The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-08-26
MEXICAN WAYS SEEN QUEER.
How Their Manner Of Ewing and Loving
Differs From Ours.

How Their Manner Of Ewing and Loving
Differs From Ours.
Mexico IL a land OF lace and lice and love,
Of flowers aud Gghts and fieas, Of babies
and bullaghts; a land, according to Modern
Mezico, where pillow slips are opon at
both ends; where passong ers get on 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 At In keyholes
turned upside down; where the tradespeo-
pie tell you the price Of q thing and in
the same breath ask what you will give for
IL; where the lowest class people have a
passionate love for music and flowers, and
will stand for hours in front Of pictures dis
played in Windows; where feas have entree
In the most polite conversation: where out
side doors are locked at 10 O'Clock, and
guarded strictly by a porter who has to be
awakened with a tip before he lets 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 stuff lie piled in
baskets ON the floors, guarded by different
members OF the family. Sometimes the
baskets ara disposed Of, and the potatoes or
tomatoes, bananas or nuts are piled In neat
little piles Of five each and sold to a Mexican
for Dsrhaps one o%entavo--a half cent.
An American will be asked four times
ae much. but by dint Of much Spanish and a
determined look may get the price down
70 two centavoa For this reason, and on
account Of tho unappetizing appearance
OF the market, MOS. American women prefer
to send their servants tn do all of their
marketing, despite the generous rake of
that the usually regards as her
riRh..
Naturally, In this tropical country, the
market affords a very large variety OF
fruits, all that We know at home and many
in addition. Particularly favored by
Americans are the aguacates, a pale green
connection, half vegetables, half fruit, used
exclusively for salads. Mangoes. grsnadas,
apricots. bananas, In assorted sizes, from
two inches in length, up, pomegranates and
artichokes are easily obtained.
In the fish line, red snapper and sea bass,
considered fuxuries in many parts Of the
United States, can be bought cheap at all
seasons. Frogs, which are also common,
cost from two to four cents apiece.
Flowers, which, In addition to q largo
central flower market, are for sale at all
the smaller markets, are delightfully."- cheap.
In the States q man has to owe q girl some
$40 worth to send her a bunch Of roses that
she can honestly care for. Here he can
love her almost the same number Of cents,
Speaking OF men, the aristocratio girl Is
properly chaperoned always.
II she goes for q drive or a walk, or to a
theatre. she Is always accompanied by some
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 playing bear"-where
the man stands in front OF his beloved's
house every night, in the hopes that she
will arnear or the balcony above him. IL
his attentions are agreeable. in ume he
may be admitted to the house, and may
ultimately win the girl. But the poor fellow
may have to play bear every night for years.
Still II the custom could be transferred TO
the United States, the American girls would
rise up and rejoice. It might be q little
hard on tho 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 had q mama advantage not
to be lightly estimated as any girl In good
looking In the half light OF a balcony, with
q big shawl wrapped gracefully around her.
Besidee, shawls and mantillas, like golf
cepes, hide o multitude OF sins, and hair
seen from fifteen feet below 10 always
artistic.
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