The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1882-03-02
A Mexican Interior.

The house had been originally built
for an ecclesiastical college, and as may
be imagined, was very easy fit for a
family of three. There was an agree
able sense of unexplored space in the
vistas of high, airy rooms, opening one
into another, and all opening on the cor
ridors which surround the front and rear
courts.
Instead of the bedside tray of coffee
and rusks served by the water with the
impenetrable head of hair, who never
knocked at the door, one awakened to
the luxury of bath, a daintily served
cup of chocolate or a bumper OF hot
milk, fresh eggs, fresh fruit, in the flow
er-scented dining-room, at whatever
hour one chose to ask for it. The air
of early morning was indescribably pure
and cool-cool enough to suggest an
open fire to an English or American
constitution-but the sunny side of the
corridor was 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 of the breeze which lifted
and let fall the heavy leaves of the ba-
nana-tree near the dining-room door.
Clear shadows slanted across the pale
tinted stone facade of the cloistered gal
lery. There was a hammock of Panama
grass, swinging empty, or grading alittle
daughter of the house, always attended
by fluffy white poodle, whom she ad-
dressed as Enrique! mi alma?' )My
soulD
A man-servant, of the shade of COM
| plexion called moreno-chocolate with
little milk in it-and eyes of choco-
late, unmixed, in white linen blouse,
with red sash girding the waist, shut
fled listlessly about the gallery at this
hour, watering the plants or sweeping
! the red tiled pavement with a broom
made of palm splints. There was par
rot, like great jewel, on his perch in
the sun. The gray turtle-doves are re-
garded by Mexican servants as harbin-
! gers of evil to the house where their soft
cultural 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 pleas
/ ant; loud, harsh voices or footsteps were
unheard; no bell ever rang. If the
young mistress had need of servant
she stepped into the corridor and clap
ped her hands. The signal was answer
ed by Leonardo, or Rita, or Michaela,
or the disconsolate Ascension, who did
everything with a gloomy air, even to
the carrying about on his shoulders OF
the little Jose, the child of Leonardo,
the Camarista. Their medieval associa-
tions reconciled one to the only loud
noises of the house-the deep-echoine
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 halls under the
arches.
The first ceremonious meal at which
the family assembled was the midday
breakfast, almuerzo. This was sue.
cession of courses, chiefly meat, in sur
prising quantity and variety in a climate
where very little animal food is sutli
cient, ending with dulces and coffee
After the soup, rice, cooked in the Mex
lean fashion, was invariably served ano
eaten with bananas. The game anC
poultry had the advantage of the most
perfect cooking over a charcoal fire. A
spit is used in roasting, and every Mex
lean kitchen is provided with a multi
tude of pottery vessels, even to pottery
! griddles, light and clean, which seemed
to me far preferable to our heavy unap
petizing metal ones. From time to tim'
national dish appeared, rather to hu
NOR the guests fancy for novelty THAI
for preference for them on the part o
the family. One called turco, l wa
told, is of Moorish origin. 1t is compos
ed of chicken, cooked slowly in a past'
made of the flour of very small ant
delicately dried pea, and served with ;
sauce of complex flavor. Raisins ant
olives are an incidental feature of it, an,
the whole dish tastes of the Arabian
Niphts