Page:Our Neighbor-Mexico.djvu/367

Rh would not be far from the truth. It is a painful answer to all this silver range, this terrible, debased humanity. It is a greater answer to the Church that professes to guide them. A cross over one or two of the huts shows the faith without works which so characterizes the most of the Roman Church in this and every country.

The valley, whose southern edge this ragged rancho fringes, is broad and handsome, but not as seemingly well cultivated as the one preceding; perhaps because the one owner there keeps up a more perfect establishment than the many owners here.

In its centre you see the white towers and domes of a church, and, driving to it, find yourself in the large and fresh-looking village of Montezuma.

In my college days I had heard much of reveling in the halls of the Montezumas. It was the time of the Mexican war, and that was a favorite phrase of that conflict. I had had no good opportunity to indulge in such reveling heretofore. There is only one place where it could even pretend to be in the halls of that emperor—Chapultepec, and that was built long after he died; and Lerdo gave no breakfast there while I was in Mexico, and had he done so I should not have been invited. But here comes, unexpectedly, the real article; for breakfast is to be served up here, and we shall indeed revel in the halls of Montezuma.

Do you wish to know in what the reveling consists? Enter the large square court-yard of the Meson del Refugio (House of Refuge). A door on one of its sides opens into a clean, cool room; the white cover and clean plates look attractive. Our bread is hot tortillas. Truly Montezumaish, for he never saw French rolls, and, curiously enough, this is the first place I have not seen those rolls in all the journey, and only once before in all the country. The cakes are light, warm, and edible, more so than corn-meal fritters in the States.

Next comes rice, also cooked better than in the States, cooked dry, and each kernel by itself, not mashed and moist. It is also spiced with cloves—the first time I ever saw it, and I hope not the last, for it greatly improved the dish.