Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1907-05-17
THE WAYS OF ROG0TA
PECULIAR CUSTOMS OF THIS SOUTH
AMERICAN CITY.

AMERICAN CITY.
Courteous Methods of Dealing With
Its Vast Army of Beggars-Value of
Creased Gowns-How Young People
Court Each other.
The house in Bogota in which lived
Tor fifteen months was one Of the old
est and the largest in that Spanish
built city. 1t was two stored and had
thirty-four rooms, surrounding three
patios, or courts. The ground floor
rooms were shops and storage places;
the family living rooms were up one
fight of stone stairs. Only four OF the
apartments looked ON the street; the
others opened off corridors which ran
around the patios. From the street one
entered by enormous double doors OF
heavy oak into short stone passage
way or vestibule; thence smaller door
led into the first patio, an inclosed gar
den, with fountain in the center and
flowers growing everywhere.
Into this patio every day of all the
months that l lived in the place came
beggars with their baskets, and as my
room opened off the corridor above
could sit within my door and hear the
very characteristic manner in which
aims are solicited-and refused-in Co
lombia.
The street doors were never fastened
except at night so in would walk the
beggar usually an aged Indian wom-
AM without knock or ring. The sonora,
through the open door Of her room OF
the corridor, would look down and see
the suppliant standing below In the
patio. An Anglo-SaXon woman IN those
circumstances would either at once
have tossed some dole to the beggar or
have said CURLY from where she sat.
Go away; Eve nothing for you! and
that would have ended the matter.
The Spanish American woman's meth
cd of dealing with the situation was
far otherwise. 1t did not matter II
twenty beggars had already been there
that day. and If there were every rea-
son to suppose that twenty more would
come during the afternoon, the cere-
mony Git was nothing leSs) of the re-
fusal to give was never curtailed nor
varied by one word or infection of the
voice.
First the sonora would get up, leave
her embroidery or whatever she was
doing, go out from her room to the cor
ridor, and, leaning over the railing,
would say to the beggar very cOur-
teously:
"Good dayw
Good day, your graciousness, the
beggar would respond. "How do you
dor
II am very well, thank you"
''And the gentleman, your husbandY
"Also very we'll, thanks be to Cod"
"How good that Isl And your fam
ily?'
'They are all well, thank you very
much. And you? How do you dor
ooh, | am as usual, your merciful-
ness; many, many thanks to YOU"
Then the sonora, as if she had never
seen a beggar before and had no idea
for what purpose this woman had
come into the patio, would inquire:
"And what Is it that you wish?'
'For the love of God, your grace, the
very least thing that you have to give
"a very small piece Of bread"
The sonora appeared very much sur
prised to learn the visitors errand and
at the same time was overcome by re-
gret that she could not possibly comply
with the request.
"a piece of bread" she would re-
peat. 'How much pleasure l should
have in giving it to you! 1t is really
almost too unfortunate that you come
today, when we have not been able to
get anything from the market, and the
cook is so i'll that we have scarcely
had meals for the family. Any other
time would give to you gladly. There
Is always enough, except this one I'M
happy day on which you come. 1t
gives me pain to refuse you, but
spreading out her hands-"what can /
do?'
The beggar would take it all as If
she had never heard it before and be-
lieved every word Of it to be true.
"Oh, well,' she would say, ut is
nothing. Do not let your grace be dis
turbed. Another day will do quite as
well. SO, then, hasta luego" (''until a
little while').
''Hasta luego," said the sonora. "Que
lie vaya muy bien- ("May you go very
well').
Many, many thanks, and you also
and your family"
So the beggar would go away none
the richer The sonora was poorer by
ten minutes of time, but what is time
to a Spanish-American woman?
1t was quite while before learned
to take the pretty speeches Of the
Colombians for what they were worth.
The men used to assure me, "SOy los
pies dc listed" CT am at your feet'o,
when, as a matter Of fact, they We're
nothing of the kind If / expressed
the slightest admiration for anything,
from hairpin to a diamond necklace,
1t was Immediately offered to me with
the protestation that 1t was mine, as
the owner cared nothing for it and I
should be doing favor by accepting
it. No one would have been more sur
prised than that owner, however, If I
had taken him at bis word. Soon after |
my arrival in Bogota / was invited, !