n precise rows, as if a conclave
were about to be held, does not invite conviviality. There are few
pictures on the walls,--a faded chromo, possibly, in a gilt frame,
representing some old-fashioned prospect of Madrid, or the tinted
portrait of the royal family.

The Spanish residents and the _mestizos_ entertain with great
politeness and formality. Five o'clock is the fashionable hour for
visiting, as earlier in the afternoon the family is liable to be in
_negligee_. The Spanish women, in loose, morning gowns, or blouses,
and in flapping slippers, present a rather slovenly appearance during
morning hours; also the children, in their "union" suits, split tip
the back, impress the stranger as untidy. During the noon _siesta_
everybody goes to sleep, to come to life late in the afternoon. At
eight o'clock the chandelier is lighted and the evening meal is
served. This is a very formal dinner, consisting of innumerable courses
of the same thing cooked in different styles. A glass of _tinto_ wine,
a glass of water, and a toothpick whittled by the loving hands of the
_muchacho_, finishes the meal. The kitchen is located in the rear,
and generally overlooks the court, and near by are the bathroom and
the laundry.

In the walled city small hotels are numerous, their entryways well
banked with potted palms. The usual stone courtyard, damp with water,
is surrounded by the pony-stalls, where dirty stable-boys go through
their work mechanically, smoking cigarettes. The dining-room and office
occupy most of the second floor. This is the library, reception-room,
and ladies' parlor, all in one; the guest-rooms open into this
apartment. These are very small, containing a big Spanish tester-bed,
with a cane bottom, and the other necessary furniture. The sliding
windows open out into the street or the attractive courtyard, and the
room reminds you somewhat of an opera-box. My own room looked out at
the hospital of San Jose, where a big clock, rather weatherbeaten,
tolled the hours.

Manila to-day, however, is a contradiction. Striking anachronisms
occur from the confusion of Malayan, Asiatic, European, and American
traditions. Heavy escort-wagons, drawn by towering army mules, crowd
to the wall the fragile _quilez_ and the _carromata_( two-wheeled
gigs), with their tough native ponies. Tall East Indians, in their
red turbans; Armenian merchants, soldiers in khaki uniforms, and
Chinese coolies bending under heavy loads, jostle each ot