Cheyenne transporter. [volume] (Darlington, Indian Terr.) 1879-1886, 1884-02-13
LIVING IN MEXICO.
Letter from an American Lady.

"casa" of the better class Is almost an
exact counterpart of thousands OF
others. Let us take survey of that
in which for some time l have been
living here in Saltillo, rs it is n typical
home of the well-to-do substantial
Mexican citizen. Like most others in
this ancient city, our casa was built
two hundred years ago, and its adobe
walls-ive feet thick-look capable Of
defying the weather till the ressur-
rection morning. 1t has great num-
Der of rooms, built around and all
opening into the usual central court
which latter unroofed space is paved
as they all are with small sharp stones
which make US feel like penitential pill
grims on the road to Mecca. In this
court pomegranates, figs and bananas
are growing, and flowers bios som the
whole year through, planted in adobe
boxes elevated several feet above the
ground. In the center is the inevitable
deep, deep well, its adobe framework
draped with ferns and lichens; and
here also is generally an indescribable
living OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES, chickens
and children, pigs and peacocks, dogs,
doves and donkeys, in vociferous con-
fusion. In many houses these courts
are very beautiful, each with its foun-
tain in the middle, and surrounded by
wide corridors with strawberry rcd
cement pavement, wherein the family
take their afternoon chocolate ana
spend many hours of every day.
Wooden floors are unknown in Mex
leo, all houses being paved either with
large bricks Ground or square, or with
cement which resembles polished stone.
Woollen carpets are not much indulged
in, except perhaps an occasional strip
or rug. There is native carpet,
made from ixtle (the fiber of the cent
ury plant) which is much like our hemp
in texture, and is painted by hand after
being woven-generally in rose-pink,
with dashes of purple and green. 1t is
as durable as iron, and, strange to say,
these delisate colors are fadeless.
There is also pretty and endurable
mating, of Indian manufacture, made
of shredded palm leaves, braided, not
in stripes, like our mating, but in
large squares, and called 'Iapates. "
But really these floors of polished
cement, of pale gray color, or tinted
the usual strawberry-red, are too beau
tiiui W DO W ugly.
Brussels or ingram. Besides, the bare
floors are more appropriate to this
tropical insect-breedlng climate, and
far more healthful and cleanly. But
it must be confessed that they have
their disadvantages. The cement con-
tains much saltpetre, which retains
moisture cternally, and, owing to fire.
quent ablutions, they are seldom per-
tectly dry. Mexican brooms are ex-
ceedingly primitive affairs -mops they
have none-and a creada never sweeps
without first deluging the premises.
However hot the days we have gen.
orally chilly nights, and one feels like
going to bed with ones boots on rath-
er than put bare feet upon floors which
are then as cold as tombstones or the
charity of the world.
Every Mexican house has its Sala de
Recibo drawing room) of more or less
magniticence. IL may not have much
in it, but il is always the largest room
in tho house, long and narrow. The
artistic effect of paved floors, with
walls-either the natural grayish plas-
ter left like "beauty unadorned" or
painted with dado and fresco outlines
is extremely pleasing to the eye
The Mexican housewife has other ideas
than ours in the arrangement of her
furniture. There are always straight
rows of chairs and sofas, set stitily
against the walls, or around the room.
Although there are few occ lsions in
life when SO great number of seats
could possibly be required, yet the
family feels itself poor indeed that
does not possess enough to reach in an
unbroken line around the entire cir
cult of the sAla. A trianonlar tahle is