Page:Face to Face With the Mexicans.djvu/92

 our portal and in a tone that made my hair stand on end and with a vim that almost shook the house, he screamed—Es-co-bas, Señ-o-ra!"—drawling each word out as long as a broom-handle, then rolling it into a low hum, which finally died into a whispered—"Will you buy some brooms?" Had he known my disposition and special fondness for broom-handles—without reference to my household need—he would have brought them to me directly, dispensing with his ear-splitting medley—to a woman for three months without a broom!

On ascertaining that the escobero would not visit the city again for some time. I bought his entire stock, and laid them up with prudent foresight, against the possibility of another broom famine.

With a genuine American spirit, I concluded to have a general house-cleaning, and, equipped with these wonderful brooms, with Pancho's assistance the work began. The first place demanding attention was the immense parlor, with its floor of solid cement. Pancho began to sweep, but the more he swept, the worse it looked—ringed, streaked, and striped with dust. I thought he was not using his best efforts, so with a will, I took the broom and made several vigorous strokes, but to my amazement, it looked worse than ever. In my despair a friend came in, who comprehended the situation at a glance, and explained that floors of that kind could not be cleaned with a broom; that amoli—the root of the ixtli (easily)—soap-root—applied with a wet cloth, was the medium of renovation.

The amoli was first macerated and soaked for some time in water. A portion of the liquid was taken in one vessel and clear water in another. The cleansing was done in small squares, the rubbing all in one direction. The effect was magical—my dingy floor being restored to its original rich Indian red.

Now and then, while on his knees, rubbing away with might and main, Pancho would throw his eyes up at me with a peculiar expression of despair, while he muttered in undertone: "No es costumbre de los mozos lavar los suelos" ("It is not customary for mozos to wash floors").