Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-12-18
home LIFE IN MEXICO.
A FAMILY GATHERING AROUND
THE FESTAL BOARD.
Eating, in Private and
with Guests.

Special Correspondence of the RECoRD-UNIoNl
-HAcATEoAs Mex, December 0, 1885.
invite you to dine with me to-day, dear
friends, a Ia Mexicana. AS I am myself a
guest, we must touch the subject tenderly,
! for-while the truth may be told at all
times-we would not abuse the generous
hospitality shown US everywhere in Mexico,
by INDUCING in invidious comparisons.
In a spirit OF mutual good feeling, then,
| remembering that customs of all lands diff
| fer, and that Mexican would probably
find as much to object to in our methods as
we In his, let us repair to the dining-room'
Generally the most welcome words that
greet my ears are
vAMos a CONFER"
"a Let us so to dinnerD, for in Mexico
nobody breakfasts American fashion, but
takes only a tiny cup of chocolate or coffee
with little loaf of Mexican bread, which
resembles a badly" raised" breakfast
| biscuit. without butter or other accom-
| paniment, Immediately on arising. That
| IS the desnyuno or olsn0rzue. Among the
upper classes the real breakfast is much like
an American dinner, served in various
courses, accompanied by wines, and gen.
| orally occurs between II o'clock A. NJ and
in the afternoon. AS may be imagined,
| By that hour our wealthy Yankee appetites
are ''sharp set enough to do justice to any
menu, however unguessable conundrum
| the ingredients of the dishes may be,
Unlike other rooms of the house, the
| comeder (dining-room) is otter not even
| tiioJ with hricL- nap,ar,tad GnoraJ
all but its hard surface, though worn into
hollows here and there, is carefully swept
and kept as sweet and clean as would not
| be possible with carpets in this insect
! breeding country. OF course there are
houses. especially in the City of Mexico,
where the diningroom is marvel of lux
ury; but we are speaking of that of the
| average weil-to-do Mexican, and of the
casa ike thousands of IT'S class, which has
been my home for many months. In
Mexico carpets are a comparatively rare
| luxury in any part of the house-and very
| sensibly, for the tiled floors, or those of
cement, tinted in soft colors and shining
| like marble, are much more beautiful and
suited to the tropical climate.
| The comedor of my temporary home
opens into the sunny inner court, which at
| this time of the wear is full of fruits and
flowers. Being paved with rough stones,
the court is raised few inches above the
level of the diningroom, and therefore
when the brief torrents of rain come,
which are common in this latitude, a small
flood pours in and forms small lakes in the
hollows made by much showing about of
chairs, which the servants make haste to
BALE OUT WITH PLATES.
The one enormously wide window is of
course barred on the outside, and its mas
sive inner shutters-without stats, made
exactly like those of shop or barn-are
never Enclosed. This house, like many
others in the interior of Mexico has not
pane of glass anywhere but its great win
dows, with their deep lodges and protecting
bars, are -charmingly quaint and pictur-
esque-after you get used to the fashion so
foreign to American ideas.
AS there is no communicating passage
between dining-room and kitchen, the
outer door of the former stands always
Hospitality open, both in summer and win
ter, for otherwise it would be as dark as
dungeon unless the shutter were Enclosed,
and in the latter case (the great window
opening directly on the street, the leperoS
and other gamin would swarm around in
such numbers that enjoyment of the meal
would be impossible.
In rather incongruous contrast to the dirt
floor is handsome mahogany sideboard,
with much glassware shining upon it, some
distracting pieces of old blue china, and
queer articles of Guadalajara pottery, in the
line of water jars, ETC., which we long to
possess. The corners of the room are
adorned with wash-stands, with bowl and
towel accompaniment, the convenience of
which is by and by apparent in lieu of
finger-bowls.
The most distinguished guest is given the
post of honor at the head of the table,
other guests are seated at his right and left,
and the host and hostess place themselves
wherever it happens. When we enter there
is nothing upon the table but pile of
plates, a heap of knives, forks, spoons, and
a cluster of goblets-all at the foot of the
table, where stands
THE HEAD WAITER.