The National tribune., 1902-08-07

and Filipinos were to live thereafter as
brothers. 1t was gracious, though pur-
posely diplomatic, speech, and he lost
nothing in our esteem by making it.
Perhaps l can describe the Filipino cos
tune well enough after the fashion of the
male observer to make its nature under
stood. l shall try. In the first place it
must be understood that there are no
changing fashions, no fashion plates nor
modes, in the Philippines. The women
wear exactly the same costume now their
mothers did, and for how many genera
tiOns back l would not undertake to say.
The costume is the same for all occasions,
with the simple modification of the quail
ity of the goods. The lady at the ball or
at dinner wears to all essential purposes
the same costume worn by the washer
woman at the rivers brink pounding my
clothes to pieces against the stones with
wooden mallet, or the market woman
trudging the streets with basket of fruit
or fish ON her head. The children, also,
wear the same costume as their mothers,
after they become old enough to wear
anything whatever except tiimsy shift
or mother hubbard. Arrayed like the
grown women, the little girls look like
little old grandmOthers, much as our own
children appear when they pin on long
| trains and play "grOwed up"
The chief thing is the dress, or YES
| tida, which fastens at the waist and in
variably has long train, whether for ball
room or working purposes. When work,
ing, this train is caught up by the end
and fastened in the belt, but it is always
there, whether the dress be of the finest
silk or the cheapest print. Difference i'll
financial and social status is shown by the
cost Of the garment rather than its style.
The wealthy wear very costly ones Of silk,
satin and velvet, handsomely and elabO-
rately embroidered.
At this ball were dress skirts easily
worth half thousand dollars each. They
ran somewhat to bright colOrs, red and
yellow predOminating, but otherwise they
were tasty and artistic. About the bust and
back there is an undergarment of white,
leaving the arms and neck free, and over
this is worn a camisetta of very thin ma
terial, with large flowing sleeves. In fine
costumes this is made of the beautiful
pima cloth woven by them from the fiber
of the pineapple plant and very elaborate
ly embroidered, making the garment quite
expensive. About the neck and crossed
over the bust is worn a cOalla, something
like thin shawl folded to opposite cor
ners, the points in front. This is also
made of pima cloth and very elabOrately
embroidered. The pima cloth is quite stiff,
and thus the sleeves Of the cOmisetta and
the folds of the coalla stand well out from
culation Of air, requisite for comfort i'll
SO warm a climate.
Millinery is unknown in Manila. The
delight Of gazing in at show windows and
Of trying on poems in bOnnets is not q part
of the life of the pretty senOritas and fair
senOras of the Philippines. Their elab-
orately combed and arranged hair knows
no hat nor bonnet either indoors or out.
Sometimes mantilla is worn over the
head, especially in going to church on
Sunday, and this is invariably black, but
usually nothing whatever is worn on the
head, even when driving in carriage ON
the Luneta in the evening.
Another garment sometimes worn,
though not at balls, is a sort Of apron,
usually made of just cloth of native man
ufacture and generally black. This is a
dress garment of the common class and
is always worn ON state occasions and at
church.
The display Of diamonds was simply ap-
palling to one whose lines have been cast
in quiet waters. At some Of our fashion
able functions, attended by the very rich,
probably q greater brilliance Of gems is
seen, but certainly not at any ordinary
ball. Possibly this should not be classed
as an ordinary one, since it was given in
honor Of the Dictator of a Military Gov
ernment, the certain President of a pos
sible republic and the almost arbitrary
ruler of 100000 of people. But it was
not only at this ball l saw diamonds in
profusiOn, but upon oil social occasions
the ladies were loaded down with them,
and at their homes as well. All the wealth
of the islands, such as has not been alb
sorbed by the friars, is concentrated in
the hands Of this small class Of Mestizos,
and it is not inconsiderable. This Is the
explanation Of the ability of the Aguin-
aldo Government to provide itself with
the sinews Of war.
AS to the etiquet Of the occasion and
the manner of dancing, there was little ex-
cept the style of the furniture and the color
and costumes Of the dancers to remind me