The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-09-02
MEXICAN WAYS SEEM QUEER.
How Manner of Living and Loving Diff
fer From Ours.

Mexico is a land of lace and ice and
babies and bullfights; a land. according
to Modern Mexico, where pillow slips are
open at both ends; where passengers get
off the front end of street cars; where
matches are held up instead of down:
where door keys, often six inches in
length, invariably are turned backward
and fit In keyholes turned upside down;
where the tradespeople tell you the price
of thing and in the same breath ask
what you will give for it; where the
lowest class people have a passionate love
for music and flowers, and will stand for
hours in front of pictures displayed In
windows; where feas have entree in the
most polite conversation: where outside
doors are locked at 10 O'clock, and guard
ed strictly by porter who has to be
awakened with tip before he let's any
one enter; where the weather forgets to
change day after day, and people sleep
| under the same bed cover the year around.
Here in Mexico city the markets are
numerous, and all equally dirty.
Much of the vegetable stuf is piled in
baskets on the floors, guarded by different
members of the family. Sometimes the
| baskets are disposed Of, and the potatoes
f., or tomatoes. bananas or nuts are piled in
neat little piles of five each and sold to
a Mexican for perhaps one centavo-a half
cent.
An American will be asked four times
as much, but by dint of much Spanish and
a determined look may get the price down
to two centavos. For this reason and on
account of the unappetzing appearance
of the market, most American women
prefer to send their servants to do all
of their marketing, despite the generous
rake off that the woman usually regards
as her right
Naturally, in this tropical country, the
market affords very large variety OF
fruits all that we know at home and
many in addition. Particularly favored by
Americans are the aguacates, pdio
green conception, half vegetables, half
fruit, used exclusively for salads. Man.
goes, granadas, apricots, bananas, In as
sorted sizes. from two inches In length.
up, pomegranates and artichokes are
easily obtained
In the fish line. red snapper and sea
bass, considered luxuries in many parts
of the United States, can be bought cheap
at all seasons. Frogs, which are also
common, cost from to cents apiece.
| Flowers which, In addition to large
central flower market, are for Sole a. al
the smaller markets. are delightfully."-
cheap. In the states a man has to love
| a girl some $40 worth to send her bunch
of roses that she can honestly are for.
Here he can love her almost the same
number of cents
Speaking of mer, the aristocratic girl is
properly chaperored always.
If she goes for drive or a walk, or
to theatre. she is always accompanied
by some member of her family.
In fact, there is only one phase in the
life or In the love affairs OF a Mexican
senorita that appeals to the American
girl. and that Is the old custom OF play
ing bear"-w1here the man STANDS IN front
of his beloved's house every night In the
hopes that she will appear on the balcony
above him If his attentions are agree
able in time he may be admitted to the
house. and may ultimately win the girl.
But the poor fellow may have to play
hear every night for years.
Still II the custom could be transferred
To the United States. the American girls
would rise up and rejoice. 1t might be
little hard on the man, particularly when
the thermometer lowered around zero, but
the advantages for the girl are. obvious.
An every evening call couldn't be very
extended. All the neighbors would know
when she has ''man"-an advantage not
to be lightly estimated-as any girl Is good
looking in the half light of balcony
with a big shawl wrapped gracefully
around her. Besides shawls and mantil-
las, like golf capes. hide multitude of
sins. and hair seen from fifteen feet be-
low Is always artistic.