A prep course for the month-long World Cup soccer tournament, a worldwide pheno

led church across the Providence River . Historic houses The Providence Preserva

tion Society Festival of Historic Houses takes place June 3 to 5 . Tours include

 a candlelight walk through the colonial revival houses of Power and Cooke stree

ts ; a house and garden tour on Prospect Street ; and a trolley tour through sev

eral historic districts . There also are lectures - one on lansdscaping for hist

oric properties and another on the restoration of the 1792 Nightingale-Brown hou

se . Tickets for the candlelight and house and garden tours are $ 18.50 ; for th

e trolley tour , $ 12.50 . Lecture tickets are $ 5 . For more information , writ

e the Providence Preservation Society , 21 Meeting St. , Providence , RI 02903 ,

 or call ( 401 ) 831-7440 . Walking tours Pamphlets for self-guided walking tour

s are available at the Providence Preservation Society and at the Roger Williams

 National Memorial , ( 401 ) 521-7266 , on North Main Street . Information Great

er Providence Convention & Visitors Bureau , 30 Exchange Terrace , Providence , 

RI 02903 , or call ( 401 ) 274-1636 .

 LOS ANGELES There was a time when Abraham Almorade would have been quarantined 

by the U.S. government , exiled to a life that excluded all except those who sha

red his mysterious and feared condition . Today , he need only visit a clinic fo

r medication and kinship , but his burden is by no means slight . Almorade , 65 

, has Hansen 's disease known since biblical times as leprosy a difficult-to-tra

nsmit bacterial ailment that attacks body tissue and is controlled by medication

 . It has slowly eroded his body since he was diagnosed in the 1950s , covering 

his skin with sores and leaving his nose deformed as the cartilage collapsed . S

itting in an examination room recently at Los Angeles County-University of South

ern California Medical Center , where a clinic has served Hansen 's patients sin

ce 1973 , Almorade discussed his condition . Hansen 's disease has robbed his ha

nds of sensation , making it difficult to feel routine cuts , burns and scrapes 

. Without feeling , such accidents have become major health risks and over the y

ears have reduced Almorade 's fingers to stumps . As a precaution , he no longer

 performs tasks that might injure him , such as cooking or cutting . `` I have t

o protect my hands , '' said Almorade , a retired soldier from the Philippines .

 `` They were always numb with no sense at all and I didn't want to hurt them . 

I don't cook anymore. I just eat . '' He is one of about 500 Hansen 's disease p

atients who visit the Los Angeles clinic regularly . Roughly 500 additional pati

ents are served by clinics in San Diego and San Francisco . `` Leprosy is still 

very common around the world , '' said Dr. John Leedon , head of infectious dise

ases at County-USC . The World Health Organization estimated that in 1991 there 

were more than 5.5 million cases worldwide , down from more than 10 million in t

he 1980s . A 1992 article in the journal Clinical Dermatology , however , said t

here were between 10 million and 15 million patients worldwide , most in Africa 

and India , and about 6,000 in the United States , primarily in Texas and Louisi

ana . `` The figures differ depending on how you count them , '' said Dr. John T

rautman of the National Hansen 's Disease Center in Carville , La. . `` The Worl

d Health Organization doesn't count patients who have completed drug treatment .

 In the U.S. , we ( do ) . '' Scientists believe the disease is transmitted only

 by prolonged , close contact with someone who is infected , although its precis

e route into the body is not known . It causes a `` significant disability '' in

 about 30 percent of those infected , said Dr. Thomas Rea , a dermatologist who 

heads the clinic at County-USC . Still , most of the clinic 's patients function

 normally day to day , often wearing long sleeves and explaining away their sore

s as bug bites and other minor maladies . They are all ages , although most are 

adults . Some have jobs , spouses and children . And all visit the clinic period

ically to work with doctors at controlling their symptoms . Rea said the disease

 and its treatment have changed over the years , but that the image of Hansen 's

 disease patients has changed little . `` There 's quite a stigma associated wit

h the disease , '' he said . `` The idea of the patient being outcast , unclean 

and the lowest of the low , those things are reinforced in the Bible . Despite t

he efforts of the informed , cultural values seem to change very , very slowly .

