76 THE DESERT AND THE ROSE 



broke, he stammered — "Now Mis', now Mis', I 

 doan' know why I lies ! I jes' lies!" 



An Australian of mark and prominence has re- 

 cently declared "that it would be better for the fut- 

 ure world if each race should develop along its own 

 distinctive lines." Never was there a truer word! 

 Provided, of course, that every and each race has 

 its distinctive lines. The Mexican race down to the 

 humblest peon is distinguished by the fact that it 

 possesses artistic tendencies and often talents far 

 in advance of the race which is in most other re- 

 spects its superior. The same may be said of other 

 foreign races, but we are dealing now with the 

 Mexican. To Americanize him in the highest sense 

 is one thing; cheap Americanization quite another. 

 Unfortunately the ignorant and not often over alert 

 young peon is inclined to imitate the Citizen Genet 

 type of American — that outrageous offshoot of so- 

 called civilization severely rebuked time and again 

 by Washington himself. Of Citizen Genets we al- 

 ready possess a surplus without adding to their 

 number with the erstwhile courteous Mexican, 

 whose up-to-date manners are enoueh to make their 

 angels weep; indeed it is permissible to wonder in 

 one's darkest hours if they have any angels? On 

 the Citizen Genet model then "educated" Mexican 

 youth too often models itself — a double aggravation 

 because in the case of the peon bad manners are 

 such an ostentatious demoralization. Native cour- 

 tesy, untampered with, is so balmy and blessed a 

 thing, holding also the additional charm of being 

 inbred and guiltless of either servility or fawning. 



