Evening star., 1903-07-21
COURTSH1Pr1IN MEXICO
1ovEMAK1Na PRETTY, BUT MAR
RAGE ENDs,THE ROMANCE
III
Seclusion Of the Women In Our Sister
2T'f
Repubhc-Rnses Employed by
sweefhearts.
From the Galveston News.

Only In MoSlem. countries are women
more secluded than ir Mexico. One of the
prettiest views 1 haHe ever had into this
inner court of the native life was one of
the first. We had been up the hill of the
Guadalupe and seen the shrine, and were
On our way down to the miraculous well
by the steps that pass the great stone walls
and chanced to admire little child in the
care Of its sister. a girl Of fifteen The
child was playing with tiny cup of native
pottery and insisted that l take it. and
while we chatted with them the girl was
playing with a poor. cheap locket hung by
a bead string around her plump. brown
neck. She saw that noticed it and with
the sweetest shyness and an adorable pride
showed me the picture it contained-just
brown Indian boy in a new sombrero. and
when had looked at 1t with question in my
eyes she said almost in whisper: 1T is
my novio.'
Novio means lover. and her eyes grew
large and luminous with the word 1t took
but little urging to let her pour out eagerly
the whole story. She lived in Santa Maria,
one of a family of fourteen. He dwelt in
Tacubya and was burro boy. He had
seen her at fiesta and she said she loved
him soon as she looked In his face She
had never seen him since then except once
in the street with his burros The picture
he had had taken and carried to her with
some clipped verses by tiny muchacho. a
boy so little that no one would suspect him
of being love messenger. Just then a wo-
man bearing jar of blessed water from
the well approached, and the girl hid the
locket. 1t was her mother and she was
afraid
Gay-Clad Peasants.
There is much said of the picturesque
peasantry of Europe. but doubt If any one
fhny,
riety of dress found among the women of
Mexico. and there Is none of the many
dresses but seems to add to the beauty of
the wearer. This beauty is not for long. for
they mature early and begin to fade wien
a woman of the United States would be
considered In her prime
One day as I was walking along the side
street in the best residence portion of Me-
rida l a bit of paper dangling from the
end of a string that led up over a balcony
and into a window. the shutter of which
was almost entirely closed. only a bare
crack being visible. The string jerked just
the least bit. causing the paper to bob up
and down. l turned as If to cross the street
for closer observation. Instantly the paper
which I was convinced was a note was
drawn uD and retired to the next corner,
where I paused few moments out Of sheer
curiosity to see what would happen. The
note was lowered again. and soon there
came sauntering by a handsome young man
in "charro" costume something unusual in
the state. AS he passed under the balcony
he whipped out knife and severed the
string. put the note in his hat and saun-
tered On. Ia
Some of the most beautiful women of
Mexico are to found among the Indians
Of the Tehuantepec Isthmus. There on Sum-
days one will see hundreds of pretty church.
goers wearing most extraordinary cos
tunes. The skirt is often of satin or silk.
heavily lace trimmed sometimes and with
a short sleeved waist. The headdress Is the
principal feature. tits great stiff laun-
dered accordion plated, sort of thing that
can look very pretty and can be what the
women's word sloppy means.
Modes Of Making Love.
The Amatecas. both men and women.
wear white cotton gnaments on which the
embroidery Is done In panels either down
the front Of the woman's skirt or on the
tunic the men wear. There is a curious
custom among them of lovers exchanging
the twigs Of certain trees in entire secrecy.
except as each new twig Is received 1t Is
carried to the father or mother or guardian
of each Of the two and assent is given to
the continuance of the exchange till orange
blossoms are reached: then 1t is time for
the priest. This pretty method of court
ship is dying out, as 1t is relic Of Indian
customs and is discouraged by the priests.
In nearly all parts of the country the
lovers process IS the same. 1t is called
playing bear, and Is or spanish eXtraC-
ton. OF course. 1T is not necessary to play
bear In those classes where the young folk
are thrown together in the market the
field. the workroom and the highway, but
even there a close watch Is kept on the
girls and conversation with their adorers is
fragmentary.
The beginning OF courtship is usually
the sight of each other on some public day.
some fiesta or when driving in the
Paseo The lover-to-be beholds face that
causes his heart to tighten. then expand,
and though she may have but glanced at
him. If he does not know who she is he will
follow and ascertain her abode That night
there will be twanging guitars without her
window. and he may attempt to sing few
young Mexicans but have fair voices). The
next day burning epistles Of deathless love
arrive, and possibly an elder member of the
young mans family, and If their respective
stations. fortunes and all other things are
suitable the young people begin to see each
other with some third person ever present
and between them. except in those fond mo-
ments when she stands at her window or
balcony and her lover Is without but near
enough that the slightest whisper Of one
can be heard by the other. and If the bars
are wide lips may meet. So love is made
until the wedding day, but sad to relate.
when that day is not long passed the young
wife takes her place in the household but
little higher than the servants. But she
has expected nothing else. and dutifully
follows her husband to the door each day
and kisses his hand as he extends 1t.