 '' ( Optional Add End ) The biblical stigma remains so great that the emotional

ly loaded terms `` leper '' and `` leprosy '' are no longer used . In 13th centu

ry France , more than 2,000 facilities were built to house sufferers rounded up 

by the government during an epidemic . As late as the 1930s , those with the dis

ease in China were sometimes burned . And in the United States , laws existed in

 the early 1900s that allowed authorities to arrest patients . Most were sent to

 so-called `` leper colonies , '' the most famous of which was established on th

e Hawaiian island of Molokai in the 19th century . Most of the colonies have bee

n closed . The National Hansen 's Disease Center , located for almost a century 

in Carville , Calif. , is believed to be the only residential treatment center s

till operating in the United States .

 Though leprosy , now known as Hansen 's disease , has existed since ancient tim

es , it wasn't until the early part of this century that treatment other than qu

arantine was discovered . Named for the Norwegian physician who pinpointed the b

acteria in 1873 , Hansen 's disease attacks body tissue slowly , and symptoms ca

n take several years to appear . Left untreated , it can cause skin sores and di

scoloration , pain , blindness and accidental mutilation caused by loss of feeli

ng in the limbs . It is still not completely understood by scientists . Despite 

its reputation as highly contagious , scientists now believe it can be transmitt

ed only by repeated , long-term , human-to-human contact with a carrier . But ev

idence that Hansen 's also can afflict armadillos may suggest unknown transmissi

on routes , according to researchers . Treatment is still developing , said Dr. 

Thomas Rea , a dermatologist who heads the Hansen 's disease clinic at Los Angel

es County-USC Medical Center . In the 1950s , the drug dapsone stopped the sprea

d of the disease by halting the bacteria 's ability to multiply . But it did not

 kill the bacteria that already existed , and scientists soon found patients who

 were resistant to dapsone . In the 1970s , multi-drug therapy was recommended b

y the World Health Organization . This worked so well that the organization decl

ared a goal to cure Hansen 's disease worldwide by 2000 . But Rea doubts the goa

l will be reached . Belgian scientist S.R. Pattyn released a study recently show

ing a 20 percent relapse rate after 10 years of multi-drug therapy , Rea said . 

`` Even the most die-hard optimist would admit that 's not acceptable , '' he sa

id . More effective drugs were discovered in 1990 , but Rea said they are expens

ive and have not yet been proven safe . Though most cases are imported into the 

United States , stopping the inflow has proven difficult . Patients are supposed

 to receive treatment before entering the United States , said Dr. John Trautman

 of the National Hansen 's Disease Center , but the long incubation period and l

ack of a simple detection method makes the disease hard to spot .

 When Sheila Lukins was asked to name her favorite recipe in her book , without 

hesitating she answered , `` Peloponnesian lamb shanks . '' She recommends servi

ng them with orzo or a vegetable couscous . The fresh mint stirred in just befor

e serving adds not only color but great flavor . SPICED PELOPONNESIAN LAMB SHANK

S 4 ( 1-pound ) lamb shanks 1 teaspoon coarse salt 1 teaspoon coarsely ground bl

ack pepper 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 medium onion , cut in half lengthwise and s

livered 1 cup beef broth 1 cup dry red wine 2 tablespoons honey 4 large cloves g

arlic , lightly bruised 2 ( 3-inch-long ) cinnamon sticks 4 fresh sage leaves Da

sh ground cloves 1 cup seeded and coarsely chopped ripe plum tomatoes 1 cups pit

ted prunes  cup chopped fresh mint leaves Sprinkle lamb shanks with salt and pep

per . Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in large heavy casserole over medium heat . A

dd shanks , 2 at time , and saute until well browned , about 8 minutes per side 

. Remove lamb and pour off fat . Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to casserole and

