Evening star., 1881-12-28
auENICAN INTERIOR.
vy,o t,oTne.tIc Life OF n Well.tO.do.
Mexican Family.

deals with MoreIia. "A Provincial Capital of
Mexico" and contains the following deserip-
tior of the domestic lie of wel-tO-do family:
The house had been originally built for an &C.
eeSiastiCal college, and. may be imagined
wa a very easy fit fos family of three There
was an agreeable sense of uneyplOred space in
the vistas OF high. airy rooms. opening one into
another. and all opening on the corridors which
surrounded the front and rear courts
Instead of the bedside tray of coffee and rusks
served by the waiter with the impenetrable head
of hair, who never knocked at the door, one
awakened to the luxury of a bath daiptly
served cup of chocolate or bumper of hot milk
fresh eggs, fresh fruit. i'm the fiower-scented
dinng-roOm, at whatever hour one chose to ask
for It, The air of early morning was indescriba-
bly, pure and eool,-cool enough to suggest an
open fire to an English or American constitu-
tion,-hut the sunny side of the corridor was a
very good substitute. The flowers were freshly
watered and fragrant. All the galleries in Mex
leo surrounding the inner court are lined with
flowers. It is one of the prettiest features of
their domestic architectures The vines Ies-
tooned along the arches stirred little in the
breeze which lifted and let fall the heavy
leaves of the banana tree near the dining-roOm
door Clear shadows slanted across the pale
tinted stone facade of the clustered gallery.
Their, was a hammock of Panama grass swing
ing empty OF cradiing the little daughter of the
house. always attended by fluffy white poodle,
fMy seul!)
A man-servant of the shade of complexion
called naore1ao-chocoate with a little milk in
f-and eyes of chocolate, unmixed; i'm white
hneii blouse. with red sash gir(iing the waist
shuified fstfessly about the gallery at this hour
watering the plants sweeping the red-tled
pavement with broom made of palm splnts.
There was parrot, like great jewel, on his
perch IN the sum- The gray turtle-dOves are re-
garded by the Mexican servants as harbingers
OF evil To the house where their soft gutteral
note is heard, but the Casa C. rejected this
superstition of the country. and gave shelter to
the doves. The noises of the house were very
pleasant: loud harsh voices or footsteps were
nnheard. no bell ever rang. If the young mis-
tress had need of a servant. she stepped into the
corridor and slapped her hands. The signal was
answered by Leonardo, or Rita. or Michaela, or
the diSconSOlate Ascension. who did every
thing with fine gloomy air, even to the carry
ing about on his shoulders of the little Jose
the child of Leonardo, the Camarista. Their
medieval associations recOnciled one to the only
loud noises 0f the hOuse-the deep. echOing bay of
the two gaunt young blood hounds chained to the
wall of the court below. and the stamping of the
horses feet on the pavement of their stalls I'M
der the arches. The first ceremoniOus
meal at which the family assembled was the
midday breakfast, aim ue1;zo. There was sue
cessiOn OF courses. chiefly meats, in surprising
quantity and variety i'm climate where little
animal food is sufficient, ending with dulces aud
coffee After the soup. rice. cooked i'm Mexican
fashion. was invariably served and eaten with
bananas The game and poultry had the ad-
vantage of a most perfect cooking over q
charcoal fire. spit is used in roasting. and
every Mexican kitchen is well provided with q
multitude of pottery vessels even to pottery
griddles, light and clean, which seemed to me
FAR preferable to our heavy, unappetiZing metal
ones.
From time to time a national dish appeared.
rather TO hunOr the guests fancy for their nov
eity Than for preference for them on the part
OF Tn" family One called t,rcO, was told is of
Moorish origin 1t is composed of chicken,
Cooked slowly in a paste made of the -four of a
very small and delicate dried pea. and served
with a sauce of complex flavor. Raisins and
olives are an incidental feature of it, and the
whole dish tastes of the Arabian Nights
Shall Women Practice Medicinep
The most serious obstacles TO be encountered
are not always the most real ones. In this, as in
everything that women do. the question of capa-
city is often Outranked by the question of taste
Whether woman, with all her organic imperfec-
tions on her head. can be Theoretically supposed
capable of the study and practice of medicine;
whether. which is quite different question.
there actually exist any number of women
whose capacity In tnis direction has been fairly
tested and nddemonstrated-these are interesting
subjects of inquiry. But the most complete
ly affirmative answer to such inquiry might
still leave unsettled question of much more
Importance for that large class of people
whose convictions and actions are under
the permanent domination of their tastes These
ask not, rs she capable?" but. lis this fear
fully capable person nice?" Will she upset our
ideal OF womanhOOd. and maidenhOod and the
social relations of the sexes? Can woman phy-
sician be loyable; can she marry: can she have
children; will she take care of them? If she
cannot. what is she? "Qu'est &c qt'w.e femme ~
SAID French Journalist In this connection ''q,ti
NEST ni epO,tse rai Daeres' God" declared q
Boston physician well versed i'm the counsels of
Providence. ''neyer intended women to practice
medicine Hence the inference that piety, if
nothing else. demanded the exclusion of women
from the Massachusetts Medical Society It ia
from the popularity of the conditions in
Voived that the handful Of women now en-
gaged in the practice Of medicine may
be considered in any way to affect OF endanger
existing arrangements OF social ideals Thou
sands of women, from manifold causes quite
eXtraneous TO medicine. remain celibates all
their lives: vet no one reproaches them for re-
fusng the duties of wife and mother. Thousands
Of women earn their living by nOn-domestic la
Dor; one profession. that of public teaching.
practically thrown open to women only during
the last half century, is already thronged by
them Yet no one feels that the foundations of
society are therefore liable. to be OyerthrOwn
What is il in the profession of medicine which
fxcites at present such different feeling and
such bitter prejudice? There are several
Things In the first place. the profession of
medicine has always been subjected to popular
misconceptions. and the Odium due to these is
Necessarily shared by the women who aspire
To be physicians. Again. by a social fiction. it
II assumed that the usual employments now
sought by women are to be filled by them only
while waiting for marriage, or as q resource
IN wld0whoCd or desertIOn. Even such pro-
issional work as teaching is expected to be
lad aside after few years. and there is much
at least III the primary grades of teaching to
maxi such interruption rather desirable. But
tne profession of medicine must he chosen de-
hoerately. and not at hap-haZarl, from a
strong and genuine taste. and not from the
mere pressure of economic necessity: it must
pe seriously prepared for in youth; must be
entered upon at the age at which at present
many women marry; does not yield its best
returns until full maturity has been reached:
must be adopted. therefore. if at all, for life
TINE Hence Is required either an accidental
ceibacy or deliberate remuneration of mar
rage Tor the sake of medicine. such as is not
dreamed OF In regard TO any other work; or
else such an adjustment of domestic cIaims
"a shall render them and the practice of medi-
cine by married women mutually compatible
Ir- -Mcry Il. JacObd, IN North Americon Re
Cte1r
Norwegian Table Manners.