Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1903-04-02


shape that is neat and stylish, set off
her fine figure and buoyant carriage to
advantage, while she is in herself as
thoroughly sans gene and cOQuettish
as any lady ever was. She fits along
to the Plaza Mayor, through the poor
ly paved streets, the air heated and
still and the distant Silla ice-white in
the east. Friends and neighbors Join
her; every woman is out, with some
children. more without. 1t is not a
long walk at the farthest and she
reaches quickly the boulevard or the
square. This is a raised terrace, per
haps 80 yards wide, and not more than
300 in length. A few seats, well kept,
trees and shrubbery, lemonade booths
and at one end a casino with good
dancing foor-such is the PIaZa's
boulevard, the theater in which most
Of the social comedies Of the city are
enacted. The place being raised above
the level of the adjoining ground,
fenced in with a parapet, all who strut
up and own upon its stage are kept
in plain view from the square. Here,
except in the rainy season, the Cara
cas- womankind pass most Of the al
ternoOn times. Katia has no chance
for loneliness. There is company
enough of her own sex, and at sunset
| the men come to remain for the even
! ing, all taking tea in companies at the
i cafes, and no one ever INDUCING in an
! evening meal under ones own roof.
During the afternoon there are few
soldiers, gallants and old men about,
and as the women walk about, or sit
gossiping on the benches, they indulge
| in filtration and in preference a game
| of cards much affected by the Venezu-
clans, not altogether unlike whist, but
| with the element Of chance much in
creased. These loungers generally
smoke long black cigars, and it is
quite the custom for the women to
have their little cigarettes In the
evening the men who join their fami-
| lies indulge in cards and tobacco also,
and there is some drinking in the shops
on the smaller squares. On the bOule-
ward every one knows every one else;
and owing partly to the free and easy
style of Caracas society, the custom of
addressing men and women by their
|, Christian names, and the narrow linn
it's of their little world, the scene on
the plaza is rather that of a huge FAM
lily party than of the public promenade
of the town. Every man smokes, and
| +ho 1or or Of
the same The establishment of for
eigner on seeing a we'll dressed wo-
man, APPARENTLY lady, and altogether
| a stranger, bowling, and asking for a
eight" may be imagined. There is
nothing Outre in such an action, and ii
Katia inclines to f1irt with some city
grandee or some adventurous mer-
chant. no one demonstrates.
And now as the evenings wear OH,
the boulevard scene changes, with the
suppers out of the way, and the men
present. The citizen may not be in
evening dress, but the promenade is a
gamer in picturesque effect by his
coming, as he has donned some color
or other, red or yellow, at the neck or
at the belt. AS early as the bands at
the casino begin to play, and Katia
\and her women friends flock thither at
the first sound of the music, the men,
as a rule, strolling in later. The place
is more like a German garden than
anything else,-a large, open building,
full of sweet-Scented plants and
shrubs, growing in luxurious album
dance, and little troubled by the gar
be supposed, our Katia does not go
there to commune with nature. The
ball room is her fascination, and she
is there to dance the evening away, her
gay laughter ringing out loud and sill
very, and sweet words sounding in her
ears all the sweeter because her lax
morality tells her that they should not
be said Her partner may be a soldier
gallant in his uniform, a shopman, a
cOuntryman, or even a stranger. Her
husband is equally free with his atten-
tions, and while she pursues her co
quetry, he dances with some fair SEN
orita, or perhaps with the wife of
some other citizen. Jealousy as be-
tween man and wife is rarely seen or
expressed; but it is not an infrequent
thing for two of Katia's wOuld-be-
partners to quarrel over her favor, or
for Katia herself to slap some provok-
ing Isabel because a gay lieutenant
chose her as partner in preference to
the housewife.