 place over low heat . Add onion and cook , stirring occasionally , until tender

 , about 10 minutes . Return lamb shanks to casserole . Add beef broth , red win

e , honey , garlic , cinnamon sticks , sage and cloves . Bring to boil . Cover c

asserole and bake at 350 degrees until meat is soft , about 1 hour . Stir in cho

pped tomatoes and prunes and cook uncovered until both are blended into sauce , 

about 45 minutes longer . Before serving , stir in fresh mint . Makes 4 servings

 . Each serving contains about : 687 calories ; 916 mg sodium ; 118 mg cholester

ol ; 33 grams fat ; 59 grams carbohydrates ; 34 grams protein ; 1.96 grams fiber

 . -0- Lukins first came across the Indonesian version of chicken noodle soup in

 Banjarmasin , South Kalimantan ( Borneo ) , where cinnamon and cardamom are ess

ential ingredients . This is her interpretation . INDONESIAN CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

 ( Soto Banjar ) 4 cups chicken broth 3 cups water 4 large flat-leaf parsley spr

igs 2 fresh cilantro sprigs , roots and stems lightly crushed 1 whole chicken br

east , rinsed well 3 medium waxy potatoes , peeled and cut into -inch cubes  pou

nd shallots 4 large cloves garlic 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon fresh gin

ger , peeled and minced 1 teaspoon ground cardamom 1 ( 3-inch-long ) cinnamon st

ick Coarse salt Freshly ground pepper 2 cups cooked angel hair pasta 3 hard-boil

ed eggs , quartered  cup fresh cilantro leaves 1 lime , thinly sliced Combine ch

icken broth , water , parsley and cilantro sprigs in medium-sized soup pot . Bri

ng to boil . Add chicken breast . Reduce heat and simmer , partially covered , u

ntil chicken is just cooked through , about 30 minutes . Do not boil . Remove ch

icken and let cool slightly . Shred meat from bones in 1x-inch pieces , discardi

ng skin and bones . Set aside covered . Strain broth and return to pot . Add pot

atoes to broth . Cut half shallots and half garlic lengthwise into very thin sli

ces . Heat oil in medium-sized non-stick skillet over low heat . Add sliced shal

lots and garlic and cook stirring , until lightly golden and crisp , about 10 mi

nutes . Remove with slotted spoon to paper towels to drain . Reserve for garnish

 . Finely mince remaining shallots , garlic and ginger together with cardamom . 

Add to skillet and cook uncovered , stirring over low heat until aromatic , 3 to

 4 minutes . Add shallot mixture to broth along with cinnamon stick and salt and

 pepper to taste . Cook covered over medium heat until potatoes are tender , 12 

to 15 minutes . Remove potatoes from broth with slotted spoon . To assemble , la

y out shallow soup or pasta bowls . Arrange chicken , pasta , eggs and potatoes 

in section in each bowl , to make 4 wedges . Heat broth until piping hot . Adjus

t seasonings to taste . Discard cinnamon stick . Ladle broth into bowls . Sprink

le with fried shallots , fried garlic and cilantro . Float lime slice in center 

of each bowl . Makes 4 servings . Each serving contains about : 522 calories ; 9

49 mg sodium ; 204 mg cholesterol ; 22 grams fat ; 50 grams carbohydrates ; 30 g

rams protein ; 0.76 gram fiber . -0- Baking the ribs first cooks off some of the

 fat so ribs will not scorch when finished on the grill . Be sure to make the je

rk sauce at least an hour ahead so the flavors can meld before marinating . JERK

 PORK RIBS 1 ( 3 pound ) rack pork ribs , cut into 2- to 3-rib portions 2 cups J

amaican Jerk Sauce Coat ribs with Jamaican Jerk Sauce , rubbing sauce in well . 

Cover and refrigerate overnight . Bake at 350 degrees 45 minutes , occasionally 

turning and basting . Remove from oven and grill over medium hot coals until bro

wned and cooked through , about 25 to 30 minutes , turning ribs 4 or 5 times and

 basting with Jamaican Jerk Sauce . Makes 4 servings . Each serving contains abo

ut : In Turkey , the boreks weren't filled with lamb , as Lukins expected , but 

rather bastirma , a cured beef covered in spices . When Lukins came back , she m

ade her filo pies with pastrami , a cousin of bastirma .

