The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-03-05

An agreeable diversion 10 Cuba is partic-
ipatlon In genuine "cobiiar" or house
raising. was once guest at one Of these
IN the country region north Of Trinidad.
A couple had been married. About a ca
oel!era OF land had been given by an old
montero father, and planters and yeomen
alike, some from as far as twenty. leagues
away among the mountains, had come TO
MAKE sort OF festivity out Of setting the
queer home upon it's legs.
over 100 men we're here, and their. little
ponies were tethered for half mile up and
down the road. Two fat bullocks had been
killed, and roasted. and there was no end Of
roasted pigs, and tender lambs from the
mountains, with ali sorts of unnAmable
Cuban country dishes. Perhaps a score OF
men we're employed in the cooking alone.
There were casks OF aguardlente and flag
ons OF cheap Catalan wine, and these
sWarthy fellows made many picturesque
groups among the laurels. palms, taIna-
rlnds, endsmignonettes which grow to the
hight of our own Towering locusts.
But to me the construction Of the house
Itself, as IL arose in the wilderness garden,
under the lazy, "visitingn sort of efforts of
the crowd, was fully as interesting. 1t was
oullt or guaorahaca (axbreakerl wooden
posts, interviewer with the long straight
and thin saplings of llaya, until a complete
ana most dexterous network of side walls
was made. This woven work is perhaps
| eighteen inches in thickness, and as rapidly
as 1t progressed upward q score or so of
gue1lros torced into the chinks aud inter-
stices hard plaster made OF clay, water.
and the tough espartillo grass so that by the
time the casa de vivienda was ready for its
roof, as two three days are consumed in
| Cuban house-raising the sides are dry end
| solid as brick wall. This particular struct-
ure was about forty feet square In area, max
inn n -sfk - g.. L
welded pair The roof went to a tremen-
dous hight at the ridge, and with its belly
Ing arch OF haya poles reaching out over
rude, wide porches, was matched with the
broad leaves of the palma de manaca, a
small species of the palm, which serves for
perfect shelter for period of seven years.
The quaint little village of San Fran
cisco de Paula. between Havana and
TUNES, is one OF the most winsome places
to be found in Cuba. 1t is romantic In
situation and priced for beautiful women
and famous bread, both worth travelling q
distance in any country to enjoy. The viii
Iage neStles within narrow gorge-the
main street being formed by the calzada
itself-and then trusutly struggles on either
side TO q cockpit on the one hight and to a
queer old church on tina other. But down
below, along the street aud about the ways
and paths between the houses, are bowers
or roses, splashtng fountains aud pretty
girls innumerable.
Sauntering about the lovely place, we
climbed the mountain to inspect the old
church, which, in this peculiar atmosphere,
seemed to US from the valley below a ire
mendous structure looming against the
steelblue sky, but which on approaching
dwindled to a little old pile of century-eaten
stone, with no windows. with but one door,
and with a chime Of bells no bigger than
the bells our American COWS rattle, half
mutf1ed in clover, at the flies in the meadows
But the climbing showed us where there
were more entrancing studies than the
quaintest of old churches.
Every home in this village nest was like q
bit OF old Doric Salem set in a frame of
honeysuckle. jasmine, and rose; ana
every pillared portico, wide aud big as
the house itself, was a scene for an artist
and student OF simple toll and glowing
beauty. Here, too, was a delightful
surprise IN the pleasing discovery that
the delicate beauty, the Cuban woman,
could do something in the nature OF
work. These were the sweetest of Cubans
and every one was as lazlly busy as pretty.
Aud what bright engaging groupings they
were as we passed, making our admiration
as plain in our eyes aud loterings as they
all showed US in their own eyes and bushes
they were glad that they pleased.
You must know that we were chivalrou5
IhDolloAOpy lily tODpdillOD, IuS QOu, ana
myself, and that no good women are indf-
terent 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 group OF some twenty senor-
itas and ninas. presided over by two or
three pleasantly grave senoras picturesquely
bestowed upon a great flower. embo wered
portico, singing dainty snatches of Spanish
ballads, bandying back and forth harmless
jests, and full as the vines Of blossoms of
Jhe alert aggressiOns and repulses Of bud
ding womanhOOd.
san Francisco de Paula's homes are all
diminutive factories of the cool, light bat
known in our country as the palm leaf"
the same being a leading article OF export
from Yucatan TO the states, though it is
said the Americans are only sent the III
ferior grades; and here these fair maids,
in a setting of architecture of quaint Gu
viroDment and blossoms prettier than
ever given us on the operatic stage, were
making their dainty and deft fingers fly
marvelouslY. The ninas, or little girls, split
the leaf of the already bleached palma
guiana, or fan palm, with thin bladed
knives, each little one true and dexterous in
her work and rarely makinga wrong stroke
or destroying slender strand.
We set the entire coterie in a fiutter by
contracting for the making of a hat for
each one of us, the dicker being gravely
conducted by the don with one OF the dis
Greet senoras; and no two men were ever
put IN pleasanter waiting than we during
those two sunny Cuban hours With the
delicious hospitality OF these Cubans every
where we must needs be made as COM
Portable as royal guests; and, while the
stately don was placed in a great rocking
chair near the fair girl whose nimble
hands we're already weaving the SNOW
white strand of his sombrero, without any
ado l must accept plated grass ham
mock swung by the side Of the enhancing
sonora whose dexterous fingers fluttered
among the rustling pslm-strands with the
rapidity of the swift coming and going of
the bushes upon the perfect face.
The old senorss beame1; the young seno-
ritas kept up an undertone Of gay sallies,
iuterspersed with gurgles of laughter; the
little ninas ggle1 Historically a crowd of
fat negroes looked on grinningly; tie don
rocked benigulY to and fro in his capacious
chair; / swung lesurely in my plated ham,
mock, aud l pledge you that, looking laziiy
through our curling cigarette smoke, as the
old 5enoritas smoked with US, / saw SUCH
romance and situations 10 the real scene
aud surroundings OF this one Cuban portico
as the comedy-opera makers might utilize
with exquisite pleasure and delight
EDGAR L. WAKEMAN.
hoods Cures.
In saying that Hoods Sarsaparila cures
il proprletors make no idle or extravaganza