Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1906-11-07


20 take the pretty speeches OF the
Colombians FOR what they were worth.
The men used to assure me. Soy a los
pies de listed" CT am at your feet'1.
when. rs a matter OF fact. they were
nothing OF the Kind. IL expressed
the slightest admiration for anything.
from a halrpin to a diamond necklace.
IL was Immediately offered 20 me with
the protestation that II was mine. as
the owner cared nothing for it and
should be doing favor by accepting
&c. No one would have been more sur
priSed than that owner. however. II I
had taken him AT his word Soon after
my arrival I'm Bogota was invited.
with the family with whom I was
staying. 10 spend the evening with
some OF their relatives. IL might al
ways be taken for granted that our
entertainers would oe relatives. for the
CaravallOs had so married and inter
married that there was scarcely a
person among the upper classes that
was not some kind or a cousin. The
marriage OF those closely connected by
blood is very much more common than
II Is with us
On the morning OF the day OF the
little party TO which we had been bid
den I took out Of my trunk the dress
that l intended to wear. and as IL had
been packed during the whole OF the
1--WE and half weeks Of our tourney
from New York to the Colombian cap
ital, l naturally found II full OF folds
and creaSes. 1 shook IL vigorously and
then hung 1t over the railing OF the
corridor outside my room. hoping that
the air in some measure would restore
the freshness. To have had IL pressed
would have been out Of the question.
as all of our laundry work was done
ut least two miles away from the city
and there were no irons in the house.
In moment or two Sofia came from
her room out TO the corridor. what Is
thisf" she asked when she saw my
gown over the railing.
well" said. 1T is the dress 1 am
hoping 10 be able to wear this evening.
1t Is terribly mussed, as you see, and
II the air does not take out some of
the wrinkles you Will be ashamed OF
your American friend"
To my utter amazement. Sofia darted
Mt the garment. removed IL from tho
railing in the twinkling OF an eve and
had 1t back into my room again before
she took time even TO speak to me
What In the world are you doingT'
l gasped
DO YOU want people to suppose you
have your clothes made here In Bogo-
taT' she demanded.
Then she went on to explain; Every
one who can afford II has her dresses
sent from New York or Paris, and Of
course the things are wrinkIed when
they get here. We are very glad when
they are, because that shows that
they're Imported. II have n gown
made here. I always put II under my
mattress and sleep on It for a night or
two before I wear II. Then IL looks as
II IL had been packed and sent from
abroad. Aud you would actually have
put your real New York dress out In
the air.
went that evening looking, as 1
thought, fright. but believe Sofia
was very proud OF me-
About thirty persons were at the
party. and only two besides myself
were not related 10 oil the others.
There were six engaged couples pres
ent. and they Sat-as afterward found
out was the invariable custom-sIde by
side on sofas. as far as the sofas held
out. and those who arrived too late TO
secure sofas had chairs placed two by
two rs close together as IL was possible
10 put them. Thus the couples sat i'm
movable throughout the evening. talk
Ing 10 each other In low tones. perfect
ly oblivious OF the rest Of the company.
1t was one OF the funniest things I
ever knew TO look around the room and
see those six pairs gazing into each
others eyes and forgetting that there
was any one else In the world but
themselves.
But engaged couples can never, never
see each other alone, not for one mo-
ment, and II they did not sit and talk
together In public they would not talk
ut all, so who can blame them for not
wasting any of the little time that they
have in each others company by con
versation with outsiders? We had cha
rades that evening, and the unengaged
young people went out Of the room
and then came back and acted. but the
pairs never moved from one end of the
affair TO the other except when they
were obliged TO so into the dining room
to get something TO eat
II girls fiance chances TO call when
she is alone In the house she must in
struct the servant to say that she is not
at home, for she could not possibly re-
ceive the man without Il chaperon. 1t
was mystery to me how young peO-
pie ever got engaged. / asked Sofia.
and she said it was usually at u dance.
In the midst Of such crowd that the
two We're practically alone.
DO they never. never kiss each 9th |
er, thenT l inquired sympathetically.
"Oh. WELL" said Sofa, her eyes cast
down, sometimes there is n way"
It goes without saying that the pre-
liminary courtships are carried on be- !
fore the eyes of the world; indeed, most |
or the wooing up TO the time when the /
man goes TO the house and formally |
asks the father for the girls hand is /
done In the street. Whenever the girl /
goes out to walk, with her mother or
other chaperon. the man walks a little |
distance behind or sometimes on the |
side Of the street If the seno- |
rita is favorably inclined toward her
follower she let's him know It by q |
glance now and then or the slightest |
possible turn Of the head in his direc-
ton. When she is in the house her
suitor walks up and down under her
halnOnN for hnnnc.- ~