 What is `` the greatest long-term threat to the security of the United States '

' ? According to FBI Director Louis Freeh , it is the rise of organized crime in

 Russia , with its present or potential capacity to steal nuclear weapons and fi

ssile material that can be sold to rogue nations or terrorist groups . `` Organi

zed crime has unique abilities to commit theft and diversion , '' he warns . `` 

This is why we must take action before a major nuclear incident occurs . '' The 

action he contemplates is establishing an FBI office in Moscow itself , there to

 work with Russian police and security officials to combat a wave of criminality

 engulfing the states of the former Soviet Union . Freeh pronounces the United S

tates `` lucky '' that no illegal diversions of nuclear-weapons material have ye

t occurred , but even that cannot be verified absolutely in light of the interme

shing of Russia 's civilian and military nuclear programs as well as the notorio

usly inadequate protection of its facilities . It is one of the anomalies of thi

s post-Cold War era that once the Soviet police state collapsed , along with its

 reliance on terror and intimidation , crime has had a heyday . Freeh 's outspok

en warnings before a Senate subcommittee mark a shift in the Clinton administrat

ion 's handling of this scary matter . Heretofore , officials have alluded to th

e problem in muted fashion for fear that publicity might encourage criminal elem

ents to seek possession of salable nuclear materials . With The Atlantic Monthly

 running a cover story on criminality in Russia and various European publication

s reporting near-successful test attempts to buy warheads from Russian military 

officers , it appears that the new policy is to confront the issue head-on . If 

so , it is for the best . The `` loose nuke problem '' has added new dimensions 

to the long crusade to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction 

. Its central feature , from the beginning , was to stop as many nations as poss

ible from going nuclear . With the collapse of the Soviet Union , three new nucl

ear-weapons states ( Ukraine , Kazakhstan and Belarus ) had to be prodded , so f

ar with mixed success , to turn their facilities over to Russia . There also was

 worry about a `` brain drain '' of Soviet nuclear scientists to the likes of Li

bya , Iraq , Iran and North Korea . And , finally , there was the criminal probl

em , raising what FBI Director Freeh calls the `` dreadful possibilities '' of h

aving stolen nukes fall into the hands of terrorists bent on using them against 

the United States . Russia is the site of thousands of nuclear warheads and hund

reds of tons of weapons-grade plutonium and enriched uranium ( the stuff of nucl

ear bombs ) . Clearly , it will require monumental cooperation between American 

and Russian authorities to keep nuclear materials out of the hands of internatio

nal organized-crime operations . With governmental authority eroding in Russia ,

 the prospects are not encouraging .

 Cruel in its manifestation , fiendishly enigmatic in its pathogenesis , AIDS ma

rches on relentlessly . Already 360,000 cases have been diagnosed in the United 

States alone ; 220,000 people have died . Worse is sure to come soon . It is abo

ut 10 years since the disease was first identified . With its stealthy 10-year l

atency , that means thousands infected by the HIV virus in the mid-1980s , befor

e they learned how to protect themselves , will soon start to develop symptoms a

nd die . Despite massive research , the tiny virus has outwitted the best scient

ific minds . Little progress has been made in finding a cure or vaccine . The ti

me has come for new thinking , new approaches . A lucid and logical framework fo

r the future comes now from Bernard N . Fields of the Harvard Medical School . I

n a paper in the British journal Nature , he argues that AIDS is far more comple

x than anyone imagined and calls for a broadening of research and a return to ba

sic science . In other words , valuable time has been lost in following narrow h

unches for an easy cure , some magic bullet . `` The real challenge , '' he writ

es , `` is to put aside politics and the illusion of easy answers so that we can

 concentrate on studies that offer a real possibility of working . '' He adds : 

