Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-25
The East Indian

The East Indian
House is built more with an idea OF keeping
out heat than as a protection against coid.
Fireplaces are often dispensed With aito-
gether and doors and windows are gen.
orally designed to let In as much draft as
possible.
This house is seen so often in sketch and
photograph that most people feel they must
have lived once upon time In the spacious
white-walled bungalow, with it's broad YER
andas and pillared portico. Imagination
makes them hear the punkah creak'ng as
IT swishes over their heads; they see the
darkened rooms where the sun has peen
suffered out; they walk on the fiat roof In
the evening and see the goats climb UP the
shallow steps, and altogether so Iamiilar
does 1t all become that they can scarce re-
alize that they have not been east or the
Suez.
The West Indian house is quite as wen
known with its characteristic FEATURES TO d
smaller number. The outer walls are car
ried up a foot or two to protect the roof so
that the wind cannot get underneath and
blow 1t bodily away should a hurricane
chance to hurl its force against the bulio-
ing A stranger would notice, TOO, Inc
heavy wooden shutters. with their stout
iron bars which are fitted to every window.
wanted but that hour can come. When the
barometer all day is falling. falling, faillng,
and at last reaches point which mad hlth-
erto been fondly imagined was only LOT Or
nament then the hurricane shutters are
thu, most precious of possessions. Stin from
long disuse, grating on their hinges. neaVy
and difficult to move. they slowly block oul
the daylight and the iron bar locks them
in their place until the long hours of peril
are over and windows are flung open once
more on a new and desoiate world.
As In India, the galleries or verandas
here are run all around the mousse ana are
often as large as the dwelling rooms them
selves Here in cool corner the little col
ored dressmaker sits at her work; there
the long chair invites to a siesta- F'!oors
and staircases are made OF pitch pine ana
are left uncarpeted. and lattice-work doors
and partitions allow for free current OF
air Punkahs are not needed, for the trade
wind blows nearly all the year round ana
has to be reckoned with In the arrange
meut of the rooms Screens are of little
use as they blew down, and papers and ell
ones correspondence must be kept under
heavy letter weights or they Will speedily
take to themselves wings and fly out nj the
windows to be lost in the nearest patch OF
sugar cane. Lighted candles are protected
from the wind by glass shades, and par
ticularly unattractive little lamp Is much
used by dweIlers in the East Indies, as
nothing short of cyclone can blow II out.
Both east and west the servant perplextty
Is no perpiexity. The natives are wonder
fully clever and capable. and many boy
or butler may be Entrusted with the entire
management OF a big dinner party The
flowers on the table will be most artistic.
the menu all that can be desired, the wait
ing swift and silent.
The Smaller
The bedroom the greater the necessity for
a bare floor and rug 1t is impossible to
keep it clean In any other way If in an.
apartment It must be remembered that flats
are not like house, with as many halls as
there are stories.
You cannot fill your one thoroughfare,
therefore, with furniture, and you cannot
clean your carpet without moving your fur
niture somewhere
Mattings tear easily and ought not to be
used In a room where q bed to be made
must be pulled out from the wall, The bare