The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1882-01-19
A Mexican Interior,

deals with Morelia, "a Provincial Cap
ital of Mexico" and contains the fol.
lowing description OF the domestic life
of well-to do family:
The house had been originally built
for an ecclesiastical college, and, as
may be imagined, was very easily fit for
family of three. There was an agree
able sense Of unexplored space in the
vistas of high, airy rooms, opening one
into the other, and all opening on the
corridors which surround 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 bath, daintily served
cup of chocolate or bumper of hot
milk, fresh eggs, fresh fruit, in the
fower-scented dining-room, at what
ever hour cne chose to ask for it The
dir OF early morning was indescrib-
ably pure and cool-cool enough
to suggest an oper fire to an English
or American constitution, but the sunny
side of the corridor was a very good
substitute. The flowers were freshly
watered and fragrant. All the galleries
in Mexico surrounding the inner courts
are lined with flowers. 1t is one of the
prettiest features of their domestic
architecture. The vines festooned 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 cloistefed gallery. There was
hammock of Panama grass swinging
empty or cradling the little daughter Of
the house, always attended by a fluffy
white poodle, whom she addressed as
"EnriqueI mi almap (My soul).
A man servant, of the shade OF COM
plexion called moreno-chocolate with
little milk in it-and eyes of choco-
late, unmixed; in a white linen
blouse, with red sash girding the
waist, shuf1ed listlessly about the gal
lery at this hour, watering the plants or
weeping the red-tiled pavements with
a broom made of palm splints. There
was parrot, like great jewel, on his
perch in the sun. The gray turtle
doves are regarded by the Mexican SER
wants as harbingers of evil to the house
| where their soft cultural note is heard,
but the Casa G. rejected this surersti-
ton of the country and gave shelter to
the doves. The noises of the house
were very pleasant; loud, harsh voices
or footsteps were unheard; no bell ever
rang. If the young mistress had need
| of p servant she .atsnnad mo i r
corridor and clapped her hands.
The signal was answered by Leon.
arda' or Rita, or Michaela, or the
disconsolate Ascension, who did every
thing with fine gloomy air. even to
the carrying about on his shoulders OF
the little Jose, the child of Leonardo,
the Camarista. Their medieval associ-
atoms reconciled one to the only loud
noises of 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
under the arches. \ The first
ceremonial meal at which the family
assembled was the midday breakfast,
almuerzo. There was succession OF
courses, chiefly meats, in surprising
quantity and variety in climate where
very little apimal food is sufficient,
ending with dulces and cof-
fee. After the soup, rice,
cooked in the Mexican fashion, was in
variable served and eaten with bananas.
The game and poultry had the advan-
tage of the most perfect cooking over a
charcoal fire. A spit is used in roast
ing, and every Mexican kitchen is we'll
provided with multitude of pottery
vessels, even to pottery griddles, light
| and clean, which seemed to me far pre-
ferable to our heavy, unappetizing
metal ones.
From time to time national dish
appeared, rather to humor the guests
fancy for their novelty than for a pre-
ference for them on the part Of the
family. One called turco, I was told,
is of Moorish origin. 1t is composed
of chicken, cooked slowly in a paste
made of the flour of very small and
delicate dried pea, and served with a
ssuce of complex flavor. Raisins and
olives are an incidental feature OF it,