Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-01

The restaurant keepers set their tables on
the sidewalks. and as you drive through
the streets or walk about in the unfashion-
able quarters you see thousands of fami-
lies from the tenement houses taking their
breakfast or their luncheon or their dinner
under awning stretched over the pave
ment and cheerfully chattering with the
family next door, who are enjoying their
dinner al fresco at the same time. Wouldn't
We think 1t funny If the people who live on
our streets should tell the servants to
move the dining table out on the sidewalk
and spread our luncheon our dinner
there? But that Is the custom in Seville.
and the shopkeeperS spread their goods out
in the same way.
In the streets where most of the retail
business is carried on posts are placed at
each end of the block as to prevent car
riages from entering, and half the stock of
the merchant Is displayed upon til ebroad
no doors or windows, but are open porticoes
like oriental baZaars. and Sierpes street the
Pail Mall of Seville, the fashionable prone
made. is like an arcade. There is no front
to anything.
The principal clubs are situated on this
street and are all open. There is no front
to the lower story, the upper being sus-
tanned by columns. The members occupy
about half the street with their little tables
and chairs, at which they drink their wine
and coffee. Behind them is a railing of
handsomely polished brass. which prevents
outsiders from entering the club house; but
there are no screens. and you can see the
habitueS sitting around reading the news
papers playing cards and loafing as in our
clubs at home.
No carriages are allowed in Sierpes street
and it Is thronged with men and women
from 10 o'clock in the morning until two
or three hours after midnight. Everybody
goes there 1t is the rendezvous for politi-
clans, for artists, for merchants and for
the gossips of the town. The stock ex-
change and the principal banks are also
upon this street, as well as the popular
cafes and restaurants, and the easiest way
to find friend in Seville is to sit down in
chair in front of one of the cafes and
wait until he walks by.
Picturesque People.
There is as much difference in the looks
of the people in the architecture of the
houses and customs of the city. You see
sole mn looking old Moors slipping coffee and
eating dates in front of the cafes and some
times they play chess for hours out in the
open air. Military officers in Respondent
uniforms, priests In long black cloaks and
shovel hats just like those worn by the old
notaries In the operas. smartly groomed
professioned men In frock coats Of broad
cloth. silk hats and immaculate gloves; old
fashioned AndaluSians with big hats, long
cloaks and boards la Van Dyke; artists
with long pointed collars and big neckties
with loose eHuS, anu occasionally Dull
fighter passes along who can always be
identified because he wears his hair in
queue.
The streets of Seville are very noisy. They
are full Of peddlers and newsboys. who
scream at the tops of their voices; old wo-
men selling lottery tickets, old men with
shoe strings. suspenders and lead pencils;
fruit dealers, water sellers. who scream
Aqua! Aqua fresca!' as If the world were
on fire. and at every corner are groups of
little urchins with chubby faces and big
round brown eyes that remind you of the
cherubs which Murillo painted so often.
During the evening everybody comes down
town. and the plazas and promenades are
crowded with all classes of people. who do
not so home until very late at night. They
sit up as late here they do In Madrid
and at the close of their performances the
theaters empty themselves into Sierpes
street, where all the cafes are crowded.
The Seville girls dress in bright colors and
always wear flowers in their hair. Except
in Triana and on feast days the local cos
tunes are obsolete. and more is the pity.
Home Life In Seville.
Through the wide archway that ferma