Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-09-19
CUBA In NEW YORK.
clara BELLS Delightful Experience
with n Cuban SenSrita.

methods OF keeping tolerably cool here in
New York. Beverages are an important
thing in her treatment. But they are not
alcoholic, bless you She calls a nogress,
and asks me what cooling drink | will
have-tamarind water, cocoanut water,
or juice of lines She recommends tam
arind water rs the most wholesome and
cooling, but when she adds that there are
plenty OF green cocoanuts fresh from
Cuba, and kept cool in the iccbox, am
eager to drink cocoanut water The du-
emma brings me II glassful. II looks like
water from pitcher that has had milk
in it, but oh, how delicious il is How
soft and rich and sweet. Estella sips her
tamarind water in the other window
caroling at tho same time a Spanish drink
ing song that | cannot understand. hut
which makes my very veins Jingle with
pleasure.
Later, as we sprawl there in the win
dow, have glass of tamarind water.
1t, too, is delicious. How well these trop-
ical folk understand how to keep cool and
comfortable in hot weather! These drinks,
she tells me, not only keep them cool
but regulate the system so that they are
healthy and the blood is thinned and
kept in good condition. Why do we not
learn the lesson they teach? True, we
cannot all OF is get, or all of us afford
green cocoanut milk but tamarinds are
cheap, lines are plenty, lemons will do
as well, and the making OF them is so
simple no one needs to be told how The
only question is whether you like them
sweet or acid, and that's mere question
of how much sugar you put in.
Pretty soon the luncheon bell was rung
and got u lesson in eating. As passed
down stairs through the house | noticed
that every door and window was open,
and that everything was arranged for
GOODNESS. The hall floors were marble !;
the bedroom floors were OF hard wood.
The upholstered rockers, chairs and so
fas had been put away in the garnet until
winter, and in all the rooms these articles
were Of cool rattan. In the dining-room
stood a table that | would like to have
had photographed. In the center rose Il
mound vegetation, a small palm, some
coleus plants and some cobwebby, hair
leaved ferns, with a few blossoms above
the green, a great bowl OF oranges and
grapes, dish OF omelette land few thin
sliced sandwiches OF potted grouse and
white bread in another plate, kept the
stood behind Estella with fan-more
for style than for usefulness, | think
poured our glasses full OF light Spanish
wine from pretty stone flagon l could
not help noticing how cooling the lunch
con was designed to be. In an American
house ! would have had beefsteak, greasy
chops, or perhaps ham or sausages.
In the afternoon we enjoyed nap to-
gether, dressed as we had been, on the
roof, she in hammock and in her cot
The canvas awning was drawn almost
completely over the roof, and the cool
ness and breeziness there surprised me.
The little palms rustled soothingly, the
flowers lent their perfumes to the air,
and the songs OF the birds in the park
came family on the breeze. AT hali-past
o'clock we drove through the park and
upon the road, being permitted to take
the place of the jelly-like duenna.
At dusk tho father and brother came
up from down town, and clad in suits OF
summer twilled goods like thin duck,
and we sat down to Irregular course din
ner--another meal especially designed to
meet the requirements of the thermome
ter. First there was thin, clear conso.
mine soup, then boiled fish, then roast
chicken and lettuce salad, and after tina,
ice cream, fruit, Neufchate cheese and
small cups OF coffee. Before the coffee
and all through the meal Il light brand Of
claret was drank, every one thinning his
portion with settler water. In the even,
ing the gentlemen proposed cards, and
Estella entertained US then and afterward
with Spanish songs, some OF which SO al
fected her father that he clapped his
hands, hummed the refrain or closed his
eyes and rocked to and fro as the magical
music rose and fell on the air.
At night, when l disrobed behind the
screen on the roof acknowledged to my
self that / had never spent a pleasantel
day was little disturbed at having
to undress in the open air, and could mo-
help thinking that perhaps there nigh
be- somebody somewhere around, but
was not too foolish-only little so, and
undressing as quickly as possible l go
under the bedclothes. Then came II new
torment. ] imagined the air full Of in
sects, spiders and beetles. Happily
while was thinking OF them, fel
asleep.
had agreed to get up early and 90 tc
church with my little Catholic, and tn,
sun was only knee-high in the heavens
when we started for the cathedral, sh,
and and the jelly-like duenna. Thos,
two went on their knees before the altar
and walked around the great cool tenn
pie and stared, / am afraid, like barba
| rian.
| When we returned to the house of IN,
brown-eyed friend, the man servan
brought each OF us a cup OF coffee and 6
biscuit, and was handed two towels ant
hidden to take bath. never saw o
dreamed OF such bath as that was. TIL,
whole of the rather large hall bedroom
had been turned into bath tank thre,
feet deep, and with a platform projectin,
over it slightly at the end OF the room
where the door, cut in two so as TO opcr
on the platform, swung inward. ! un
/ dressed, descended two little steps, anC
enjoyed n real swim around and around II
4 circle, Estella told me not to forget /,
try her plan OF sponge bath with dilute,
/ Florida water afterward, and did tIy IL
and wished was rich enough to use i
every day in the year. When emerge,
from the room the duenna lot all tina
water out and filled the tank for IN,
friend After that breakfast was ready
and began the last hall OF my YER
pleasant visit TO little Cuba in the hear
OF New York city.-COr. Cincinnati En-