Page:Notes of the Mexican war 1846-47-48.djvu/540

534 little need of the tailor as Adam and Eve had in the Garden of Eden. His skin drinks the sun at every pore, and an edict to require the Ieperos to wear breeches would extinguish the race. A lepero in a whole pair of breeches would be no longer a lepero, for one want creates another. The lepero is emphatically the child of nature, the shining sun, the murmuring breeze, the smiling face of nature is his birthright and his property. Other men have houses, haciendas and lands. The world belongs to the lepero. He has no master. He knows no law. He eats when he is hungry, drinks when he is thirsty and sleeps where and when he is sleepy. Other men rest from their labors. The lepero works when he is tired of laziness. His work, however, never lasts more than an hour, seldom more than ten or fifteen minutes, just long enough to provide for the few and small wants of the day. He carries a traveller's trunk to his lodgings, does anything that comes under his hand, picking pockets included, and holds out his hands for charity. The chief visible occupation of the lepero is to amuse himself; and the city of Mexico, in time of peace, does not lack cheap amusement. There are military reviews, religious processions and music, which the lepero loves to listen to; dances, bull-fights, horse races and churches, to which the leperos is strongly attached, and is a pretty steady frequenter, for the lepero loves to hear a good sermon preached. The lepero has no political opinions; you may say what you please in his presence of his country, or curse its rulers. He cares not whether you abuse Gen. Santa Anna, Gen. Bustamenta Herrera, or Paredes, or how much, provided you say nothing derogatory to the Virgin of Guadaloupa you are safe; but the moment you touch that point look out for the knife. In the day time the lepero is as harmless as any living being that walks under God's sun. He will attack no one in daylight, and is afraid of drunkards, and particularly drunken soldiers, but at night the lepero fears no one, and particularly the drunken soldier; they are the first ones the lepero goes for, plunging the knife or dagger in the back of