Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1882-03-11
our Agents.
The receipts Of the following persons will be
MEXICAN HOSPITALITY.

In her third paper. illustrating Next
can lie with pen and pencil, Mrs. Mary
HallOcI Foote describes a SIX days
ride OF $50 miles "From Morella to
Mexico City on horseback" This APP
pears in Tie Century for March, and
contains tho following interesting ao-
count of her reception at an extensive
Mexican farm or hacienda:
Pepitengo, with its mansion and cas-
tflo, or fortress, Tor refuge and defense
in unsettled times, its corrales, out
buildings, and dependencies. great and
small, forms In itself q village In the
solitude Of the pastoral plain which sur
rounds it.
The administrator took US the ronnds
sftAe eut-buildings before supper. which
iAssryed very late in the Mexican house
Hold. We were shown the threshtng-
floor, q stone paved amphitheater over
ono hundred feet in diameter, very
slightly concave, sinking toward . large
circular fiat stone in the center. 1t was
surrounded by a circle OF low stone
Buildings, tile rooted and supported on
stone pillars,
At supper we sat down to a medieval
board like that of Quierendero, "with
vassals and seris'' around Us. We were
invited to consider the house and every
thing in 1t as our own Our mozos had
the freedom of the kitchens and the
stables, our host gave up his place at
the head of the table, and, in effect, the
entire establishment was placed at our
disposal. with q courtesy as graceful as
it vas irresistfble.s
After supper we walked in the clois-
tered court-a lovely, secluded precinct,
with formal trees planted in, open
spaces left In the pavement. We we're
very grateful for this q last moon of
Mexico. We left 1t, when we returned
to our winter evenings, and fire, and
lamp-light. hanging large and low over
the gull.
From the patio we entered the sala-
q long, tile-paved room, with a sofa at
one end, the place of honor Tor the
lady guest, the members of the family
occupying the arm chairs which are
ranged on either side, at right angles
with the sofa. 1t is considered a dis.
courtesy tor q guest to sit down In any
of the chairs, instead OF walking through
the Don 10 the sofa. AS there we're no
ladies at Tepitongo, l was obliged to
sit alone on the long sofa. The engin.
GERS, the colonel, our host, and another
unbidden guest like ourselves who had
found shelter for the night, occupied
the arm-chairs.
Alter awhile, / ventured to ask the
administrator to take the seat beside
me. 1t may have been an enormity on
my part, but at all events U hOst was
too Well-bred to exhibit any horror at
the situation. The little four-year-old
boy whom we had seen on his pony
came shyly INTO the room, and stood by
his fathers knee. He was a charming
little man, dressed in a suit of leather.
vithsa tiny pair OF spurs strapped to his
baby shoes ; but IN spite OF his spurs and
his Workmanship, he was not unwilling
to sit in my lap and be coaxed into
fricndliness. The lisping Spanish VOW
els OF this little motherless child were
exquisite. But there was other emusic
Of the country" in store for US. At the
lower end of the room q company OF
musicians gathered by the light OF can
dies clustered on a table; a striking
group, with %violins, a %violoncello,
guitars. a harp-I cannot recall all the
instruments, but the music and the
scene it would not be easy to forget.