The times., 1898-09-11

we'll going the charcoal has burned out
and you must begin again. Over these
tiny fires all the cooking is DONE there
being no oven, no gas. no other alterna-
tive. AS cultfvators of the Christian
graces these Cuban ranges are without
parallel; and when one has so possessed
her soul in patience that she can prepare
three-course dinner without once mis-
laying her temper, she is surely ripe for
a better world.
Our servants match the kitchen TO a
T. They are elderly negresses, with fam
lilies of their own. and, like mother birds,
they nightly convey to the home nest ev-
cry morsel of food not carefully locked up
in the wardrobe. Their everyday costume
is distinctive, If not appropriate. 1t con-
sists Of single yoiuininous white skirt
very short in front and trailing far be-
hind. with a low-necked bodice and short,
puffed sleeves, leaving the skinny arms
bare to the shoulder. The front of the
corsage is elaborately embroidered and
secured by a string at the top, tied so
loosely, IL tied at all, that strip of bare.
bronze back stands confessed to the waist
line. The woolly heads, gray with the
weight of years, are topped with gaudy
turbans: the bare feet are thrust into
slippers of white canvas, and when my
lady walks abroad she covers her gaping
v
Both women consider themselves monu-
ments of virtuous industry in consenting
to lend helping hand to los Amerfcanos,
for could they not. like all their neigh
bors, be well fed without work, so long
as Cuban relief supplies hold out? But
they are not injuring their constitutions
by hard labor.
When not sitting in the front windows,
smoking cigarettes and gossiping with
4rs~ n
feet go slapping about the marble floors
like the stars, 'unhasting yet unresting.'
The slow. monotonus slap. slap, slap of
those heelless slippers so wears upon the
nerves that one INDUCES In strange
flights of fancy as TO what might accel-
crate their movements. Should the sew
en- angels of the Apocalypse carrying the
seven golden Walls filled with Wrath her
aided by the trumpet notes and wrapped
about with awful glory, come knocking
some fine day at our front door-slap,
slap would go those same slow feet to ad-
nit them.
My family OF nineteen includes Miss An
ME Wheeler Miss Packard. who is
daughter of ex-Gov. Packard of Louisi-
lana; several ladies from New Orleans,
two Cubanas from Key West, and sew
eral others from various parts of the
South. mostly all irnmunes, recruited for
lit WOIh DE AlTS. 1uTIlS, OIL w washington.
AS every moment of time must be spent
to the best advantage. where such an
ocean of suffering is to be stayed by few
frail hands, we breakfast at $50 a. m.
and Immediately afterward each goes on
her appointed way, to hospital, dispen-
sary, or consultario. The dinner hour is
set for 1880, but often Ii is s, or even
p. m. before the tired ladies can leave
their pressing duties, to snatch a hasty
nnaaf nd hon On ctr icvfaf m Had fOr a
few hours needed rest If your imagina-
ton is fertile enough, you may perhaps
fancy some of the experiments / have
tried by way of making change in the
daily menu with the materials at hand
essaying French toast, of hardtack soak
ed in condensed milk and fried in bacon
fat: hash of canned beef. minus potatoes
and chopper, corn bread baked in a
trying pan over an uncertain charcoal
fire, and sayory ragouts compounded of
all the odds and ends obtainable. Occa-
sionally / ransack the city market in
search of something new, and then my
experiences are indeed varying and en-
tertaining.
On such occasions | am accompanied by
one or both of the elderly handmaids
who, in addition to their trailing white
skirts and silken shawls, wear each a
wide smile, which she would fain make
wider were it not for the position of her
ears. Up and down the steep and dirty
streets we toil-those everlasting slippers
slapping the stones few PAGES behind
me, until the market is reached when
they range alongside, as a necessary
guard against importunate dealers While
yet obscured by intervening walls. the
markethouse Is announced by new smells
of extra vileness, swarms of fat green
flies and the slap, slapping of many can
vas slippers all toed in the same direc-
tion. And such market What tales II
tells of native shiftlessness, poverty and
greed. The house-mother who expects
for a few dollars to purchase the ingre-
dients of a modest dinner, may as we'll
cuirass herself against dissp ointment
She may buy some measly potatoes at
the rate of a medic (six cents apiece,
eggs, warranted storage, for $2 a dozen;
coarse bread. baked in Santiago 80 cents
the loaf; string OF meat (animal un-
known which may serve for stew, though
any well-bred Northern dog would dis
dain it, $3.50. A handful Of onions for ois-
guising the favor CT the stew, will cost
80 cents; aguacates, for salad a dollar,
and pineapples, for dessert, 75 cents
apiece.
The first time l visited the market
woman pursued me from stall to stall,
chattering Spanish like a magpie. She
only wanted TO buy the clothes right off
ending with my shoes. This female pawn
broking business seems to be favorite
method of raising the wind in Santiago.
Every day we are visited by mysterious
women, some of them evidently belonging
to the better class, who wish 10 buy sell
or exchange ali manner of truck, from a
broken-nossd tea kettle to a jeweled
sword Yesterday young Jamaica ne
gress brought a rose-colored silk shawl,
magnificently embroidered, price not stat
ed. Another female brought an ancient
mandolin, made of tortoise she'll which
she said was dirt cheap at SO. Maybe,
but we are not investing in musical in
struments just now A third one had an
old washtub, one hoop gone, which she
offered for g. and | bought it. tub we
needed badly; new one costs in the
shops of Santiago from Sc upward, and
the extra dollar may go into tomorrow's
soup.
There will be joy today in the nurses
casa, Just now the great commissary
wagon, drawn by six mules. ratified up
to our door and delivered. besides the US
ual rations of beans, bacon and hardtack,
some canned tomatoes and a big piece of
fresh beef, brought in the cold storage of
some blessed ship from "the States" Said
the blonde young giant in army blue who
delivered it: After this. ma am slong's
this ere meat keeps, I'll bring you a
chunk every day" Bless the dear boy.
Now l go to surprise my girls with a
real Yankee pot roast.
FANNIE BRIGHAM WARD.
AN ESCAPED MASCOT.
Company G,s brazilian Parrot Is n