OTHER ASPECTS OF THE MEXICAN 145 



her the material for an excellent domestic. 

 But she either strikes for higher wages- 

 being already paid beyond her worth or 

 burns with uncontrolled desire to hasten 

 home and spend her gains. She cannot 

 cook ; but hitherto, in view of the frugality 

 and limitations of the native menu, the 

 culinary art has possessed no solid attrac- 

 tions for her, and she is furthermore wholly 

 destitute of the negro's facility in, and desire 

 for, learning. But whether it is the touch of 

 the artist in her nature, or merely the plodding 

 quality aforementioned, she is capable of 

 being trained at least, in my experience of 

 her to pleasant household ways of orderli- 

 ness, and love of those details which make a 

 home a home. This is not only remarkable, 

 when one considers the home in which she 

 is so often content to exist, but it is also 

 remarkable that, in this respect, she should 

 be far ahead of the American woman who 

 * hires out ' in these parts. Set a Mexican 

 woman to clean your parlour, and even if 

 she should not be able, at the first attempt, 

 to restore everything where it belongs, she 

 leaves it in such shape that you feel it has 



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