The Saint Paul globe., 1904-06-12
Special Foreign Service.

Special Foreign Service.
MADRID, June 11-If there really
" is little god of love, he must
change that is slowly but surely taking
place in Spain. There is reason to be-
lieve that this, which all the world
knows as the land of courtship, and of
love-songs thrummed beneath case
ment windows to guitar accompani-
ments; where, in fact, almost every
thing is Of less Importance than the
tender passion, may shortly become
prosaic like the rest Of the universe.
And the reason is this: the Spanish
girl is doing the work!
Seriously, this is a development
which may be expected to make a real
difference in the national life. 1t is
one, too, that few years back would
have seemed almost impossible to those
who know the stiff prejudice of all
classes in Spain regarding women in
trade. One would have said that the
girls Of America, England, or any other
country, might become typewriters,
work in stores, or enter the professions
but not those of Spain. In this land
the idea always has been that a girls
energies should be put forth with just
one object: that of getting married!
Now, however, as in other countries,
female doctors and dentists are MAX
ing their appearance in Spain, some
girls are going into business, and 9TH
ers getting employed by the govern
ment offices, as well as by the princi-
pal banking houses. This sudden de-
sire to earn money on the part of
Spanish girls is by no means owing to
any new tangled ideas regarding the
true mission of woman in modern So
ciety," or to any wish for more liberty,
or to become more independent. 1t IS
due to just plain necessity. Living in
Spain is getting dearer every day, es-
pecially in Madrid and the other large
cities, and in most cases girls are going
to work simply because their parents
incomes no longer suffice to make both
ends meet. National prejudice is just
as much against the notion of girls in
business as ever it was, but unless
times get better in this country un-
doubtedly in time the ancient feeling
on the subject will go by the board,
and the business girf' become as IA
miliar an object as she is either in the
United States or England today.
In that case, courtship will have to
be relegated to as comparatively sub
ordinate a place as it now occupies in
more matter of-fact lands, which will
be a mighty change indeed, for it is
really remarkable what an immense
amount of time the average Spanish
girl now devotes to matters of the
heart
At sixteen years, at the latest, the
young woman leaves off going to
school, and from that moment, it may
be said, begins for her the chase after
a husband. Chase" really is the only
word for it. Under the constant super
vision of her mother who usually fa-
vors the matrimonial aspirations of
her daughter-the young girl COM
menceS to frequent aSSiduouSly the
public walks, private reunions and the
theaters. She goes out in the morning
on the pretext Of going shopping or to
church, but in reality to be seen of
young men; in the afternoon, after
dinner she embroiders a little (she
prefers embroidery to sewing) or at
tends to the making of her own dresses,
and then she goes out again to the
promenades. At night she either goes
to the theater, or stays at home and
receives her friends. Music and dane
ing nearly always accompany these
SOireeS.
Although She exhibits herself so
much, it must not be believed that the
Spanish girl always finds it easy to get
a husband. 1t is indeed true that
Spain occupies Cor, at least, has occu-
pied until lately) the second place
amongst European nations SO far as
the number of marriages registered
annually is concerned; but now that
the cost of living is increasing SO fast
and more reluctant about assuming
new sponsibilities. Besides, there eX-
lists another unfavorable circumstance
and that is that according to the last
census there are in-Spain nearly $780,
600 more women than men. In Madrid
alone the women exceed the men in
number by 10000.
On the other hand, although It is
becoming increasingly difficult for a
young woman Of the Spanish bour-
geoise to secure a husband, it is ex-
ceedingly easy for her to find a beau.
Though she is generally not tall, she
is very pretty, or, at least, well formed
and of a most pleasing physiognomy.
She has large eyes, usually dark and
very expressive; little nose slightly
turned up; much hair, which she
combs with infinite care and arranges
with much art; she has most grace
ful style of walking, possesses natural
elegance and dresses tastefully, al
though she prefers somewhat snowy
colors. Her manners are charming,
and she is good humored and frank.
To all this may be added that there
are few girls who cannot play on some
instrument, the piano or the guitar,
sing some couplets d'amour and dance
besides the common measures-the
graceful and characteristic dances Of
the country; and so it will be readily
understood that the Spanish girl of
the middle class need never lack an
admirer, especially as, like the major
ity of young women, she may-without
the slightest ndecorum-have three or
four lovers, successfully, before mar
rying. The different phases Of these
transient love affairs are really Curl
ous When a young man is convinced
that the girl who has attracted him is
likely to accept his addresses, he i'm
mediately makes her the object of what
might we'll be termed constant and
systematic persecution. He passes
hours under the balconies of her house
and follows her, like her shadow, about
the streets and In the theaters, and,
If he Is not already personally ac-
quainted with her, he seeks to be adj
mitted to the gatherings at which she
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