The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-11-25

else, but they are just as noutishinng. The fried
fsh. the fresh cocoanut, and the ripe bsnsnas
slowly but certainly their little possession.
increase, The yonng husband makes = rude
adjoining land to cultivate on shares, and plants
corn In it.not maize, which Will not grow in
originally from Africa. He works occasionaliy
T 18s i i,tie 81 home 1w0; s snd n mas s4 4 .rise of money.
the weddins. earl, enough in the morning to
see the contsnted wife Just opening the shutters.
out to the cornield, where she will pick about Z
dozen ears OF corn. The corn will stand safely
Just before a meal. On the way back she visits
the sweet potato patch, where she pulls a few
potatoes. Nov, let me tell you how the break
Under the tree in the back yard a big post
stands about four feet out of the ground, and on
top OF this Is fastened a corn mill which looks
Ike a coffee mill, only that H. Is larger and much
stronger and has q wrought-iron handle on each
side. These mills are all made In New York,
though we New Workers never see them. The
woman shells her corn into the hopper, having
to baking. As she grinds with both hands the
ground corn runs out into a shallow bas-
enough, Is ground she fiops |" up In the air
TO let the chaI blow away, catching the corn
her hands. is .hominy, but the aner stun that
sticks In the interstices, OF the basket Is corn
tray over a banana Leaf and stTy,kins H. sfh 7
hominy she boils In the frying pan, putting a
slice OF, salt pork with It II. she has any. and the
meal she mixes into little cakes and bakes in
Then the coffee. Perhaps It is raised on the
down there about 10 cents a pound and always
unroasted. She puts a sufficient quantity into
the frying pan as soon as that useful utensil is
at liberty, and browns It over the Are. The mill
that ground the corn then grlnds the coffee, but
grind il to powder. Those families who cannot n
Afford u mill do their grinding between two hard
the hnit aa fa nm and randy IN haln aaN 10
" For utensils only the frying pan Is indispens-
able. But generally there are plenty of home
middle makes two good bowls or plates, and
from it, too, very serviceable spoons can be cut.
knives and forks. Banana leaves make excel.
lent plates for anything but soup. During the
back with a big marsate iish or a srouper. That
makes u dinner fit for a king, with maybe n lit
tie boiled rice, But the fsh's head is carefully
saved and hung, up outside the door. why2
Because de head de best part oh de fish. boss IL
is cooked for break fast, boiled with the hominy,
looking out of the dish reproachfully..
Let US see what other comforts have been
is useful at night. Cocoanats are TO be had. and
SSSS,tor oil beans are growing in the garden:
and boil them in water in the frying pan. q Aim
of oil rises TO the surface: There is the oil; half
of I, ,h AGO cocoaP pd . shell is the lamp; plated cocoa
too. Cocoanut oil treated with I've made from
the wood ashes OF the fire produces soap.
IA ahO koh-
sticky sum~. and the young husband gath
SerrysSearing bushes nae about si in which SHA The BIRDS
are fond of congregating. and he smears the
gum, and the poor birds set their little feet in it
and cannot get them loose again. SO the man
% RlSss nc" a so ssTF Sinh 1sS% sS sss Furnish Snshi Sp Rin BIRDS con sRs
are always TO be. had. They are dismal In APP
pearance, like immense thick CLAIMS, with a
black streak running through them. but when
pounded between two stones till all the sinews
are crushed they are quite as palatable and
nourishing as scallops. and may be eaten either
at sometimes becomes necessary for the lord
OF the house to shave. or course he has no
care for a razor. He, has a shaving brush made
half OF a cocoanut shell. With these he starts
out Of the house and goes to the nearest pool Of
e eIeaI; 't Sott Ta' ss he D NAV sh readily Thy doe hs a PiSxf SP an IN
the West Indies, fol-, the islands are sailed with
empty bottles; Arrived At the pool he fathers
With a Very sharp edge. and that Is hi. razor.
self as smooth as a barber could do It. Regi-
ments. OF these colored men have never in their
In course OF time a garden appears behind
the house. and there are young cocoanut trees
and sugar apples, and likely . few oranges and
lines and lemons, and no doubt a tamarind tree.
amounts to much. but its young branches are
SO tough and wiry: It Is n the West Indies
what the birch wae 10 the old-time schoolmas-
ingly around the naked legs OF the fast-growing
children In a way that is sure to preserve order
ries the eggs TO market in q big wooden tray bal
anced on her head. She sells vegetables. too, and
catches. I used to wonder why the West indian
tomatoes are so small.no bigger than plums;
The man nils, his pockets with tomatoes and
goes ont into the field. When he finds a suitable
yRoat, bites as se Gt the a t aG,s Of T = tom nns ae snS o. s as eass
out the seeds, letting them drop into the hole.
lie scrapes back the earth TO cover them, and
Further attention Till they are ready to pick.
Most OF the gardening is done In the same way.
have ten little naked children running about
unless they have extraordinary luck. When
sPs be- IN" SS SGihu Is hardly EGIy in rat tEEs t Hste eight % Or "s ten
years. "a coffee sack with holes cut for head and
father may possibly have worked enough to
build an addition TO the house, 10 put a shingle
T PSnb sBHn he y; s Saa to So %aHs @ St ssd,t i%%sT STd a fex
night, when there is a BBesdstesd in the house, is
occupants OF some OF our smaller dats. The
children sleep under the bed, and thus are more
Through all these years the family enjoy
themselves. After supper the father nils his
out his mouth organ or flute or ACCORDION, and
To his music the children and perhaps some OF
and sing songs. There is not much sickness;
but when consumption attacks one OF the fam
fly, as IL sometimes does, there Is sure TO be a
funeral within six months; A tropical negro
with consumption withers like a leafln autumn
With great industry the father may In
time own a donkey and a cart, and do
some carting in the town; or he may
have oranges and other fruits % sell;
But that is the best he can look forward
10. His children grow up and go through the
same routine. and their children. and gradually
the older ones pass into the churchyard. There
are no books in the house. no newspapers, no
pictures beyond a few cuts taken from illus
trated newspapers. They are good Christians
up every sentence With please Gawd but still
the West India chickens have acquired the
the habit OF rOosting high. They soon forget
what they learned In school, and avoid Florida
because they might be sold into slavery there,
but are always ready when young to come TO
New York, because all New Workers grow rich.
One little sentence tells their simple stOry-they
are content la their little homes, and have no
desire for anything better.
These are the negroes OF the country, outside
the towns; and ii is the same thing ON all the
Islands, with tritiing local variations. This il
the life OF fully ssventy-hye per cent. of the
cOlored folks Of the West Indies. Some have
ma1a money In business sOme own good Ulan- |