256 



INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



The benches were drawn up to the table, and as many 

 as could find seats sat down. Before supper was over 

 there was an irruption of young men from Guatimala, 

 with glazed hats, ponchas, and swords, and presenting 

 a rather disorderly appearance ; but they were mostly 

 juveniles, brothers and cousins of the ladies. With 

 their hats on, they seated themselves at the vacated ta- 

 bles, and, as soon as they had finished eating, hurried 

 off the plates, piled the tables away in a corner, one on 

 the top of the other, and the candles on the top of all, 

 the violins struck up, and gentlemen and ladies, lighting 

 cigars and cigarillos, commenced dancing. I am sorry 

 to say that generally the ladies of Central America, not 

 excepting Guatimala, smoke, married ladies puros, or 

 all tobacco, and unmarried cigars, or tobacco wrapped in 

 paper or straw. Every gentleman carries in his pock- 

 et a silver case, with a long string of cotton, steel and 

 flint, taking up nearly as much space as a handker- 

 chief, and one of the offices of gallantry is to strike a 

 light ; by doing it well, he may help to kindle a flame 

 in a lady's heart ; at all events, to do it bunglingly 

 would be ill-bred. I will not express my sentiments 

 on smoking as a custom for the sex. I have recollec- 

 tions of beauteous lips profaned. Nevertheless, even 

 in this I have seen a lady show her prettiness and re- 

 finement, barely touching the straw to her lips, as it 

 were kissing it gently and taking it away. When a gen- 

 tleman asks a lady for a light, she always removes the 

 cigar from her lips. Happily, the dangerous proximity 

 which sometimes occurs between gentlemen in the street 

 is not in vogue. The dancing continued till two o'clock, 

 and the breaking up was like the separation of a gay 



