| Show DEAD IN A FOREIGN LAND copyright 1893 1898 all rights reserved y geofrey geoffrey willist n christine CITY OF ME MF MEXICO aico xico may 21 memorial or decoration day which derives its name from the beautiful custom universally vernally ver sally lv observed throughout both the northern northeim and southern sections of the united states of placing flowers upon the graves of all who fell on either side in our late civil war is generally regarded by those to the manner born as a purely american custom known and observed only in our beloved country this is an error the mexicans keep an annual decoration day which is even more inore elaborate and extended in its ce celebration than ours upon the annu annual al recurrence of that day th the e graves of the american knie rican soldiers who fell in this lovely valley during our war with mexico in 1847 are always most generously included in the decoration as we shall see lator no nation follows more faithfully mexico the christian precept enjoining enjo enjoining inin I 1 us to forgive and love our enemies e I 1 have s said ai that the mexican decoration dav is to more ore elaborate and extended in its celebration than ours for the reason that the mexicans not only adorn with floral tributes the graves of their fallen soldiers but also deposit them upon the resting ones irrespective of sex sexy ap age or occupation bemuse because instead 0 of being limited to one day like our observance that of the mexicans is prolonged for fora a period od of three nights and two days the alpen he i difference in the climate and the time of year at which flowers are most abundant also cause medicos cos decoration day to be kept at a different season from ours the observance practically begins on the night of october 31 at about 7 p in and about that hour on the last day ot of last october I 1 found myself mingled with a crowd acroyd of people who were pouring in g along the calle de san francisco into to the plaza mayor within whose elegant a government milli tary band was sending forth strains of delicious music both the plaza mayor and the plaza de la constitution presented a most brilliant sight they had been converted into a temporary fair ground crowded with innumerable booths which offer for sale the strangest commodities that ever merchant dealt in everything sold is ie emblematic of death and d decay ca I 1 there are immense piles of ca candy nt skulls in some ot of which have been placed miniature wax candles candies whose light shining through the toothless jaws and eyeless sockets of crystallized sugar produces a roost most ghastly effect there are skeletons of every imaginable size and material upon the counter of every booth some of them poor cheap affairs of paper many of candy and others elaborately constructed of wood and jointed so that the pulling of a string causes them to dance and caper in a weirdly comical way some of them were fantastically dressed like ballet dancers and were surrounded by groups of candy tombs and sepulchres chres students of old english customs have heard of soul cakes a sort of bun which good natured people used to prepare in in large quantities to give to children who went about from house to house at this time of year singing a song and demanding a soul cake as a reward but the booths in the plaza mayor on that eve of the decoration day celebration offered for sale soul cakes which for or appropriateness and elaborate design threw those of old england completely into the shade they consisted of three layers ot of cake so placed as to form three steps covered with white icing and leading to a chocolate cross at the 0 of the topmost layer or step upon each of the other layers there was some design in chocolate intended to remind the purchaser of the solemn occasion which the cake was meant to commemorate such as skulls bones and coffins catafalques made of wood and paint ed black from six inches to two and a half feet in height and from three inches to two feet square were also a highly popular article of merchandise some of them consisted of several platforms rising one above the other elaborately draped with black cloth and emblazoned blazoned em in gilt with crosses skulls and coffins besides the booths there are numerous open air kitchens whence the tempting display of edibles is constantly being replenished and where stout women their wela rounded neck and arms displayed to the best advantage by the low necked short sleeved chemise which is their only garment above the waist are busily engaged in compounding trying oiling and baking those fearfully and wonderfully made dishes in which the mexican palate delights but most of all sights are the people themselves though the occasion is is intended to be a solemn one and one would think the display of such wares as I 1 have described above calculated to strongly emphasize its solemnity yet the shouts and vociferations of the lighthearted light hearted crowd and their soundings boun dings and gambols in the shadow of the grand old cathedral which for over years has stood at the head of the plaza were such as might at first have led one to think that the inmates of that philanthropic establishment the casa de locos lunatic asylum Asyl nm had forced bolts and bars and exchanged their straight waistcoats for others of a more elastic and becoming model while above all arose from the strains of such music as we seldom or never hear in the states for the pla playing Y n 0 of a mexican government milita military ry ban band gd is is a revelation of the possibilities of such an organization all that night and during the succeeding day and night the preparatory festivities if I 1 may so designate them of the annual decoration day are steadily continued with the dawn of decoration day proper which was november 2 came crowds of people with flowers and from the first streak of daylight until dusk the cemeteries of san fernando and dolores and the french english and american bu burying crying aroun grounds ds are crowded with those who come to visit and decorate the graves of their dead many of those earth mounds have been wholly concealed by flowers and the entire enclosures of the aeme teries have presented the appearance of one vast flower bed whose delicious perfumes have completely filled the air flowers are so marvelously cheap here that it costs but a trifle to place them upon many graves in the flower market that decoration day morning I 1 was offered rosebud bouquets which in the states at that time ot of year would have been worth about thirty dollars for quatro reales fifty cents and the vendor when I 1 showed no disposition to buic purchase hase dropped to dos reales twenty five cents finding that even this liberal reduction failed to attract attention he desired me to