The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-01-23

wings being held in position by wires
twisted among the feathers. The
thought of the discomfort the poor lit
tie creatures were suffering considerab-
~ interfered with my evenings enjoy
ment, but I afterward found this to be
universal method of adjoining rooms
among the Filipinoss and, -Mestizos on
occasions of ceremony. The golden.
rule, so far as animals are concerned,
enters little into the Philippine mind.
NO FORMAL. PRESENTATION.
Most of my English friends scattered
in search of partners, advising me to
do the same. with the information that
formal presentation was unnecessary;
rather bad form, in fact.
Just say 'Quiere listed bailar?' (Does
your grace wish to dance?) and she will
be as pleased as Punch to dance with
an Americana
I was still exercised in spirit over my
neglected duty to my hostess, SO, just
to set my mind at rest, one of the fell
lows took me up to her. She was
very brown lady, rather tall and slen-
der for a Filipino, and dressed in the
native costume-brilliant plaid skirt,
black silk overskirt, white waist and
stiffiy starched, beautifully embroid-
erred mantilla of the famous pima lace,
made in the convents-but she bowed
and smiled with the air of a Duchess,
said a few words in Spanish, which I
did not understand, and then waved
me with much bejeweled hand and
arm toward group of damsels. chat
tering in liquid Tegalan. My knowl-
edge of Spanish was limited at that
time, but I summoned my wits, APP
preached the girl nearest me- and,
after making my best Papanti bow,
said what must have sounded like "Ker-
ry oostay bily?' She understood, how
ever, and jumped up directly, beaming
all over. The musicians were playing
waltz, and in a moment more I found
myself threading the mazes'' with the
best dancer 1 had ever met in my life,
at home or abroad. The ease with
which she adapted herself to my none
too graceful steps and the lightness
with which she herself danced were
revelations to- me, but I afterward dis
covered that all the. girls danced fully
as we'll as she, the wonderful musical
ear which is a Characteristic of all
Philippine natives, and the fact that
they were unhampered by tight dresses,
easily accounting for the phenomenon.
The waltz being over, I found myself
somewhat at a loss for conversation.
The only Spanish phrases l could recall
were those to the effect that 1.-The cat
chases the rat 'the father eats the
bread of the baker, and other partic-
ularly idiotic platitudes derived from
my Spanish grammar. Not wishing to
create an impression of feeble minded
ness, 1 abstained from making any of
the above remarks; but after much
brain effort ventured upon one which
seemed to me to possess at least the
merit of cOnventionality, and succeed
ed in saying that it had been a splen-
did day. 1t occurred to me afterward
that, in view of the fact that there had
not been a cloud in the sky since the
October monsoon had set in, and prob
ably wouldn't be until February, this
observation might have seemed to be
lacking in that wit and briiliancy CAL
culated to make favorable impression
AT any rate, my companion, after a
moments hesitation, replied Isl, senor,"
anu tiiCn do Tic IllQSlC lOI duOtutI
dance struck up she said something
about an ''otro senor," and unceremoni-
ously detached herself and walked off
She probably told her girl friends af-
terward that it was perfectly true that
Americans and Englishmen were all
lunatics-a popular theory in the Far
East
DANCING NOT LIVELY.
Not being familiar with the intrica-
cies of the "rigadon,' as the dance, now
under way was called, I retired to a
doorway to look on. It was not so
lively as its name would imply. being
a species of quadrille, with quantities
of bowling and scraping, forwarding
and backing and exchanging of part
ners. l saw my late acquaintance go
ing through it all with a tall Captain
of the "Guardia CIVIL whose sabre and
spurs (Which he wore during the entire
EVENING" clattered and clinked in a
most martial way
Besides the Englishmen and myself,
there were present representatives of
numerous other nations-Germans
Frenchmen, Swiss, one japanese, and
one half breed Dutchman from Batavia,
who drank more and made more noise
than all the rest together.
Senior R was everywhere; flirting
with the girls drinking with the men
and doing his best to see that everybody
was having good time; always armed
with box of cigars, which he offered
to members of both sexes indiscrimi-
nately-and which were generally ac-
.cepted in either case.
Among the late arrivals was one who
particularly attracted my attention; a
girl of perhaps II or IS, as black as a
crow, with tight-curling, frizzly hair:
arrayed in a most superb ball dress of
pink tulle trimmed with white flowers;
an importation from Paris, as l learned
afterward. The effect of this costume
against her black neck and arms was
striking. to say the least, especially as
she was the only girl present who did
not wear the native attire. She came
accompanied by younger brother,
who was rugged out in a kind of fancy
dress, and / was told that they had
been abducted when very young from
one of the inland tribes of savage
aborigines, and brought up by fabu-
lousy rich Mestizo family. The dia-
mond necklace which the girl wore, to-
gether with her dress, must have been
worth 81 small fortune. They were both
treated with great Difference, until the