Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1886-07-16
TWO SUNNY CUBAN HOURS.
Delightful Breakfast-A Group OF Sem
oritas and Ninas-Making Hats.

grocery, a confectionery and bakery
combined; and it is here the celebrated
pan de Paula or Paula bread, so noted
throughout Cuba, is made. A delight
full little breakfast was served. Among
the dishes new to me were ajaico, ma
tional Cuban dish of meats and vege-
tables, which, told in the fewest English
words, would be known as Cuban all
sorts: pan de cascade or cascade bread,
made of the roots of the yucca grated,
formed with milk into thin paste pat
ties on plates, and unhavored, dried
quickly, though not baked, in ovens;
and Cuban country cheese, similar to
the German schmeerkase or our own
TALLY dried, and possessing a delicate
flavor. Many Cubans add strip to this
cheese as a dressing, spreading the MKT
ure upon bread in the place of butter
We sauntered about San Francisco de
Paula, climbing the mountain to inspect
the old church, which, in this peculiar
atmosphere, seemed to us from the val
ley below a tremendous structure loom
ing against the steel blue sky, but which
on approaching dwindled to little old
pile of century. eaten stone, with no win
dows, with but one door, and with
chime of bells no bigger than the bells
our American cows rattle, half mutfied
in clover, at the flies in the meadows.
But the climbing showed us where there
were more enhancing studies than the
quaintest of old churches Every home
in this village nest was like bit of old
Doric salem set in frame of honeysuckle,
jasmine and rose; and every pillared por
tico, wide and big as the house itself, was
a scene for an artist and student of sim
pie toll and glowing beauty. Here, too,
was delightful surprise in the pleasing
discovery that the delicate beauty, the
Cuban woman, could work. These were
the sweetest of Cubanas and every one
was as busy as pretty. And what bright,
engaging groupings they were as we
passed. making our admiration as plain
in our eyes and loiterings as they all
showed us in their own eyes and bushes
they were glad that they pleased! I'm
| conscious beauty may give unconscious
grace, but conscious, honesty beauty
ever wins the truest and most grateful
admiration.
You must know we were chivalrous
caballeros, the don and myself, and that
no good women are Indifferent to true
interest and admiration in any country.
So it was with no rudeness on our part
nor alarm on theirs that we soon found a
group of some twenty senoritas and
ninas, presided over by two or three
pleasant yet grave and serious senoras,
picturesquely bestowed upon a great
bower-embowered portico, singing dainty
snatches of Spanish ballads, bandying
back and forth harmless jests, and full
as the vines of blossoms of the alert ag-
gressions and repulses of budding wom-
anhood. San Francisco de Paula's homes
are all diminutive factories of the cool,
light hat known in our country as
the palm leaf" the same being lead
ing article of export from Yucatan to
the states, though it is said the Ameri-
cans are only sent the inferior grades
and here these fair maids, in setting of
architecture, of quaint environments,
and blossoms prettier than ever given us
on the operate stage, were making theii
dainty and deft fingers fly marvelously
The ninas, or little girls, split the leaf OF
the already bleached palma guiana, OF
fan palm, with thin-bladed knifes, each
little one true and dextrous in her work
and rarely making wrong stroke or de-
stroying a slender strand.
We set the entire coterie in a fluttel
by contracting for the making for eacf
of us of hat, the dicker being gravely
conducted by the don with one of tn,
discreet senoras; and no two men were
ever put in pleasanter waiting than we
during those two sunny Cuban hours
With the delicious hospitality of thest
Cubans everywhere we must needs be-
made as comfortable as royal guests, anC
while the stately don was placed in ;
great rockingham near the fair CIR
whose nimble hands We're already weav
ing the snow-white strands of his som
brero, without any ado l must accept {
plaited-grass hammock swung by tn,
side of the enhancing senorita who's,
dexterous fingers tluttered among tn,
rustling palm-strands with the rapidly
of the swift coming and going of thu
bushes upon the perfect face. The ole
senoras beamed; the young senorita
kept up an undertone of gay sallies, in
terspersed with gurgles of laughter; tn
little ninas giggled Historically; GROVE
, of fat negroes looked on grinningly; tn
don rocked benignly to and fro in hi
capacious chair; swung leisurely in m.
plated hammock, and pledge you that
looking lazily through our curling
cigarette smoke, as the old sonora
smoked with us, l saw much romano
and situations in the real scene and SUI
J roundings of this one Cuban portico a
. the comedy-opera makers might utiliz
with exquisite pleasure and delight
Edgar L. Wakeman in Chicago News.
A Plea for Christian Prudence.
have no sympathy for skin-flint saw
ing, but plead for Christian prudence