The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1903-03-21

Quoted over a pile of sticks, lighted out
Of doors, or a handful of charcoal in a
clay pot; OF at best a shallow depres-
sion made in the top Of bench Of
adobe. 1t seldom rains along this coast.
One hearty tropic shower, such as we
| experienced at Panama, would dissolve
! the whole city.
To look at a photograph of Guaya-
/ Guifs cathedral, one would imagine it
| to be a more imposing structure than
NOtre Dame or St. Peters; but the
truth is that, though certainly elegant
in architectural design, it is merely a
shell of frail bamboo, plastered over
with mud. stuccoes and painted. A
Latin inscription across the facade
modestly assures the beholder that its
door is FL Puerto del CielO, the Gate
| of Heaven" One would never mistrust
it from glimpse of its gloomy and
peWless interior, which is extremely
bare and shabby, garnished by few
caricatures of saints and angels. It's
uneven floor of brick and cement, like
a very poor celIar-bottom at home, is
worn into hollows by the knees of Wor-
shippers.
1t is common thing to meet a bevy
of priests in the street, clad in sacerdo-
tai Vestments, carrying about the Holy
Sacrament and an image of the Virgin,
preceded by brass band and a num-
Der of boys carrying lighted candles
and swinging incense burners. This is
/ a favorite mode of raising subscriptions
| for religious purposes. The procession
stops in ront of every house of conse-
quence and the priests enter with con-
tribution plates, while the band plays
and people kneel in the dust, praying
loudly that charity may be bestowed
with liberality. Where money is OBJ
| tanned, the amount is announced to the
waiting throng, and a blessing is ro-
nounced upon the givers. Where no
contribution is gained, there is an
ominous silence; and in some cases even
a curse is pronounced upon the house
and its inmates A rather effective
way of raising the wind" one would
think, for it must require a deal of
moral courage tothus publicly refuse
the demand and run the risk of excom-
munication.
The women of Ecuador are proVerbial
for their beauty, those of the aristocra-
cy being said to have the fairest COM
plexion of any in South America. All
possess large. soft, expressive dark
eyes, the blacklist and most abundant
hair, we'll rounded figures, the whitest
Of teeth and the tiniest Of hands and
| foot ifxo oil nf tho trnninc
| they mature early and fade quickly;
but perhaps their average span of for
ty years includes more real heart-hap-
piness than comes to women of colder
lands in their three score years and
ten, for these are harrassed by no
'carking cares" or high ambitions. IN
dolence, religious superstition and
faithfulness unto death are their most
prominent characteristics. Their pas
sionate natures are completely satisfied
in the love of home, husband and chill
dren; they have no longing after the
unattainable, and> for them the whole
universe lies within the limits of vi
sion. Happy women; and fortunate the
men to whom their lifelong devotion is
given. -
To be sure, they are VIGOROUSLY I'M
tidy in dress and habits; but the man.
ia or paneulOn, like the mantle of char
ity covers multitude of sins. AS the
poncho is the universal and useful gar
ment for men of the lower and middle
classes, answering for a coat by day,
bed-blanket by night, an umbrella
when it rains and a basket in which to
carry everything conceivable-so the
fnanta is worn by all classes of females
and is equally Indispensable, since it
hides unkempt hair and all short-com-
ings of the toilette. There is not such
a thing in Ecuador as a bonnet or fe-
male hat, the most aristocratic ladies
going about the streets with their CLOS
sy hair uncovered, or shaded by a par
asol or lace mantilla or the universal
manta-the latter being large square
of lightweight cloth, draped so as to
coved the head, shoulders and most of
the dress. The ordinary costume of tbs
poorer class woman consists of nothing
| whatever but manic, a short and
scant calico skirt and chemise.
During the greater portion of the
year the president of Ecuador does not
live in his palace at Quito, the capital,
but here in Gualaquil, in gloomy bar
racks, surrounded by bare-footed SOL
diers. where he can keep an eye on the
customs whence his revnue is derived
and find easy escape should some rival
get up revolution strong enough to
Gust him. Armed revolts are epidemic
in this Great and Glorious Republic, "
especially in the interior, where people
of the higher attitudes are noaurally
more industrious and patriotic. But
the contagion of revolution seldom
spreads so far down as Guayaquil,
whre the excessive heat disinclines
people to exertion of any kind. A tum-
ble-down fortress overlooking the town,
the funny gunboat in the harbor and a
handful o hungry looking soldiers seem
to keep the peace admirably among the
ease-loving citizens.
FANNIE B. WARD.