon rare occasions, Joins two
girls and walks for time with them But II is
not usual. For the most part the two streams
do not mingle The black one OF the men pours
steadily along, the muti-cOlOred one OF the
girls does the same, and no word Of greeting is
exchanged, though man may bowie has the
option and a woman may return the salute
There are rows Of chairs around the Plaza
upon both sides Of the promenade They are
full In the glare Of the arc lights under the
trees. and in one Of these the sehorita. when she
wearies Of walking. seats herself Then the
novio takes a chair opposite and proceeds to
stare. IL she likes him she also stares If not
she talks to the girl who is with her-for If two
Mexican girls were together for twenty-four
hours they would talk every moment of the
fime-and observes her friends filing past with
the walk accounted graceful, which is a hitcbiDg
motion that would seem 70 Jar the very brain
All are round-shouldered and push out their
chihs; they themselves admit the defect with
the calm satisfaction in It Of the provincial
Ihey scorn the suggestion that a course of car
rying loads and water jars upon their heads
might give them the majestic port OF the women
Of the lower class
Ihere is great deal Of transformations wealth
in Guadalajara, and the girls who drive through
the narrow white streets in carriages that
would do credit to Central Park send to Paris
and the city for their gowns and hats-gowns
and hats OF which the belle Of Pumpklnville |
would be proud. Among the cLrinsities II pa rio .