The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-04-02
fat slabs, but most aro p%lastorod with
pozsalana, and all arc hugo and fiat. /,

but tho court was there, with tho open
sky and Its hcalthful vertical light with.
tho sunshine and tho birds and, better
than all, that sense OF snugness aud
nearness between every member OF such
ashouscllold and every other, and the
feeling OF accessibility and even com.
nanionship which draws close remotest
household outrcachings and belongings,
such as tho tiers OF little boxes III Which
we Americans live Can mover give.
As everything, else yields to tho oxi.
gcncics Of %terracing tito little patches OF
hillside artificial soil, one will hud;tlicso
sunny and lightsolnc abodes In i'll man
ncr OF odd situations. Every piece OF
made ground Is diked and.wallod' so as
to prevent a "washoupt and also to pro-
tcct from tho southern siroccoA ofsum-
mer and Tho Bitter grcsale, 81 wipteT and
the little farm will SOMETHING'S bufound
for q distance OF " fow miles rising in
what appears'to DO a series oicyclopcan
ragged stone steps, without 4 house be-
ing visible, or spabpilt into tho, dixie
walls that their Int roofs blend iitoi tho
general perspective of furrowy rock.
But you know TINT YOU cay find ltliohi,
scores Of them, in, any short distance.
Some OF them are really coveredexcnva-
tons in the corners Of thcsotiny fields.
Still others project into roads, which
wind tortuouslyabout them; and have
frequently become completely Devil
dcred in the maze OF narrow thorough
fares thus neccssitated, within q miles
radius.
Though such extraordinary pains and
labor arc experienced TO protect tho
land against the ravages OF the occa-
sional winter down.pours OF rain, equal
care and provisions are required to pre-
serve the water, SO precious in the long
and burning summer months. Every
stealing is PROVIDED with immense
tanks or cistorns cut inthe solid rock.
Tiny springs are frequent, and moi. 4
drop from these is allowed 10 60 to
waste. Where the spring happens TO
be located conveniently, little stone
troughs are lai1itso as to irrigate, at
pleasure, every square footipf soil, and
every particle of the overflow Is con-
Quoted by other ting troughs to the els
terms. Spouts lead from the dixie walls
and the fiat roofs and from every other
possible projection or level. until the
entire island is,a network OF rude appli:
.ancos Tor complete irrigation. IL" 81
But tho results are WONDERFUL, Two,
and often three crops nrc raised every
year, and from May until October when
the untitled surface of the island is rs
white as Il bakers oven and %quivering
with. heat, within these pleasant homes
and These walled fields, where tho out
ward aspect is SO hard and %iorbidding,
there are endless winplingl oflwater,
marvellous u%pleapins OF vegetables, fruit
and grain, and the matchlcss, melodies
Of birds. -
PEASANTS HOMES.
All these Maltese farm homes arc
very interesting and many arc unique
and picturesque. They are all match
lessly clean, and are given unusual
freshness by the constan. applications
by the housewives OF q preparation OF
the pumiccd stone. OF 4 pale ecru color,
OF the consistency OF whitewash, to the
stono iloors;;Nw walls and feelings. ! The
granery, pens for animals and5hOusins
for fowls are all 4 part OF the abode, US
ually, at convenience, in the first story,
the family sleeping in the apartments
above; but such extraordinary care is
universal among the. peasant farmers,
that every. such apartment I. ever
CHANGED to enter was, ut least as sweet
and clearly asagentlewoman's boudoir.
Many OF the walls leading from the
rear OF the court are covered with
MOSES and vines. Often the old Moor
ish nora or water.wheel stands silently
or creaks dismallynear the abode. Hero
and there neal the home will be found
the ancient tread-mill of the Bible times
OH which all the wheat and barley Of
the island is trod out by oxen or COWS.
Against the walls will hang tremendous
gourds, quaint old farming implements,
or huge selves with rawhidc instead
OF wire screens, rs all tho grain is re-
moved irom;the chat i'll this primitive
way.
Owing to the scarcity OF wood upon
the island hardly wooden implement
or article OF furniture can be seen.
Settles OF stone are common. In many
farm.lomes | found stone slabs utilized
as tables, and in'others the same set Sc
curely into the walls OF rooms for hunks
or beds. Window-pancs are few, as the
light from the sky through the open
courts, and the tiny and infrcquent
windows a foot square are all sufficient.
Perhaps the most curious objects to
be found in these Maltese peasant
homes is what may be termed their
stoves. The Maltese literally have no
iiresidcs. They require no artificial
heat, and oil their cooking-which is re.
stricted to bread made OF wheat and
barley meal something OF the consist
ency Of a Scotch "bannock,P fish whicl,
is plentiful and cheap, and certain veg.
etablo stcws i'll which are stirred scant
shreds OF cured fish or scanter bits OF
bacon for seasoning-is5 done upon 4
portable stone, stove shaped like Il jar,
and resembling in everything but color
n tlnncr's tordinaryShand furnace in
which his Soldering irons are heated.
Most OF these are OF home construction,
cut out of any handy block. OF stone,
with rude handles carved near the top;
but some arc Of delft ware and more
capacious aud shapely.. They can be
carried about and the. housewife can
mind hcr cooking, il she likes, while at
any drudgery OF the house OIL, fields.
FEATURES OF LIFE. ,s
The home and neis hip tho6d3 lie OF
these iolk is notssasS cfoloffnt a~ss1tliat OF
the Italian and Spanish pcasantry.
They are ,docjle, calm, contented, ambi-
tious only to:thrive,and with;a burning
desire amounting oit6n;tofa passion to
be better tenants than their predcccs-
sors. They rise, and 20 to bed with the
sun. II beiated Mt night no friendly