Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1906-09-21
MEXICAN WOMEN AT WORK.

Have Few Outside interests and
Care Nothing for Athletics.
AS the Moors practically controlled
the and education of Spain
for over 100 years, the Spaniards ac-
CURED. to a great extent, the same
ideas held by them Of the education
and treatment Of women, says the
Mexican Herald. And they, In their
turn, carried these ideas to Mexico. In
fact, the Mexican women of the upper
classes were much freer under the
.Aztecs thar they were afterward under
Spanish rule. And, until quite lately,
this condition Of affairs has prevailed
In Mexico since its freedom from the
Spanish crown.
Not so many years ago when a Mex
lean woman went shopping she remain
ed in her carriage in the street and
sent her servant into the sore to call
one of the clerks to wait upon her. He
came out and received her orders and
brought the goods to her for eXalnina-
ton. This peculiar method Of shop
ping was due to the old Mexican idea
that a woman Of good family should
Dc tACluSlNS Liilb ilbuit SIlcLu
from the gaze of the public and, in
fact. from every ono except her own
immediate relatives and most intimate
friends, This idea has been dying hard
for Ovcc a century, and it is still far
from bong completely buried In some
parts of The republic.
The Mexican woman Is naturally Il
! 1,nlpn 1nNt,. Shn has no "lIihS ~ foEn
her away from her home and she has
few outside interests. Even when she
Is philanthropically inclined, which she
very oftca is. her ideas of life tend to
make her place her charitable contri-
buttons in the hands Of sister superiors
or converts or directors Of charitable
!ntitutions and works for use in the
! cause she has at heart.
The Mexican women Of the middle
and upper classes have never been ath-
ietic, at least since the Spanish con-
quest. This, of course, was due to the
secluded life they led. But the women
| Of the lower classes have ever been
| stout and vascular, for much work Of
a heavy kind has always been their lot.
| On account Of her quieter disposition
1t Is not probable that, for years at
least, the Mexican woman will take
the interest in athletics that is now
being showu by her American sister.
Another reason Is that the sympathy
of the Mexican people is all against her
doing so.
In the Mexican schools the girl Is
taught many things in the way OF nee
dIework. painting, embroidering, draw
Ing and designing. and these later serve
to fill in her peaceful, uneventful life
| after leaving school. To this must be
added music. For here, as in Spain
and ether Latin countries, most women
of the middle and upper classes receive
an excellent musical education. 20
In their homes. and in their own
way. the Mexican women are delightful
entertainers, and their knowledge Of
music aids not a little in their enter
! tanning.
The plano always forms a very i'm
portant factor in the entertainment at
n Mexican house. No matter how small
the gathering Of friends, there is al
ways some n who can play well, and
his or her services are requested and
always cheerfully given, for a Mexican
not only likes to help entertain his
friends and his friends friends, but
he looks upon it as his duty to do so.
i With the piano also goes singing Of the
popular songs of the day.