The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-02-18
IN THE MALATE DISTRICT.
An American views of Filipino Hab.
Its and Customs.

Its and Customs.
MANILA, p. l.. Jan. lin the little
street in the Malate district of Manila.
where we live and observe the manners
and habits of our neighbors, there is not
much to remind one Of the American occu-
patton. except the too frequent passing of a
procession of hearses, around the burdens
in which is wrapped our flag. on their way
to the Malate Cemetery. Occasionally
detachment of troops marches by on its
way to the trenches, or an army wagon
clatters past, drawn by mules which have
assumed the proportions Of elephants to
eyes grown accustomed to the Filipino
pony. Idle soldiers, too, may be seen
chatting and chaffering with the women in
the tiny bamboo shops. or the roadside
markets. But, generally speaking. the flow
OF native life around us seems little dis
turbed, here in Malate, by the obstruc-
ton of foreign army.
1t is noisy population. The people talk
4 great deal, the cocks crow without ref
erence TO hours, the dogs-an ili-condi-
toned lot Of NANCY curs-bark all night.
and the children fail to show that stolid
indifference TO circumstances which one
sees in the young OF our Indians-to whom.
however, these people are so superior In
advancement that they cannot De men
toned together. The babies cry vocifer-
ously at unreasonable hours, as might be
expected from. young insurrectos. In the
next house to us. a pretty little white
bird-cage OF a place. with sliding oyster
shell walls. there have been walls night
and day, until we have come 10 SPEAK OF
the young bowler by the name winch IL
written over tiny grave In the cemetery
of one OF our own frontier posts Noisy
Owl" From the glimpses we have mad OF
him through he banana leaves. Seneraiiy
in the arms OF his father, he seemed 10 Dc
blessed with plump little body as well as
stout lungs, and we criticised the lack Oh
discipline in his family.
But one night an unusual quiet seemed
to settle over the neighborhood. In the
morning there was great bustling OF
neighbors about the next house. and we
believed that whatever Filipino bird may
answer to the stork had made a WISH
there Being sympathetic--or curious-we
went from window to window, craning over
each others shoulders to see what m'snt
be happening. We heard the shell WIN
dows drawn back, and just then a gust
blew aside the screening banana The IN
terror was revealed to us. A great bed
with rudely carved back and canopy ana
tawdry lace hansings, tapers burning at
its head and foot. and priest beside II,
holding a crucifix. In the centre. a small
a very small coffin. covered with sky-oIue
muslin. This was the tableaux The
green curtain quickly obscured IL, ana
Noisy Owl is noisy no longer.
O,,v iz a road. with no
sidewalk. Generally speaking. the houses
are the nipa huts Of the humble people,
but at intervals there are more preten-
tious abodes, such as our own. and tne5e
are usually shut in by stone walls, tn
which the action OF this damp climate
gives the appearance OF great antiquity.
These are green with moss and draped
with Towering vines. Eacn house is set
in a ti,icket CT bananas. and there are
many palms. Some OF these are cocoa1ut
trees. but the usual variety Is that kind
which one associates with carved AMI
painted angels, and victory. and heaven.
/ do not know their name nor use, ex-
cent In that connection, but they grow %
a great height here; and when they wave
against a sunset sky in which young
moop is just revealing itself, one feels that
.hey do not grow in vain. whatever the
fruit may be. Opposite TO us, and the
road Is narrow, is a superb cluster OF them,
and against this great fiame-tree Tor so
II is known among u.s., with deii.ate foii
age like the mimosa, and a crown OF vtvid
scarlet flowers These finished blooming
some months ago, and long seed-pots took
their place. and the green OF ire leaves
began to look dingy. But now fresh leaves
are spriuging from the old ones. and VIC
are hoping that the flame will soou break
anew When 1t is in blossom, millions OK
frefiss weave In and out among the few
ers. like sparks And 1t hsrbors likewise
fiourishing family of monkeys
In every direction. looking iandward,
are the outlines OF blue hills. and against
these. closer, the plumes OF the bamboo.
As for the bay, whose waters we can see
from our house, at sunset Its beauty mas
something OF unreality, with the noun
tains against the blazing sky. and the
great shi2s bathed in that unearthiT light
When the sudden darkness Of the tropics
Gescends. it is as though the curtain had
drcpped en- some wonderful scene divine'y
devised for human entertainment.
And only man is vile. But he really
is vile lie lies and steals and murders.
He receives wages or aims in the mousse
of the invader. processes welcome anu
amity. and then slips out in the night 10
trench whence he can safely Ire OF ms
friend the American. But he is an intel
ligen. villain, the town-bred one, usually
possessed of some education, and
churcheoer of devout observances, he ana
his family We have found the congre-
CATION Of the Malate church an interest,"
ing one, composed as II Is entirely OF ma
tiyes and almost exclusively OF the poorer
class.
For every day the working women are
fond Of wearing their long and abundant
A.f. hal
SUNDAYS and feast days, II is always wound
in n sleek coil at the back. On the head
is mined a veil for church, and by the
fabric and quality of this may be judged
the social and financial standing OF the
wearer. OF course. Spanish lace express
es the acme of prosperity, but tnls Us set
dom seen on the heads OF the humble at
tendants at Malate Church. They wear
every kind of net and yelling. generaiiy
black; but the poor frequently cannot com
mapd anything more imposing In the way
=, a mantilla than a square OF coarse jueie
cloth or pima. But whatever may be the
material. IL falls over the back Of the head
ard shades the cheek and forehead in so
modest a fashion as to make a perky sailor
hat seem an impertiuence in the sane
tuary.
what makes the dress OF the native
E,,in,no woman interesting Is that 1t Is
worn alike by all classes, the only diner
ence being in the fabric. The humble wo-
man has her calico gown cut with as long
a train as the one who walks in silk at
tire. and the latter. with diamonds in her
ears and on her fingers. and jeweled COMBS
glittering in her hair, wears the same SITE
kerchief folded over her shoulders. the
same long shouldered. opep-sleeved jacket.
as the peasant. except that, instead OF
coarse jucie, 1t is made OF delieately en-
broidered pima.
The little girls. even those who are SO
small that they can barely walk are