Tropical America . all mothers and chaperons accompany the giddy youngcreatures to the plaza, and leave them at liberty to strollup and down the stone walk in company with girls oftheir acquaintance, while they themselves occupy theside benches where they can overlook the scene andkeep their eyes upon them. The whole town goes outto see the show. For three hours all the young unmar-ried women tramp up and down, dressed in their pretti-est gowns and displaying their charms, while hundredsof young men join the procession and exchange glances,if not words, with tliem. Anything like an
Tropical America . all mothers and chaperons accompany the giddy youngcreatures to the plaza, and leave them at liberty to strollup and down the stone walk in company with girls oftheir acquaintance, while they themselves occupy theside benches where they can overlook the scene andkeep their eyes upon them. The whole town goes outto see the show. For three hours all the young unmar-ried women tramp up and down, dressed in their pretti-est gowns and displaying their charms, while hundredsof young men join the procession and exchange glances,if not words, with tliem. Anything like an incipientflirtation or an indiscretion brings the stern mother uponthe scene, and the foolish, saucy girl is dragged home-ward prematurely and kept indoors the following Sun-day. Hour after hour the promenaders are in motion,girls of thirteen and fourteen being the belles of thewalk, and a great concourse of carefully dressed andprofusely powdered men watching them with eager in-terest. It is the Cuban Vanity THE LAST SPANISH STRONGHOLD 267 Notwithstanding the decline in the fortunes of theplanters, their houses are very agreeable interiors, hospitality is unaffected and charming. It isdifficult for a foreigner to break the ice, and to estab-lish confidential relations with the planters; but whenthis has been done invitations follow, and there arefrequent glimpses of Cuban home-life. So rigid arethe requirements of custom and etiquette, that it isonly at home, and in the presence of members of thehousehold, that well-born daughters are to be seen atall. It is only in the conventional reception-room,furnished with long rows of cane-seat rocking-chairs,that their acquaintance can be made, and then onlyunder watchful supervision. They are little women,short in stature, plump and well rounded in figure,graceful and supple in movement, with dark eyes thatflash at night and melt by day. Like the beautifulwild flowers of the Cuban woods, they mature veryearly, and the
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, bookpublishernewyorkcscribnerss
