New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-10-25
LOVEMAKING I'M MEXICO
Playing the Bear" the Current
Phrase for Counting.

Playing the bear in the current Ian
guage of Mexico. means to court woman.
Although there are so many social classes
! in this country. especially in the capital
oity where ten or more could be counted,
all of them entirely different in customs
one from the other, there are but two ways
of playing the bear. The Mexican
Herald tells how the game is played.
When a young man of the middle or
higher classes is attracted by a girl on the
street he begins by following her to ifer
home, though he may spend a whole day
without daring to speak to her, says the
writer He remains the street, looking
at her balconies or windows If the girl
comes out or if the beau observes the
slightest movement of the curtains or
blinds. that Is a sign that she IS not en-
tirelY indifferent to him. and from that day
on he spends all his leisure hours, and
many that he should dedicate to his occu-
patton, under the balconies or in front of
his prospective novia's residence.
After three or four days, when the
WOoer appears, the girl comes out 10 her
! balcony. Just for a moment. Phe following
day she comes out again and stays little
| longer, hut only after ten or twelve days
tnever on nor after the thirteenth day, for
fear Of the number 80 does she deign TO
look in the direction of the patient beau,
who saluteS her with a bow. taking off his
hat and beaming with his sweetest smile.
Thereafter Salutes and smiles are daily
exchanged. then comes the sending of
flowers OF symbolical colors. syly delivered
by the a&uadur water carrier the
| 'carb0nerO charcoal vender), till at the
enc Of a month a perfumed letter written
on rose colored paper in the young mans
best chirosraphy, reaches the hands of his
beloved. carefully concealed among the
flowers Of the prettiest bouquet that the
n"ViO was able 10 find at the flower market
near the Cathe dral.
zone ignorant of the country's customs
would think he had disguised the mistress
1 of his thoughts, because for two or three
d-N If he lpfta Sht
does not appear at her window, she was
/ in the habit Of doing. and it is necessary
to send another letter even more express
sive than the first, to make her come out
and smile again.
Neither IS this letter answered 1t is
necessary to send a third one. speaking of
nights of WatchfulneSs.- of dependency, of
projects Of suicide. etc. as they say in
well known ZarZuela:
Nj como. nj bebO, nj ViVO nj duermO,
nj fumo. nj NADIA CI neither eat. nor
drink. nor live. nor sleep. nor smoke.
do many other things-D
AS a RULE, this. letter is answered eva
siVely, but from that moment correspond
ence is established The appointments come
next and the lover Is no longer Obliged to
when the girl Will come out.
The correspondence having been estah-
lished. and the girl having accepted and re-
turned the love VOWS OF the noVio, then be
gin the evening CooingS through the bal
COny grating. when all movement has
ceased in the CITY and nothing but the
whistles Of the policemen at the corners or
the footsteps OF night Waterman are
heard. The moonlight nights generally are
uarticuarly preferred by the lovers for
their billings. and II is not rare when one
is going home at midnight TO fnd three or
four couples OF lovers on every street: he
on the sidewalk. she at the window in
the second story balcony, and the moon
smiling on the picturesque scene.
The water carriers and the charcoal
wonders those gentry of the colonial epOCn
who unfortunately. are already disappear
fnC from MexiCos life. perform d very
IMPORTANT role in the history of the love
suits Of many MeNlCan>. There are numeT-
ollS Instances where the first flower and
the first letter were brought by the char
coal vender. the latter continuing TO carry
letters hack and forth till the marriage
was Solerlnize,i. Then he still delivers the
merchandise at the new home and is ready
TO resume his double role OF charcoal Ven
der and letter carrier as soon as the daugh-
ters of the couple which he helped bring
rssether reach the age when they will have
s1geethearts themselves The same might
he said of tho aguadores. those strange per
SnusgeS dressed in leather. often seen
entering even the richest mansions with
thor enormous chochocol on the PACK or
grouped together at the door OF the puique-
Sbot> awaiting the maid servant TO come
with the customary maestro me echa
SC, nm yie4pcito2' j request that he go
~ r. nearest water tank to Ill his cho-
chocol and carry the precious liquid 10 the
house 49,. ...
tn lowest class little can be said SOFT
m S5 4 nlIilinc Of the woman : reoozo,
few harsh words from the lips of the latter.
then a smile. and subsequently Few
nedidas drinks at the nearest pulQue
Sho0 and the contract is closed
None would think, however. Wnen seeinS
how easily these poor people conclude their
ersagements. that they would be so de-
voted 10 each other. The woman par
ticularly. viii patiently bear all kinds OF
suffering rather than 10 dISpledSe her
man She would die before she could be
Induced 70 depose AGAINST the man when
he Is in trouble with the authorities II
he falls sick, II is she VINO WORKS from
1 n, : o'clock in the morning 70 = O'Clock
=. night 70 provide the daily food and
medicine or II he is not sick. but does not
,I,st H. ma aferfsr ffnvire1 his friends to
take q chha lhs biggest drink OF pulque
that 2 man can take a. q urne).