A SCENE OP PLEASURE. 



253 



young men did not give themselves this trouble, as 

 they were disposed to make a night of it ; and Mr. P. 

 and I, having secured a place, returned to the house oc- 

 cupied by the ladies. In one corner was a tienda about 

 ten feet square, partitioned off and shelved, which served 

 as a place for their hats and shawls. The rest of the 

 room contained merely a long table and benches. In a 

 few moments the ladies were ready, and we all sallied 

 out for a walk. All the streets and passages were brill- 

 iantly illuminated, and across some were arches decora- 

 ted with evergreens and lighted, and at the corners were 

 altars under arbours of branches adorned with flowers. 

 The spirit of frolic seemed to take possession of our file- 

 leaders, who, as the humour prompted them, entered 

 any house, and after a lively chat left it, contriving to 

 come out just as the last of the party were going in. In 

 one house they found a poncha rolled up very carefully, 

 with the end of a guitar sticking out. The proprietor 

 of the house only knew that it belonged to a young man 

 from Guatimala, who had left it as an indication of his 

 intention to pass the night there. One of the young 

 men unrolled the poncha, and some loaves of bread 

 fell out, which he distributed, and with half a loaf in 

 his mouth struck up a waltz, which was followed by a 

 quadrille ; the good people of the house seemed pleas- 

 ed at this free use of their roof, and shaking hands all 

 around, with many expressions of good-will on both 

 sides, we left as unceremoniously as we had entered. 

 We made the tour of all the principal streets, and as 

 we returned to the plaza the procession was coming out 

 of the church. 



The village procession in honour of its patron saint 

 is the great pride of the Indian, and the touchstone of 

 his religious character. Every Indian contributes his 



22 



