The Republican journal., 1901-07-18
raised flooring. on which was a cushion


raised flooring, on which was cushion
ed divan. The Israelites are eclectic
as well as conservative. While relig-
iously preserving their ancient customs,
they have adopted many of the i'm
provements and inventions of modern
Paris; and SO our host had a veritable
salon in his upper story, furnished in
luxurious, though somewhat gaudy,
European style. True, he frankly con-
fessed that the parlor was never used,
except once or twice year, in enter
tanning European guests; but the pride
which the family obviously took IN
their ''white elephant was pleasant
to behold. There was grand piano, a
veritable knabe, of ebony wood; and
among the music piled upon it noticed
La File de Madame Angot"; and
shades of Moses preserve us. Sullivan's
Pinafore."
Happily, we We're almost Immediately
rescued from this apartment of state,
upon whose stiff English and German
furniture, draperies and upholstering of
Italian satin-damask, Swiss ornaments,
French what-nots,' and polygenous
knick-knacks, the owners thereof looked
with eyes even more unfamiliar than
our own. The great dining room was
on the floor below, opening by a series
of arched doorWays into the court yard
Here was another disenchantment, for
the table was laid out in European
style, and we had counted upon the
pleasure of sitting around the tifour-
the low table which all American He
brews use when by themselves - of
washing our hands in the copper dish,
handed to everybody at the beginning
Of the meal:-o hearing the head of
the family utter the accustomed prayer,
God be praised who has made this
bread to issue from the earth, of see
ing him cut a slice of bread and distrib-
ute it in fragments among all his guests;
of plunging a wooden spoon into the
single dish placed in the centre of the
tifour Alas, we had nothing but ordi-
nary, though doubtless expensive china,
evidently trotted out from it's accus-
toned seclusion for our special benefit.
Everybody tried to appear at ease with
his knife and fork and napkin and as
sumed- for he-occasion European man
ners; but with such Indifferent success
that your correspondent registered
anew solemn vow that if ever the
King of Timbucto, or any other foreign
potentate, comes to visit her, she will
stick to her everyday ways, rather than
rob him of the pleasure of seeing some
thing new by trying to initiate his! The
fantastic viands that issued from the
kitchen of our entertainerS-brO
across the sunny courtyard on the heads
of women wrapped like spooks in white
bernouses, gave fiat contradiction to
those commonplace forks and napkins {!
There were interminable defiles OF betil.
small meat cakes, which might be about
forty second cousins to American cook
ing-SchOOl croquetteS; of yapragua-
balls of mince meat, fried in oil; of
brania-a mixture of vegetables, also
done in oil; and many other culinary
extravagances whose ingredients we
could not guess. The principal dish of
the dinner was the inevitable couscouss,
or stew-of fish, flesh, fowl and vege-
tables in wonderful conglomeration-
served on top of majestic rice cake,
thanked by hard boiled eggs, surmounted
by pigeons wings. There were also
nuts and sweets and wine; and after
ward coffee, served in the now shadowy
cloister of the court yard.
Luckily, we were saved from a return
to the cordiality -discouraging parlor by
hired musicians for the evening enter
tainment. Such concert as followed
would be worth going all the way to
Africa to hear-and much farther to
see, if one has eyes and ears for the
quaint and picturesque. Cushions were
provided, upon which the musicians
seated themselves, cross-legged, in a
semi-circular row, near the fountain.
These Jewish orchestras are composed
invariably of five pieces, and the artists
execute only concerted melodies. They
have no such thing as song, or theme,
only fragments of phrases, repeated for
hours in rude, monotonous. yet attrac-
tive strains, without the slightest varia-
ton The tambourine beats the rhythm
and is master of the situation. The
urban is kind of glorified violin, made
of Indian walnut, incrusted with
mother-of-pearl. 1t is strung with two
chords; the table formed in its upper