The times., 1899-03-05

and there are many quaint, massive elabo-
rately-carved pieces of furniture, brought
long ago from France or Spain, which in
the United States would be considered OF
priceless value.
The patio, or inner court. is truly "a Joy
forever" with its tall fountain sprinkling
the passion flowers that surround it. and
gold fish darting among the turtles in its
marble basin. The broad space is un-
rooted except for the rose-coyered trellises,
and under the cool shadows of its banana
and pomegranate thiekets. great red ollas
of porous clay, shaped like the oil-jars of
Egypt, contain filtered water for the family
table.
Most of these big casas have two patios
the second used for stable-yard and SER
wants quarters. Like all Cuban kitchens
so called-that of mine hostess is a cor
ner OF this back court, farked by stamping
mules and horses on one side. carriage
and storerooms on the other. Its floor OF
rough bricks is raised foot above the
ground and there is no need OF windows
and doors, for the entire front is open TO
the patio. 1t contains no article OF funl-
ture, not even a chair or table. y long
adobe shelf outside answers the latter pur-
pose. and when the servants sit, as they
are continually doing, their bare feet and
legs form black fringe along the step
adobe bench built against the farther wall
of the kitchen, is topped with porcelain
tiles and has several holes in it for char
coal fires AS charcoal is the universal
cooking fuel of the country, and is very
expensive, everybody must economize II,
and therefore these odd ranges serve the
needs of the country better than any other
kind. American stoves would be alto
gether out of place, on account OF their
wastefulness as well as the into.erabe
heat. Gas stoves are out of the question.
Gasoline and kerosene might be made TO
answer, but not nearly so well as the
present methOd-to say nothing of the
danger in them at the hands OF careless
servants. When meal is TO be cooked,
tiny charcoal fires are kindled in two or
more OF the small depressious in the sur
face of adobe, according TO the number
OF dishes required; and thus the most
elaborate dinners OF many courses may De-
evolved over few handsful of fuel, which
gives out no heat beyond the vessel that
surmounts it, and quickly burns out, leav-
ing no ashes. The Cuban range is never
used more than twice a day-for the mid
day breakfast and the late afternoon din
ner. The early morning coffee 'dripped
through a cloth bag-is cooked over lit
tie clay pct or in a French coffee urn, with
an alcohol lamp under it, on the dining
room sdeboard. The Cubans take their
coffee like their Portuguese cousins, the
BraziIians, who declare that it Is not fit
to drink unless black as night, bitter as
death, and hot as h-ll.' The rule is ha'f
a pint of Drowned coffee, ground fine. TO
each pint of water, slowly filtered, drop
by drop. For desayuno il is drunk with
hot milk, a cup two-thirds full of the lat
ter to two or three spoonstul of coffee;
but the after-dinner cup is taken full
strength, with the addition of sugar, and
maybe cognac.
Novel Methods of Dish-washing.
Whatever else American housekeepers
may find worthy of imitation in Cuban
methods / am sure that dishwashing, as
that disagreeable duty is practiced here,
will not be one of them. Hot water is
not abundant, as the charcoal fire goes out
so quickly and soap is so very expensive
that many families dispense with il, eX-
cept for toilet and laundry purposes. AS
every article of food is served in sep
arate course, necessitating change OF
plates, the dishwasher's duties are by no
means light, and the result she or he
achieves is wonderful. considering the cir
cumstances. The greasy dishes-so much
grease enters into the Cuban menu-are
carried from the table and heaped upon
the adobe shelf in the back patio, perhaps
In close proximity TO the horses heels.
There they are washed in wooden bowls
or shallow earthen pans. generally in cold
water, without soap; and, after being well
rinsed in more cold water, but never
wiped, they are turned on end to drain"
And there they remain, in sun or shower,
until required for the next meal; but
somehow they always come to the table
clean and shining. Pantries and dish cup
boards, as we know them in the United
States, are not found in Cuba, though the
best houses have splendidly carved china
closets in their dining-rooms for keeping
the best silver and show pieces of table
ware Notwithstanding the absence of all
those conveniences which to us seem in
dspensable, one seldom sees an untidy
kitchen in Cuba Even the cooking pots,
which, OF necessity, are smoked black
whenever used, are kept as immaculate as
cold water and "elbow grease" can make
them.
Every Cuban household has great many
servants in proportion to the size of the
family, and how they all manage to occupy
themselves is mystery. In truth, nobody
in this land Of manana loses any sleep in
worrying after something to do! Out West