New-York tribune., 1911-03-19

hang down the back. resembling somewhat
the feather headdress of a North American
Indian chief. They always dress becoming
ly. with quaint little short Jackets which
expose a section of brown back above the
skirt band, and are cut low about the neck.
The skirt OF the dress Is Of soft material to
the knees. and below the knees is Of heavy
lace or embroidery. starched very stiff. The
material used is not the usual cheap and
gaudy fabrics sold TO the Mexican Indian
but is of good quality and specially made by
certain Manchester house for these peo-
pie"
In the cities. of course II is the peon
women who form the mass OF domestic SER
wants. and many are the tales OF suffering
Of American housewives who have tried to
train them up into model housemaids. They
are by nature indolent. like all people OF
the tropics. and they have what one observ-
er calls an abnormal curiosity in their mis-
tress's belongings and such a generous af-
fection for their own families that they
must make them presents of all the choic-
est specimens they find among tho mis-
tresS's belongings One mistress was
obliged to draw up this set Of rules before
she could begin the actual work Of training
Maria:
''Do not nirt with the mllkman Take off
your clothes and sleep in the bed. Wash
your hands frequently. Wash your face
often. DO not wash your hands and face
iE the dishpan"
Maria became a model servant about the
time her mistress learned not TO expect per-
fcction In her. She was indeed patient. de-
~ tod ~1 ,i,t
| tolerance OF dirt WAS so much taken for
granted that when one day she was found
washing the window her mistress was
amazed. When she continued to scrub and
scrub with no sign OF weariness. investiga-
tlons were deemed necessary. Then there
was discovered a lovelorn Mexican carpen-
ter in the street with whom Maria was
slyly coouetting through the glass
This was but a peculiar form Of all
Mexican wooing. which is called PLAYING
the bear, for the enamoured swain resem-
bles captive bruin in cage as he tramps
back and forth below his sweetheart's win
dow OFTEN this steady tramp goes on for
weeks. but II his appearance is approved OF
ne may be rewarded within a few days bv
the sight OF dusky face smiling behind
! the lattice. Later in the AFFAIR the maiden
| will appear on the balcony In the moon
; light. and she and Romeo will carry on a
; tender conversation. Indifferent To the pas
serby or the half dozen other couples up
the street who are engaged in the same
gentle occupation.
| When a girl marries she is already skill
III! in all kinds OF domestic accomplish
ments. What little she has learned in
school has not untitled her for marriage
because the Mexican system OF educat on.
AT first bound by the old theory that wom-
| en- had capacity only for needlework and
! cooking. has skipped the nineteenth century
! scholastic tendencies and Is to-day stand
! ing side by side with American schools in
/ advocating manual training and domestic
/ science. Because however, Of the general
poverty the schools are very Inadequate
TO the population in spite OF the advanced
/ IDEAS of Senor Ezekula Chavez and others
of the directors OF the educational system.
Ia Mexico: It's Social Evolution" tho
chapters on education by Senior Chavez
sound like an American teachers conven-
ton. Women teachers should be better
paid" II is stated, because with the low
salaries now prevailing the better class Of
women refuse to enter the profession"
In pitiful contrast TO such modern ideals
arc the figures showing that OF the T. 2s3l-
5jS registered inhabitants OF the country
there are 104i5.62o vino cannot read or write
The majority of girls who receive educa-
/ tion after the age of twelve get 1, from
/ the convent schools, which are the finish
ing schools for the daughters OF wealthy
families
| Mexico boasts. however, Of several COL
/ leges and professional schools. whose doors
/ have never been closed to women. There
are normal schools for women teachers A
/ few women have really acquired their titles
| from the schools of medicine and the Ma
| tional School Of Arts and Crafts for wom-
en- had at one time 1000 pupils. At the Ma
tional School Of Medicine in 1890 there
were nine women preparing TO be physl-
clans. ten studying pharmacy and three
| dentistry.
One progressive teacher has introduced
classes of typewritng. cookery and Eng
| lish into her school. Women, however. have
as yet broken into business very little, and
the number of typewrting experts is small.
/ In the annals Of national literature there
/ Is no woman's name, which Is rather
strange, for lyric poetry is abundant. and
| as woman's interests are so largely re-
/ liGious and romantic it would be ex-
/ pected that some favored daughter would
burst into song. Critics say that the wom-
en- In Mexican society are extremely clever,
and that If they had had the education
| they might outrank the men In many ways.
| AS IT is. the few who travel In America
and the more who visit Paris with their
husbands on business and diplomatic mis-
sions have given their nation a name for
| producing charming women.