The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-09
THE LANGUOR OF The TROPICS.
LASSITUDE AGAINST WHICH
NORTHERNERS FIGHT IN VAIN.
Victory Of the siesta Over New Yorker
who Meant Never TO Yield TO It-Not o
Matter OF Climate AItog ether-The
Fascination OF Beiny Utterly Lazy.

well attempt TO brush back tidal wave
with a whiskbroom as to fight the lassi-
tude OF the tropics" remarked young
New Yorker who recently returned here
for visit after five years spent on coffee
plantation in Guatemala.
This young New Yorker used to be noted
among his friends here as hustler. He
walked with springy step and was always
on the Jump. His alertness was so pro-
nounced that he seemed almost nervous.
he always appeared to be going some
where In big hurry.
His friends instantly noted the difference
in him when he got back from his long
STAY in Guatemala. His health was all
right. He had taken good care OF him.
self down there and as he had been living
on the uplands, Creeping Johnny. which
Is another name for the Chagres fever.
hadn't got him.
But he had become slow gated, and his
old running mates here observed what q
penchant he had for sitting down. A
dreamy expression had taken the place
of the sharp look in his eyes. He spoke
twice as slowly as before he went down
to Central America, and a panied express
sion crossed his features when he saw any
Of his friends hurrying.
His friends, in brief. told him that he had
become dopy
i don't mind you fellows calling me a
DOPE" was his reply to these remarks.
Il am a dope. l don't suppose that I'd
ever be anything else now, even II stayed
back here, which l don't intend doing.
The dopy life is pretty good, after all
and I'm gong back to Guatemala as soon
as look all the folks over
I'D heard lot about the enervation Of
the tropics before I went down there and
bought an interest in my cousins coffee
plantation, but I didn't take much stock
In these stories.
Tropics or no tropics, I'm not going
to become any dope said to myself on
my way down there. A little matter Of
climate isn't going to change fellows
habits 80 much as all these yarns tell about.
When get down there I'm going to keep
. swift move on and beat out this pipe
dream about the excavation Of the tropics,
Watch mel
$50 you see, went down prepared to
fight the thing. Looking back now, can
sec what bally nuisance made of myself
in the view Of my cousin-partner during
the first few months.
He went there from Chicago, and he
used to be a good deal Of hustler HIM
self. He was a whole lot indsposed to
exert himself any more than absolutely
necessary when found him, however, and,
OF course slammed in and reproved him
for it, told him that he'd become first
rate imitation Of the extinct species known
as the sloth, and all that.
"He only grinned and blew smoke rings
at me.
-'That's all right, Buddy he'd reply.
You just wait, that's all. You'll get yours.
Then he'd turn over on his sitting room
couch and blow smoke at the wall, as II
talking was too much like work.
We'll, l was Busy Izzy all right-for
all Of a month, perhaps two months. ! de-
clared against the midday sesta from my
first day, although everybody down there,
including the plantation hands, knocks
OF and does full length sprawl for three
hours at the height Of the day. l told my
cousin that this esta business was silly.
not to say disgusting.
He didn't hear me. though, for he was
half asleep before I'd got through telling
him. I olattered around the house and
sheds and made enough noise during the
sesta period to keep anything but bunch
woke up. They just let me CHATTER and be
dinnged; ,o.. .-,.,. ,,o,..
during the siesta hours. My cousin would
lie on his couch and grin at me when he was
emerging from his siesta, but he Wouldn't
say much, except to tell me that I might
as we'll be gay so long as l felt that way.
i inaugurated the rule for myself that
I'd dress for dinner every day, no matter
how tired felt.
s.Theres no use in a fellow letting him
self go to seed and degenerating into an
oaf Just because he's made a change of base
10 the tropics was my way OF putting
1t to my cousin in establishing the dressing
for dinner rule for myself, and then he
ohuckled and told me to go as far as liked
-pajamas were good enough for him to
eat in so long as there were no guests.
For the first month or 30 I rode regu-
larly every week the thirty miles to the
coast town to see the Pacific Mail liner
At the passengers. This, too, amused my
81 used to do that when I first came
down. he told me. Liked to catch the
CLINT Of the sapphire sea- and AL that lr, Bully
up here SOS could look it over once in a
while
II you like it so much said to him
impatiently, why don't you get astride OF
that sure;footed cayuse Of yours and ride
In from San Francisco tomorrow
I'm too tired, he replied, and then he
went to sleep on my hands before could
get an argument out of him.
'"Then, gradually, after the first month
or 30, l began to flicker and wabble. /
cut out the ride to the coast to meet the
steamer, trying to convince myself that
was too busy.
Then gradually famed myself out Of
the notion Of dressing for dinner. To get
away with this without appearing to craw-
fish in the eyes OF my cousin, pretended
70 sulk over the fact that he wouldn't dress
for dinner along with me.
,,,- III you're going to continue looking
Ike SLOUGH at the meal Of the day told
him, what's the use of my trying to keep
On throwing an aroma OF civilization over
this plant?
That was cheap way Of getting out Of
H. but for fact, the dressing dinner
business began to get mighty tiresome,
But when at the approach OF the siesta
hour the desire to stretch myself out--the
example OF all the others OF course had
Tremendous soporific efect-began to steal
over me, fought it tooth and nail-foT
reckon.
IN be blamed IL I'll siest.' said to
myself, trying to get my teeth down on the
proposition. That would be too ignoble-
'V1 fiabby. I'll Just load up on strong coffee