The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1915-03-06
QLZ7 h2ZIE

and concerning this Ito had the same
prejudice as myself. When there were
guests from the outside world, he was
as keen as l In the effort to give a
local flavor to the repast. Perhaps
l can recall a menu or two and the
decorations accompanying: In the
center Of the table, arranged in a low,
spreading way. was gray-green jar
filled with double yellow coreopsis.
The first course was a fruit cocktail
compounded of papaya, orange and
pineapple; for the second course there
were served mullet, potato chips,
! Drown breaGsnd-cucumber sand
witches; next. sst duck, guava jelly,
mashed potatoes. green beans; then
alligator pear (avocado) and water
crackers; at the end, coffee and minis.
Another name Is TokomotO. He
made most delicious cooling bever-
ages. and generally picture him as
accompanied by a classified tray.
One drink that he bore about was
especially popular, cup that while
tasty and sparkling was as innocent
as 1t was good: Mint, you cut him
flne. you put sugar, you put lemons,
squeeze him, stop in ice box long time.
You put ginger ale, then pour him
quick" Sherbets. too, he excelled in,
Offering Of these variety, sometimes
blending f1avors, sometimes giving a
single fruit its full value But above
the value of his beverages and ices
was his unvarying politeness, his smil-
ing, kindly service.
/ think OF that dependable sweeper
OF walks, beaten of rugs and veranda-
washer, Nakana- OF the industrious
gardener whose name we never could
remember, but whom we referred to as
the smiling JAP" And even of pre-
tending-to-be-cross old Tuji. who af-
firmed he hated flowers but was
perpetually watering or wedding them.
And most kindly think of Narimatsu,
caretaker at the mountain house
loaned us one season. He was gen.
eral utility man: newer of wood and
drawer of water, guide, mail-carrier,
sutler, gardener, raconteur. Evenings
after his hot path and the DOMINIC of |
Japanese attire-daytimes he wore |
American cOstume-he presented a re- |
markably well-groomed appearance,
looked and acted the gentleman of |
le1sure-a marked contrast to the |
hired man" of the States.
Narimatsu's wife had but recently |
Ion
thing but experienced in American
methods OF housekeeping, was - will
ing and intelligent that we could be
nothing else than patient with her.
Our garments suffered in her early !
attempts as laundress, but she i'm
proved week by week, and we found
her on the whole worth training;
though the training had to be from the
ground up. Only one of our array
of domestics was complete failure.
She was impossibly untidy, and our
place would have become a veritable
sty had we not personally hoed out
every once II awhile.
And confession will have to be
made. inis eulogy of oriental serv-
ants will have to be tempered by the
statement that never once could we
relax in our housekeepings the role
Of rigid inspector; that though the
Japanese are the nation that bathes.
still they often are very benighted in
other sanitary matters; the surround.
Ings of the bathed ones all too often
are squalid In the extreme.
All OF. a young Chinese servant, we
found great scrubber and cleaner as
we'll as a fair cook and an attentive
waiter. He was very unpretty to
ook at, with his enormous mouth and
protruding Jaws, but he was SO i'm
naculate one presently forgot he was