upheaval, for such, we are sorry to say, is pretty sure to come, sooner
or later; the Roman Catholic Church party is not dead, but sleepeth. A
strong, costly, and united effort on its part, stimulated from Rome, to
once more gain control of the government of Mexico, has been
successfully defeated without an open outbreak since the second term of
President Diaz commenced. The success of the church party would simply
throw Mexico back half a century in her march of improvement towards a
higher state of civilization. It would check all educational progress,
all commercial advance, and smother both political and religious
freedom.

The number of infant children, strapped or tied to their mothers' backs,
that one sees in the streets of the capital, and indeed all through the
country, is something marvelous. The fecundity of the peons is beyond
all calculation. Eight women out of ten, belonging to the humbler
classes, are sure to be thus encumbered. Marriages take place here at as
early an age as in Cuba or South America, namely, at twelve years. Few
young girls among the common people remain unmarried after fourteen
years of age, or rather there are few of them that do not bear children
as early as that. Marriage among the poor is a ceremony not always
considered necessary, and, indeed, as a rule, they are too poor to pay
the priest the price he charges for performing the ceremony. Speaking
of marriage, this relationship among people of position and property is
assumed under somewhat peculiar circumstances in Mexico. First, a civil
marriage takes place, which makes all children born to the contracting
parties legitimate. After this civil rite is duly complied with, perhaps
a day and perhaps ten intervening, the usual church ceremony is
performed, and then the bride and bridegroom join each other to enjoy
their honeymoon, but until the latter ceremony is consummated, the
couple are as much separated as at any time of their lives. Why this
delay in consummation takes place is by no means clear to an outsider.

One not infrequently sees a mother carrying two infants at a time
wrapped in her rebosa, and tied across her chest; only ten months of age
separating the little creatures. Besides these infants the mother
carries her burden of vegetables, fruit, baskets, or pottery, to dispose
of in the market near the plaza. Like Japanese and Chinese babies, these
little ones seldom, if ever, cry, but submit patiently and with apparen