name my own price elaborate floral designs such as would cost several dollars at home may be purchased here for a few cents one of a colossal nean maae of the finest white toses roses would have cost in the states at least twenty dollars was offered me first for sair isair reals seventy five cents and finally at my own price mexican resi dents tell me that flowers were formerly much cheaper than at present the loud expressions of surprise at their cheapness made by american tourists and their readiness to pay without question the sum first asked by the dealers having considerably advanced prices dolores the principal cemetery of mexico and the one in which the most elaborate floral display is made is a burial place of great beauty and extent it is as tastefully laid out and has as a many and as handsome monuments gravestones grave stones and mausoleums as the average cemetery in in our large american cities san francisco st francis is also a large and handsome city of the dead and the floral dist display lay made there on decoration day is ii likewise dewise elaborate and beautiful in the american cemetery in which though not nearly so large and ornamental as those just men tinned there is snug assir lucius Ol OT rigger Trigger says there are buried american soldiers who fell on the battle fields of contreras churubusco el molino del re rev and cha chapultepec pec among th the e most loua famous and bloody battle fields ot of that war which gave to the united states the rich prizes of california and new mexico over those dead heroes sleeping sleeping their last sleep in a foreign land a ban handsome some monument has been erected to commemorate Ns me their deeds of valor on every decoration day their last resting place is literally covered with flowers while innumerable floral designs ot of rare beauty adorn their monument it was with great pleasure that I 1 saw many of these floral tr tributes placed there by the people of that nation by whose hand hadd my countrymen had fallen it was a striking proof that the fierce enmity of 06 nearly half a century ago had bad been replaced by friendliness and good will the mexicans cant who placed floberg upon the be graves of those amer american an soldiers had bad only words of kindness an and ai praise use boz their sleeping foes at the village of Po potla a short distance from the american cemetery I 1 saw on chat hat decoration day another remarkable illustration of the gentle spirit of the mexicans pop otla is famous for its grand old cypress tree under which cortez wept on a night injury in july 1520 when retreating from the city of mexico the furious aztecs azteca or native mexicans have driven the span ish conqueror and his forces forces from the capi capital ital As he and his broken army fled before their maddened and sava savage e foes he called a short halt at a and pausing to rest under the spreading branches of of this cypress tree he wept as he beheld his vanquished followers and meditated upon what then seemed the complete and ignominious failure of all ais grand schemes schem es of conquest the cypress is is a very large one of great reat height aad and girth it is surrounded fly by an iron iron railing and strange as it may seem that the mexicans whom he sub to a foreign power which held them in slavish subject subjection ign for years should have any feeling of regard for the memory of cortez yet it is a fact that I 1 saw hanging upon that railing many wreaths and other floral tributes which had been placed there by pious jolk folk i who no doubt had offered up at the same time devout prayers for the the spanish adventurer on the he road to the french cemetery of la diodad there are some beautiful meadows by the side of a stream tream fi a short distance beyond th the e old wall which still surrounds the mexican i capital there I 1 was much amused agn on the afternoon of last decoration day in in watching the gambols of the populace who had assembled in large numbers and converted the place into a temporary picnic ground among the meadows swings had been put between large trees for the enjoyment of the ladies by some gallant muchachos mu chachos young gentlemen who amused thease themselves ves by sending the persons of their mistresses distresses mi stresses as near the clouds as such humble terrestrials could hope to go A cravat taken from the neck of one of the bystanders and fastened immediately above the knees secured the skirts of the suspended beauty from the action of the wind and presented an effectual barrier to the indiscreet wanderings of any roving eye she certainly could not complain of any lack of vigor or good will on the part of her admirers some awaiting her descent toward the ground seized her b by her well turned legs and sent her bacz back toward heaven again with great velocity others less privileged or less daring watched the favorable moment and by a passing application of their hands behind hind gave her an increased impetus in the opposite direction while screams of laughter from the buchach and her beaux added fresh zest to the pass time the members of another group are about to enjoy a dance one young fellow wearing a high conical paper cap of different colors and flourishing a ion long W staff acted as master of ceremonies A tall sergeant with his foraging cap on his ear who had evidently looked too frequently upon the pulque the dexl itan ican national beverage reminded ed me of stornes Stor nos story in his sentimental journey of the tall man and the dwart dwarf at the theatre neither the mandates of maste 61 ceremonies nor tb grum lings of he bystanders could induce wim huri to 0 quit thi the a i buxom pina nina yo tourig VA girl irl w whom hom hi he had evi evidently denOy marked for his s own thi the young women were engaged in tying up each others hair and making other preparations for the dance introducing no small amount of coquetry therein after many earnest supplications ions from the men most of them accepted partners the prettiest holdin holding trout out to the last and some of them even threatening reat ening to decline the dance altogether when the music sounded the oscillations of the sergeants arms secured for himself and partner much more than their rightful space the other male dancers evid evidently enily wishing to avoid so formidable a comrade the setting sun at length gave warning warning to the dancers the crowd again poured the gigantic sergeant towering far above his fellows and bearing off on one arm his buxom partner while thrust through the other was the sc rawney hand band of her tia juana aunt joan tightly clutching a handkerchief 0 of oranges an offering from the sergeant designed to propitiate so important a member of her family GEOFFREY WILLISTON CHRISTINS CHRISTINE CHRIS TINS |
