The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1900-07-05
The ElLlplNo As A HOST.
The Daughters of the House Sing and
Dance Chartning1y.

Inc oil Inc mouse sing ana
Dance Charming1y.
Imagine yourself an Americana"
on duty in Manila, and that, being
stranger, you are courteously invited
to dine at the home of Filipino gen
tleman. Upon your arrival the host
places his house and its contents at
your disposal, for the Filipino in his
home is at his best, and seems unlike
the same man when met in the daily
business of life. The scene at dinner
is charming one 1t is enhanced by
pleasant smiles and kindly speeches,
and under no consideration will the
master of the home at this time allow
himself or his guests to be interrupted.
After good dinner you are charm
ingly entertained, and though your
hostess may be portly and swarthy,
says the New York Herald, she plays
the piano so well and is so polite and
thoughtful that you forget that she is
not handsome. Then, too, you can
not help admiring the readiness with
which the young native women re-
spond when asked to sing or dance,
and perhaps you wish your sisters
at home would behave as gracefully
on such occasions. After you have
seen the Spanish fandango and other
dances prettily performed, the daugh-
tiers of the house sing for you in both
Filipino and English. Their voices
are sweet, and the quaint pronuncia-
ton adds to the charm.
After most enjoyable evening you
start for home, but have not proceeded
far when you hear the sweet music of
a stringed instrument and become en-
tranced with the melody. Presently
the musician, who is a street beggar,
advances with oustretched hand say
ing, "Aguinaldo, which means gift"
and from this word is derived the
name of the widely known insurgent.
You throw him some coins and
receive profuse thanks and low bow.
He says, "Mayung a hi, Senor,"
meaning "Good morning, SIR" and
passes on, the sweet strains OF his
guitarita dying away in the distance.
This instrument, which gives out
such sweet sounds, is made from cocoa
nuts with the natives ever ready
weapon, the bolo, He divides the
cocoanut shell carefully, and smoothes
the edges so that rude, straight edge
may be moved freely to and fro over
them. This when so far complete is
laid aside, while out of piece of
white wood, which is very soft and
spongy, he forms rough bow. With
a smaller bolo he works over this,
curving and giving shape to it, until
1u
screws, Then his glue pot, which has
been resting over a chip fire, and his
drill, which is pointed piece of steel
in q rough wooden handle, come into
play.
The steel drill is thrust into the
fire and kept there until red hot. With
this the native burns the required
number of holes for the screws, which
are whitfield out of the wood. Then
with his bolo he skilfully cuts off
thin slab of the white wood to serve
as base board, and upon which the
shells rest.
The bridge is a small block, with q
wide base and thin upper edge,
which is cut in such a manner that
strings may rest in the four inter
stices, through which the knotted ends
cannot slip.
With the glue the base board,
through which he has put several
small holes near the bridge, is fas-
tened in place. The strings are made
from hemp and carefully cut into
lengths. These are attached to the
now complete instrument, and when it
is carefully tuned and played the
result is sweet, mild music, which
when heard at night and at little
distance seems almost to belong to
another and a better world.