The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1908-12-12

~ Is the Spaniards. Aztecs and
80. even to races unknown be-
these. yet we also lind much to
90 us In the lives and customs OF
present descendants Of these rae
ma in nothing more than in their
e life.
~ mexicans Of the better classes
used to a rather indolent life IN
y ways. Service being very
~ they have a servant for every
~ OF work, even, ! am told, Tor
trifling thing as soaring away
Ehickens from the door.
The morning mOza, or servant,
! their bedroom and builds a
q charcoal fire in a brosero, or
der. after which he or she brings
e to the bedside Of senior or SEN
= Mextcans are as afraid Of night
q they are of the plague. Every
and Granny in the sleeping-room
closed tightly. We wonder how
I've. and yet, strange to say, they
healthy enough.
heir breakfast proper at 10 o'clock
d light meal, consisting only OF
potatoes and coffee. At l o.
X they have the heavy meal of the
their dinners, which are gener-
quite lengthy affairs Of eight or
c0urses-ffteen at elaborate
ers. They always have wine and
ue, the favorite Mexican drink, a
extracted from the maguey
e When quite fresh it is harm
pleasant drink, but when old 1t
kicates worse than any known
rage lin fact they say it makes
m most ''beastly drunk" Dinner
the hen usually sit and smoke.
which they must always have
esta. Indeed, business and every
: is at q standstill until after 3
TX. Even the stores are closed
to :. Likewise the banks and
prts Of ofices. The streets have
appearance Of Sunday in a coun-
lown and the street, or mule cars
1ess frequently.
Mexico takes its evening repast
8 or 8 o'clock-the latter hours
bwns where the band plays every
ling. for the music is usually from
=, and as the love Of music is in
h these people from peon to the
est horn, one and all turn out to
the evening music, letting sup
wait.
hef table manners are not exactly
We would call fine, in truth some
1eir habits which we would con-
i atrocious are accepted as per-
h correct here. Away from the
though, we find them punctil-
and polite to the last degree
yhelmfngly go and after q time
ave suspicion that It is not all
-. It Is amusing to watch the
smen. embrace when bidding one
Ter good-by, and to see the ladies'
mt first one cheek and then the
to each other to be kissed when
meet- each kissing the other
lfaneously on one cheek, then
the other. The men, too, always
faeir hats to each other. and it Is
conddered correct for q lady to
~ to I gentleman until she has
heen recognized by him.
= mother, should she live with
erried son Or daughter, always has
Eeference in the family. She it
a1d not the wife, who presides at
Aead Of the table; and she it Is
T. always consulted above the
a questions of a moment. In
the affection for the mothers is
marked-far more SO than for
thers. Yet the family tie gen
= very strong, SO much so that
N men rarely 60 to other coun-
1or educational purposes or to
. In business.
y customs in regard to funer-
v somewhat odd. Ladies never
g funerals, which are always
L. a church. Quantities Of ar
u howers are used, and every
tomb and vault is covered
with them in the cemeteries.
= are unknown In their place
AVE funeral cars, which are run
street car tracks. one car for
epnn and one for the mourners.
1Ae grown person the car is en-
black. with black. drapery u
windows and drawn by black
even the driver being dressed
ck For children everything y
white-cars, mules, dress Of
etc. In the, cemeteries
any tombs and monuments OF
"a curious design. but what at
bur attention most are the
n the walls running along the
0f the cemeteries. Wher0ins cot