`` In our zeal to control AIDS , we have invested enormous resources in the sear

ch for drugs and vaccines . This may have been reasonable 10 years ago , but is 

no longer . '' Wise words , but politically difficult . A huge medical , corpora

te , bureaucratic and political infrastructure is committed to testing new remed

ies and vaccines . Even as Dr . Fields ' words were published , the National Ins

titute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases appeared , reluctantly , to be ready t

o spend tens of millions of dollars on human tests of two vaccines even though l

aboratory tests showed they had no effect on HIV viruses isolated from infected 

people . In their legitimate outrage over the federal government 's shameful slo

wness to act on AIDS during the last decade , activists forced quick approval of

 unproven drugs . As a result , the drug AZT was widely prescribed to delay the 

onset of disease in infected people who had not yet developed symptoms . Only la

ter did further studies show it was useful only in people with advanced disease 

. AIDS has dashed hopes that it could be controlled as polio was . That devastat

ing epidemic too was caused by a virus . Once it was identified , a vaccine coul

d be developed . Alas , as Fields notes , the HIV virus is far more complex , un

predictable and nefarious . Fields calls for expanded research in related areas 

( such as on other infectious agents ) , on basic study of the early events of H

IV infection and on the so-called opportunistic infections that often fell AIDS 

patients . `` AIDS is a novel disease requiring new paradigms and a new conceptu

al framework , '' he argues . `` We must give serendipity ( and reasoned scienti

fic redirection ) a chance to join the war on AIDS . '' His notions are embraced

 by many AIDS experts , including Dr. Mervyn F. Silverman , president of the Ame

rican Foundation for AIDS Research , and Dr. William Paul , new director of the 

Office of AIDS Research at the National Institutes of Health . Some activist gro

ups , such as the New York ACT UP organization , continue to focus on a speedy c

ure and support a bill in Congress that would set up a focused research program 

outside of the NIH . But other AIDS groups , though divided , have begun to see 

that such narrow approaches have so far proved counterproductive . We need a new

 beginning on AIDS .

 Everything smolders in Rio Seco . In this fictional California town , the setti

ng for Susan Straight 's second novel , `` Blacker Than a Thousand Midnights , '

' the torrid weather , the prickly relationships between a young black man and h

is wife , family and friends and the friction between the races all simmer just 

below the flashpoint . Straight carefully piles on the tinder and the reader wai

ts to see whether it will spontaneously combust . The infernal weather makes lif

e tough for young Darnell Tucker , but he can deal with the choking heat . What 

he must really struggle to cope with is impending fatherhood , a marriage off to

 a very rocky start , a father-in-law who willn't talk to him , friends who are 

risking their lives by `` slinging ' caine '' and the lack of a decent job . Dar

nell , who is 20 , wants to do the right thing . Circumstances conspire to make 

that a heroic effort . When they marry , his wife , Brenda , is pregnant and is 

the breadwinner as well . She loves him , but she is overwhelmed by exhaustion a

nd anxiety . Their working-class parents make it clear to Darnell that he must f

ind a job , and fast . That 's not so easy to do . Darnell 's great ambition is 

to become a full-time firefighter , part of a crew that ranges through the Los A

ngeles hills , short-circuiting the small fires that can roar into major disaste

rs . Brenda knows that Darnell is infatuated with firefighting and fears she 'll

 lose him to this deadly fascination . But the best he can do is part-time work 

, and even that dries up , even as the drought-struck hills threaten to burst in

to flame . He tries work as a security guard , but in an episode of mistaken ide

ntity , winds up face-down on the pavement with a police dog slashing at his leg

 . He does bull work for his father , a hauler of tree stumps who 'll take any y

ard-cleaning project that comes his way . Not much feels right for Darnell . His

 friends , Leon and Louis , are caught up in drug selling . Brenda is so consume

d by love for their newborn daughter , Charolette , that she has very little tim

e and energy left over for him . But he perseveres . And in a flash of entrepren

eurship , he finally comes up with an idea that works , while neatly playing off

 the state of race relations in his part of the world . Passing himself off as a

 foreman , he hires Mexicans and pretends they all work for an Asian landscaper 

, the better to be accepted by white homeowners . Straight , who is white and wh

ose previous book was `` I Been in Sorrow 's Kitchen and Licked Out All the Pots

 , '' does a lot of things right in this novel . She creates believable characte