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Show eatitlitil Homes . wvw.''..".'.' ' " . "l,v,l K , XXXXs NN i. S :!rtl xim kj the: large, Middle, sala MANILA is a city of beautiful homes and extremely picturesque pictur-esque surroundings, the colorful col-orful Orient blended with the practical convenience of the Occident, Occi-dent, according to a writer in the New York Sun. In the early days, from 1900 to 1903, there was great difficulty in finding suitable homes for civilians and quarters quar-ters for officers of the army. At present pres-ent in and about the city there are many attractive dwellings, rearranged Spanish houses and thoroughly up-to-date bungalows. Possibly one might criticize the intimate way in which some of the pretty concrete bungalows are huddled, two or three together, on a plot of land which, in Singapore or Colombo, would be considered inadequate inade-quate for the grounds of one home. Inside, however, the tiny house is luminously fresh and clean. If you are an American, the condensed convenience con-venience of it all may compensate to a degree for the restricted lawn. It is the spirit of practicality moved straight over to the Philippines from the United States, which builds two houses where one should be. Comparatively few Americans have built homes of their own. Mostly they have lived in the old Spanish houses, which are exceedingly commodious and picturesque, but often rather primitive as regards sanitary arrangements. arrange-ments. They are solidly constructed to keep out the heat of the sun and also the typhoons. The sliding windows with their many small panes of opalescent oyster oys-ter shell can enclose the house completely com-pletely against ravaging wind and rain. There is invariably a stone paved courtyard where, before the days of automobiles, the carriages were kept. The family occupied the upper story, while the servants' quarters quar-ters were on the ground floor. These were never more than two stories because be-cause of possible earthquakes. As a rule, the stable was underneath, or near the kitchen, and the horses were brought around from the back and harnessed to the carriage in the front courtyard. The iron barred windows of Spanish times are seen always in Manila, even in the modern bungalows. They af ford excellent protection against ma rauders, both animal and human. Typical High Class Dwelling. The inner entrance, paved with blocks of stone, leads by the tiled steps and hallway on the ground floor. Beyond are the servants' quarters and kitchen. To the left before entering the dining room is the room of the No. 1 boy or major-domo, who superintends super-intends the household and must be always al-ways on hand. In a typical dwelling of the better class the comidor, or dining room, has a tiled floor, barred windows and furniture of the beautiful beauti-ful native hard wood, narra, which resembles mahogany. The table, which seats twelve persons, i3 of one piece of narra. The walls of the stairway are decorated deco-rated with very old temple hangings and Moro scarfs, intricately woven by hand and vividly colored. Frequently the stairway leads directly into the large middle sala, which is a combination combina-tion of hall and drawing room. Walls and ceiling are covered with cloth which is painted or frescoed. In the sala illustrated the frescoing is in soft pink. The chairs, of woven sea grass and bamboo, are painted white and upholstered uphol-stered in pink flowered chintz. Cdd-shaped Cdd-shaped pieces of blackwood and narra furniture are all about, and ancient and curious embroideries, prints and brasses adorn walls and tables. All the rooms are wonderfully ample and-airy. and-airy. Floors, doors, blinds and all woodwork finishings are of exquisite native timber. The large black sala, in cool blue, opens on a veranda which faces the sea. Here one has a superb view of outgoing and incoming ships in the natural harbor, guarded on either side by mountainous Mariveles and Ccrre-gidor. Ccrre-gidor. Around the rooms, which are on the weather side of the house, runs a galeria, or small corridor, perhaps four feet wide. In time of severest typhoons it can be entirely enclosed bo as to shelter the rooms in case the eliding windows are not sufficient pro-tactiou. Natives and many Americans sleep on the Filipino beds. They are of narra, nar-ra, four posted and often extravagantly extravagant-ly and beautifully carved. The canopy can-opy over the top holds the necessary mosquito curtain. There is a border of the wood about four inches wide and the rest of the bed is precisely like a cane seated chair. Over this the native spreads a straw mat or "petate" and a sheet. The American makes a concession to temperate zone comfort by having a mattress to-- fit over the woven cane. There are no cupboards in the Spanish Span-ish houses nor indeed in the newer dwellings of American designing. Because Be-cause of the intense humidity during the rainy season built-in closets would not be advisable. Wardrobes of native na-tive camegon or narra wood and ornamented or-namented with delicate carving contain con-tain one's clothing. The Filipino as a servant Is geneiw -ally a success. Well and carefully trained he is a joy. "He" it invariably is, for only muchachos or boys are employed for household duties. Ia age he may range from sixteen to sixty, but he is always called "boy." Families who have lived in the Philippines Phil-ippines for several years insist upon the native costume for their servantB. The muchachos of the old time English Eng-lish and Spanish families wore always, the costume of their country. It consists con-sists of loose white duck or drill trousers trous-ers and an upper garment of white; called a "camisa China" like a laundered laun-dered shirt with stiff bosom and turned down collar. It is worn, however, how-ever, loosely cutside of the trousers. Chinelas, soft heelless slippers, may-complete may-complete the outfit, but it is the accepted ac-cepted custom for the boys to go about the house barefooted. It has been observed ob-served that if muchachos are allowed to dress in American fashion they are apt to step over and beyond the limits lim-its of their calling. Heat Is Not Distressing. Manila is not so distressingly warm as is sometimes supposed. Although tropical in climate, the heat never reaches the fierce height of summers in New York and Chicago. There is a fresh breeze from the sea in the hottest hot-test season, April, May and June. Even at that time Manila is not us enervating or humidly hot as Singapore Singa-pore or Colcmbo. There has been much to correct in a sanitary and hygienic way. Naturally Natural-ly in the fight for cleanliness, some of the picturesque bits of the medieval medie-val town have been sacrificed. Still, even with its modern hotels and clubs, trolleys and automobiles, at each turn one comes into contact with some oriental bit of local color. At one moment you pass a marvelous old church full of quaintly delicate wood carvings, centuries old. The mosquelike dome of the archbishop's palace gleams white through the palms as one strolls along the Malecon drive. Through the streets follow each other in a vivid, variegated flood of iridescent irides-cent color, blue and purple clothed China folk, gayly kimonoed Japanese, turbaned Sikhs, American sailors and soldiers, white robed Jesuit priests and brown garbed Capuchin monks, and Filipino women in the brilliant plaid skirts and rainbow hued cam-isas cam-isas of their native costume. Nowhere in the world is there a promenade more distinctive and picturesque pic-turesque than the Luneta of Manila. Here at five in the afternoon juvenile Manila assembles with its nurses and amahs, to romp on the velvety greensward greens-ward and revel in the fresh breezes from the bay. At six the concert he-gins he-gins and the flood of carriages and automobiles revolves slowly around the Luneta. Night falls swiftly in the tropics. At seven the concert comes to a finish, fin-ish, and at the opening notes of "The Star Spangled Banner" white uniformed uni-formed army officers descend from their carriages and stand at attention, and civilians, private soldiers and sailors, and the immense and motley-crowd motley-crowd of Filipinos listen respectfully, hat in hand, till the list strains are ended. Then the lama on the automobiles auto-mobiles and carriages flicker into light like thousands of huge flrellies and all Manila hastens away in the luminous dark blue beauty of the b.'ossom scented tropic night to dino. |