The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1852-03-10
Sketches of Lima.

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4 girl here at the age of ten or eleven is
as far advanced in her social and matrlmo-
nial anricipations as she is with us at seven
leen. She expects in her fourteenth year
TO sway hearts, as the moon the troubled
tide. For this period she trains herself with
an ambition far beyond her years and when
it arrives, she is armed with all the brilliant
veal IONS Of beauty, wit, repartee, and a live
" self,possession. Her wit never wounds
her repartee never gives offence. She is
thoroughly amiable in all her saies, she
means to make you think well of her, and is
equally anxious that you should think well
of yourself, She understands how TO in
spire self,complacency without any broad
flatiery.. She is sporlive, but it is with dig.
nifty; and will sooner excuse liberty than
n slcht.
When this hey-day of life has been sufli-
cienily enjoyed, she marrIes, rot from hav-
ing fallen in love- but for The sake of an es-
tablshment. If her husband devotcs him
/
self to her, she is generally faithful hut #
he spends his nights in clubs, at the billiard
and card table, she is apt 10 permit the in j.
macy of some one whom she ought not to
/ love. This is rarely, if ever, followed by a
domestic explosion. She feels secure of all
that iorhcarance and silence which the most
jealous regard TO the peace and reputation
of the family can suggest. With us, the in
lured party, though first himsclf in The fault
yet in his resentment often turns his owr
hearh-sione into tomb Guilt never iails
to carry with it, 10 the end, its own punish
ment. There is serpent in the cup o
gully pleasure, whose fang will inflicl
wounds on which the tears of repentant an
euish will yet fall big and fast.
There is ole religious observance in Ii
ma which reminds the traveller Of the
call of the muezzin from the mnares OF Con,
stanlnople, when he summons the Mpssul.
man to prayer. When the bell of the grea
Cathedral tolls The departing sun, every one
whether on foot, in his curricle, or on horse
back, and whatever may be his speed, stop,
and takes off his hat. The gayest look grave
and the serious whisper brief prayer. The
shopkeeper suspends lis bargain, the bill
lard player laws down his cue the gambler
folds his cards and rcverenty rises. In q
minute the bell ceases the horseman dash
es on, the cue and cards are resumed, anc
Heaven seems again forgotten.
Many of the simple artisans ply lheii
trades outside their shops. You will en-
counter tweriy or thirty shoemakers dri,
wing The awl in single court, and as man,
lalors pushing the needle in another Will,
a third is filed by millners, bleaching ant
trimming gipsy-hnts for Indian girls. Tn,
Limanian lady seldom wears bonnet; sh,
prefers the manic; with that she can con
ceal her face, save the pceping eye, and pas
unrecognised. The saya or skirt of thi
Disgusting dress is not the work Of her owl
: sex il is always cut and made by The sam
hands which fit and scam The coats of tn
) gentlemen. What can be expected of nato
where .he men are engaged in making pet
lcoats for The women? Enterprises Of pit
and moment are not achieved through th
stitches of that garment.
f The convent of San Pedro, an extensive
costly edfice, has been converted into a
establishment for raising and twisting silk
f The few monks who still fingered in thei
closiers, when they saw the worms slowl
: winding themselves up in their coninuou
thread, as ifthe sole object of life was to SC
cure an undisturbed exi, from it, concludin
that two of a trade could never agree, pick
ed up their rosares and relics, and departed
The worms work on, and wind their ell
sepulchres as industr iously as if the monk
T who have gone had left behind them lhei
= ghasily memenioes Of lifes brevity.
How strangely sounds that eam.engin
p as it turns The twisting machinery, an
throws its ceaseess echoes among lhes
= chambers. once dedicated 10 the spirit OF 81
lence And the thread, as il reels itself O.
from the cocoon, seems as IL II unwound ih