Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-15
MEXICAN WAYS SEEM QUEER.
How Their Manner of Living and Low
ing Differs From Ours.
rom Modern Mexico.

From Modern Mexico
Mexico is a land of lace and lice and
love, of flowers and fights and feas, Of
babies and bull fights; land where pillow
slips are open at both ends; where passen-
gers 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 a thing and in the same breath ask
what you will give for it; where the low
est class people have a passionate love
for music and flowers, and will stand for
hours in front of pictures displayed In
windows: where f1eas 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 a tip before he lets any
one enter: where the weather forgetS to
change day after day, and people sleep un-
der the same bed cover the year around.
Here in Mexico City the markets are
numerous and all equally dirty.
Much of the vegetable stuff is piled in
baskets on the floors. guarded by different
members of the family. Sometimes the
baskets 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 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 &C
count of the unappetizing 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 Ameri-
| cans are the aguacates. a pale green con-
| coction, half vegetable, half fruit, useG
4 exclusively for salads. Mangoes, granadas
apricots. bananas in assorted sizes. from
two inches in length up, pomegranates anG
artichokes are easily obtained.
| In the fish line, red snapper and sea bass
considered luxurious in many parts of the
United States, Can be bought cheap at al
seasons. Frogs, which are also common
cost from to cents apiece.
| Flowers. which, in addition to large
! central flower market. are for sale at al
the smaller markets, are delightfully."- cheap
In the states a man has to love girl som,
$40 worth to send her a bunch of rose!
that she can honestly care for. Here n
can love her almost the same number O.
| cents.
Speaking of men. the aristocratic girl Il
| properly chaperoned always.
If she goes for drive or walk, or t.
| a theater. she is always accompanied b!
some member of her family.
In fact there is only one phase in thu
life or in the love affairs of a Mexican
senorita that appeals to the American cir
and that is the old custom of playing
bear'-where the man stands in front o
his beloved's house every night in the hope
that she will appear on the balcony abov,
him. If his attentions are agreeable in tim
he may be admitted to the house and ma.
ultimately win the girl. But the poor fel
low may have to play bear every night TO
years.
Still. II the custom could be transferre,
to the United States the American girl
would rise up and rejoice. 1t might be
little hard on the man, particularly whel
the thermometer lowered around zero, blu
the advantages for the girl are obvious
4 An every-evening call couldn't be yer,