Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-02

book or knitting In the evening the girls
are always found at their barred windows,
where their suitors stand outside and make
love through the bars. 1ntroductions at the
window are not necessary, one must merely
watch the movement of the beauty's fan
to know whether to approach or not. Be
ware of trying a window in which girl
reclines tanning herself indolently. Here
there is no chance for chat and the WIN
dow may even be slammed in your face.
If passerby Is looked on with favor, the
fan of the belle moves rapidly. One may
then approach and talk for a little while.
If after several visits the sutton still finds
favor in her eyes he may be invited inside.
The Sunday Market.
One of the most interesting sights in
Caracas is the early market on Sunday
morning On this day the weeks produce
from the country is brought in and sold.
Long strings of donkeys heavily laden with
tropical fruits, lines of jolting carts filled
with fresh vegetables and men on foot car
rying huge baskets on their heads all throng
toward the busy market place. Everything
is hurry and hustle, and above the hum one
hears the vendors crying out their wares
and the crowd haggling over the prices.
To most of the peonS-the peasants or
Venezuela, mostly Indians-the money they
obtain in the market is their only source of
income. Ttere are certain articles that they
need in c der to live, and toward these their
a machete an implement which combines
all farming tools into one piece. They must
have kettle and a few other kitchen uten-
sis. Any outside expenses they are abso-
Iutely unable to meet. This poverty causes
a remarkable state of affairs, as far as
married life is concerned. To be fully mar
ried in Venezuela requires both religious
and civil ceremony. The fees for these are
beyond the means of most poems. There
fore a man and woman who would other
wise be married simply agree to live to-
gether and avoid paying the taxes This
causes most remarkable percentage OF
children termed illegitimate. Out of every
one thousand births in Venezuela only four
hundred are the offspring of married
parents.
Base Ball.
The first Sunday that 1 was in Caracas
was asked to play in base ball game. A
club had been formed and divided into
three teams, who were competing for
pennant. The teams were the Whites,
Blues and Reds. I Joined the Reds and
played short stop with them the four Sun
days that 1 was there. At these games
the enthusiasm ran high every play was
closely followed, and either applauded or
condemned. The crowd never clapped and
rarely cheered, their applause consisting of
rapping the grandstand with their canes
and stamping their feet They never Kissed,
but instead every time ball was fumbled
catcalls greeted him. The game itself re-
vealed many interesting features. While
some played fairly well the standard was
very low. Any pickup team at an Amerl-
can summer resort could have defeated
the nine best men in the whole club While
l am probably below the average ability
here in America, L achieved quite reputa-
ton in Venezuela, and was alluded to as the
"marvilloso Americana" The outfelders
did not attempt to catch balls On the ny,
but allowed them to drop and then tried TO
block them with their feet. When pail
went through a fielder, as it usually did,
a runner came in, home run was scored.
In this way I was credited three home
runs in the first game that in America
would have hardly been safe hits. Vene-
zIeIans even in base ball preserve their
dignity. They never slide to bases. and
when in the first game l slid into the third
baseman and accidentally knocked him.
down every one was Mortified, and I was
called out for roughness" amid pande-
monium of catcalls.