The Republican journal., 1904-02-11

Dlen Is WnOlo Don0OlcClOn.
In the streets, however, the average
CHILEAN might learn some good behavior
from the Anglo-Saxon. Here gentle
men consider it a proper tribute to fe-
male beauty to stare into lady's face
as long as she remains within the range
OF vision, whether she appears to like
it or not; and in passing, though she be
an entire stranger. to address her some
complimentary remark, such as "Bes0
sus manOs. senOrita-I kiss your hands,
Miss; or "You are very beautiful"
"Your eyes are like the stars" etc.
When a group of gentlemen are con-
versing on the narrow sidewalk and a
lady approaches, they seldom think of
making. way for her, or at most will
move nearer the wall, leaving her the
curb-stone; and l have often seen
ladies compelled to step down into the
gutter in order to pass around them.
The excuse for these gentlemen is that
they are not yet used to female eman-
cipation. Their real ladies are seldom
seen alone upon the public streets, and
CHILEAN ideas of caste forbid them to
show much Difference toward common
people" In Chilli no place is sacred
from the fumes of tobacco, except per-
haps the church. Gentlemen are al
ways smoking, whether walking or rid
ing, with or without ladies. They do it
in the parlor, the ballroom and at the
table. The priest at the pantheon takes
a Wifi between his prayers; and the
gay bomberos (tiremen) while running
with their engines, must pause to light
the cigaritto. be the emergency ever
so great. Though in this alleged Re
public, all titles were long since abol-
ished, many of the old families who
would be glad to retain them still keep
up the retinue and state of nobility
A shining example of this was the late
Countess of Zorro, who gave the gov
eminent yearly sum for the privilege
of being called a countess-a gratifica-
ton for which she could well afford to
pay, being possessed of almost fabulous
wealth. Her enormous, two-storied
adobe casa was painted brilliant scar
let, with white doors and window cas-
ings. Her deceased husband ordered
in his will that its color should remain
unchanged, and stipulated that dis
obedience on the part of the widow
would forfeit the property. To the day
of her death the estimable countess
sported Partisan coach and four, with
four out-riders and position.
The typical middle-class Chileno is
very like his more aristocratic neigh
Dor, at least in outward appearance.
His house may be almost barren of
furniture and the wolf may sometimes
prowl dangerously near the premises;
but at all times his manner is exactly
like that of Los Ricos, and his clothes
are as nearly copy of theirs as cir
cumstances will permit. But the Chill
ian roto-the acknowledged poor man
is an entirely different being, who
never apes gentility, having no style
to sustain and no ambition to rise
above the caste in which he was born.
He has no relations whatever with his
richer neighbor, except to serve him
for pay whenever occasions require:
and he regards the Rico as great per-
sonage, whose dignity he would fight
for any day. The roto wears a SLOUGH
hat, always NANCY from long usage,
dirty breeches rolled up from the bot
tom, and garment of indistinguish-
able hue which he calls shirt. If the
weather is warm, he perambuiates
barefoot; if cold, he clatters around on
a pair of clumsy clogs with wooden
soles an inch thick-that is, if he can
afford them; if not, he still goes bare
foot both winter and summer. When
cold, he dons heavy blanket, called a
poncho, that has slit in the middle
through which he thrusts his head.
No stretch of Imagination can conceive
of him as beauty-thick, coarse black
hair hanging straight from the crown,
high cheek bones, wide mouth, and skin
the color of an old shoe; but he has daz-
Zling white teeth and small hands and
feet that any Gringo might envy. He
has no yearning after the unattainable,
and his few wants are easily supplied.
He desires no better palace than the
room adobe hut, with roof of straw
and floor of Mother Earth. His fur
niture consists of rude bench or two
by way of chairs, pine table, or per-
haps dry goods box in lieu of it, a
cow-hide in one corner upon which to
sleep, another rough box which serves
for trunk, closet, cupboard and the
shrine of his patron saint, a gourd
mate-cup, and pot of charcoal upon
which his wife cooks the beans and
garlic. Like all ignorant people, he is
extremely superstitious, believing in
charms and amulets as powerful to
drive away diseases, and that the Devil
roams about in various guises perpetra-
ting mischief upon man. He also de-
voutly believes that saints and angels,
and even the Blessed Virgin herself,