The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-03-25
WOMEN OF MARTINIQUE.
SOCIAL STATE OF THE SLAM
WHERE JOSEPHINE WAS BORN.
Most Of the Work Done by the Women
Marriage u Declining Institution
J~Osephine's Fashions still Followed
Women Car Conductors-The King OF
Dahomey I'm Exile on the Island.


women Gar Sonu"ctors-I hink
D""omey III IN"e on the i"""'
Tfat the Empress Josephine was born IN
Martinique and lived there till she was 10, u
never lost sight OF for a moment by the residents
OF the French West Indian island II was IN
Martinique that Josephine acquired those quail
ties which later made her so much rouble-passior
Incidence and indulgence. The conditions that
moulded her character still exist, unchanged
and apparently Interchangeable II there has been
any change in recent years the movement has
been retrogressiye rather than forward. Every
thing tends toward almost continuous stun Der
In the French West Indies, from the climate to
the rum, and, 10 speak truth, no one seems in the
least 10 strive against the slumberous influence
To the outsider sleep seems the chief industry
Of the islands; the people appear 10 Sleep sleep
sleep from morning till night. oicourse, thercHre
ines in the day when the sleeping is more nearly
general than at other times lust after the midday
breakfast, for instance, and again Just after dln-
nrr: then no one remains awake.
The attempt 10 Christianizc tn harmless and
peaceful savagcs who originally peoplcd the
islands ow French IVES, Indian, begun 100
years ago resulted IN prarl>a' DETERMINATIONS
and the place OF the Carlos was taken by the ne
negro blood has increased; since emancipation
IN 1910 Tue WINE popu'anon mas oevteaS'u' INV
influence and interest OF the whites have grown
less year by year home and social I'' has grown
narrower, preiudices have grown stronger ana
more numerous end there Is l''o hR''h"od '
lasting improvement in any direction.
speaking generally shame Is u''hh""h' hiou-
es'y not comprehended in Martinique ana 'uade'
IntrP Tho material nTpnFptleS oil lie ARE ulNH
regarded, Maria re is becoming less and less
prac'iScd' bul thcre are thoasahds "i btIgh''
handsome, ocior""fS VII" preside over 'hc 'S'ap'
llshments OF the white men under whose rro'ec'
ton they live 1t Is all public unconccaled'
! have met any nunlDer Oh nice young men IN
the Islands who are not only rec"nciled TO these
iacts, but protest that even WIN a reasonap'e
chance to court her they w"nldn marry a white
girl who puts a cushion on the window SILL leans
on IL and looks out, studying the same old pave
ment, the same people, all day ana DAY amer
day; who may not he spoken TO after sunset with
out violating the customs Of the people, and who
II" ~" " H''"s "'" v '"' 'P'' ' |
never goes out In the day tune, even 10 SHOP, out
sends a servant to the store fr samples " whenever
a. ,.,, ~
II 'ah''H H"c """"" ''i"'"''lS
| have met q lot Of young girls, clever, bright
and ORIGINAL who whom could pei Al them.
-. .nI . -, ,LI
'nNp"p" 'oIhu'n'' al" '"'""''S'u " s'oN w
gil chat. In the proper atmosphere they might
become good fellows, i. not new women, but every
a. ,r,.n- a.. ~. A., -, !, a..
one W '"" II ''"''H w '".' u" NV sum " VI"
hothouses Of Conventionalitr, and topple over
ri,bort era, having known ,bn iovs aud SORROWS
ia.
"' NV S,tuss"S "' me- lh' ""m'n '"u !" Nv
agreeable and enter aiming individually; but
rut ,hcm together and they oro like the sensitive
H.. A.. .iL,. -, ,Lo r,orn,.ire and
P'n". Nv" '"'''N " NV II" ~" '""
which, II you touch II, shuts up tightly ana reSists
all eHorts in rasusrit,te il
m. :. an .h..hr. ,.,i. Nth ,o COM,
!" "he "''auN"f"'ns ,"W' WIN Nv "'"'"'
high and low, white, black and mixed, * dress,
Nor can YOU wonder at i, much. ,or their costumes
.l.,.,, ,r.I dai,,r r.-;,sL,
are wv "'">' p''"'-Ni" "'' ""'''
The seductive chemisn and the graceful cllnEing
iuna The folded turbnn with itS weight Of solid
., cha ,r,. ,,r,n,. br.Alc,s
g"u ""''''h''' v" '"E, '"'''"NN' v" '"
and strings otenormous gold beads, ar" no longer
warn They cyisi only ms cherished souvenirs
- i ,. ., ~
ol a o'par'" 'lE"' 90 !" """fh' ""' i"I"a''
for n photograph ~ i"te, or as Witnesses "t pass
prestige.
IL wnS Josephine, ihtIr beloved counrNN oman,
whose nl!nluty they an 'h"TlSh' Nh" pul M "Id
In Martiniqu", that III" empire gown was bora,
and there II sun rrlgfS supreme Slnlri', exquisite,
MadrnSii bflnahl hhtn'9I,'U S ''i'tS' pufp''
orange, blue and vl"le, plaids, * a tHy"ri," ma.
terlal, the c"lu"tnNh ioulard' without which IN"
poorest Is not dressed BENG thr"Wi over IN"
shoulders lhldglil' 'nlN costume Worn 10 per
trcu"n hy one +" whom lhn corset Is HnNhowni
Who's graceful lines. natural symmetry a"d
erect carrldgr nave MOI Or II r''hrrl ,r ""anened
by compression ur 'alce Suppnt', ana Nod have n
nen'al pl'tnr'n i M french NrSl indian woman
NOTWITHSTANDING III" lhrApehSiH' materials
used, cndlrss work Is expended on the shocking,
tucking and Sh,tttnr Of the Tiny N"k'S. II IN"
thing more men another adds TO me GROSS up Of
a Martinique bell'lti IS her embroidered and RULED
white %I~ltlcnAi. which often represents l'urr han