The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1882-03-22
A MEXICAN INTERIOR.
The Domestic Appointments of a Home OF
Luxury.


The house had been originally built foran
ecclesiastical college and, as may be imagin-
ed, was a very easy fit for q family of three
There was an agreeable sense of UNEMPLOYED
space in the vistas of high, airy rooms, OPEN
ing one into another, 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 impene-
trable bead of hair, who never knocked at
the door, one awakened to the luxury of
bath, daintily served cup of chocolate or a
bumper of hot milk, fresh eggs, fresh fruit,
In the fower-scented dining-room, at what
ever hour one chose to ask for it, The air
of early morning was indescribably pure
and cool, cool enough to suggest nn open
fire to an English or American constitution,
but the sunny side of the corridor was a
very good substitute. Tho flowers were
freshly watered and fragrant All the gal
leries in Mexico surrounding the inner courts
nre lined with flowers. 1t is one OF the
prettiest features of their domestic architect
nre The vines festooned along the arches
stirred a little in the breeze which lifted and
let fail 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. There was Il ham
mock of Panama grass, swinging empty, or
cladling the little daughter of tho house, al
ways attended by fluffy white poodle,
whom she addressed as " Enrique! mi
Alma" (My soul y
man-sevant, of the shade of complex
ion called moreno, -chocolato with little
milk III il, and eyes of chocolate, mmixed;
in white linen blouse, with red sash grid
ing the waist shuffied listlessly about the
gallery at this hour, watering the plants or
sweeping the red-tiled pavement with a
broom made of palm splnts. There was
parrot, like great jewel, on his perch in
the sun. The gray turtle doves are regarded
by the Mexican servants rs harbingers of
evil to the house where their soft cultural
note is heard, but the Casa c. reieced
this superstition of the country, and gave
shelter to the doves The noises of the
voices or footsteps were unheard no bell
ever rang. If the young mistress had need
of servant she stepped into the corridor
and clapped her hands. The signal was an.
swered by Leonardo, On Rita, of Michaela.
or the disconsolate Ascension, who did
everything with a fine gloomy air, even to
the carrying about ON bis shoulders of the
little Jose, the child OF Leonardo, the CANA
rista. Thir medieval associations reconciled
one to the only loud noises of the house.
the deep, cctoing bay of tho two gaunt
young blood-honnds 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 cere-
monious meal at which the f1miy assembled
was the midday breakfast, almuerzo. There
was a succession of courses chiefly meats,
ill surprising quantity and variety in a eli
mate where very little animal food is sufli.
Client, ending with dute and coffee. After
the SOUP rice cooked in the Mexican fash
ion, was invariably served and eaten with
bananas. The game and poultry had the
tuftltubo VI tio hiVoo tottcNt coohib5 oNSi
a charcoal fire. A spit is used in roasting,
and every Mexican kitchen is well provided
with multitude OF pottery vessels, even to
pottery griddles light and clean, which seem.
ed to me far preferable to our heavy, unap-
petizing metal one.
From time to time a national dish appear
ed, rather to humor the guests fancy for
their novelty than for preference for them
on the part of the family. One called ta,co,
was told, is of Moorish origin. It is com-
posed of chicken, cooked slowly in a paste
made of the -four of very small and deli
cate dried pea, and served with sauce of
complex flavor Raisins and olives are an
incidental feature of it, and the whole dish
tastes of the Arabian Nights. Century.