Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1868-10-21
PERU.
Social acknowledgements Among
the Peruvian Sen0ras.

Social acknowledgements Among
the Peruvian Sen0ras.
Correspondence of the New York Times.
LIMA, Peru, Sept. %, 186S.-The great
sensation of the month has been the feast
day of Santa MERGED Gust passed last Fri
day.. The name of Mercedes is fayorite
one with the Peruvian Senoras, and nearly
every family has among its little girls one
named after the favorite Saint. 1t has,
therefore, become a universal custom for
each family who have some member of it
rejoicing in that name to give large or
small party, according to their means and
style Of living. This is often done BY
several families uniting in one house and
dividing the expense. These parties are
all given on the feast-day of Santa MERGED.
Among the lower classes, where are to be
found plenty Of fat negresses and Cholos
and Zlmbas named Mercedes, the party
invariably begins with a drink of Chicha
or Pisco native brandy, and it is usual 10
find the entire company entirely obliVious
of external things, and one and all of
them beastly intoxicated by midnight
Every glass of liquor is drank to the health
of Mercedes, and if she is the hostess,
or invited guest, or indeed every female of
that name, must not refuse to drink when
ever her name, is mentioned. A very ma
tural consequence is that the lady mem
berJ of the party early in the evening
totter into an adjoining room, (if there is
one, and lying down upon sofa or floor,
fall asleep very speedily. This custom
does not always con6ne itself to the low err
classes on Saint Mercedes Day. | am cory
to say, although the Limenian ladies are
not given to liquors, and are, as class,
very temperate, yet the absurd custom Of
making it an insult to refuse TO drink on
Saint MERGED, if your name is Mercedes,
and in compliment TO the hostess, if she
has that appellatiOn, renders it almost a
necessity to drink more than lady wishes.
Children are exempt from this foolish
practice, however, and early in the evening
the little Mercedes are dismissed to bed
after having stood up, made pretty littl e
speech, being presented with a bou-
quet of flowers, and kissed by every
member of the company. had the good
fortune to be invited to one of these Saint
MERGED feast-dAy parties where, several
families having united, there were present
eleven ladies and young ladies by the name
Oh MeFCeuSs, OcuOIh meICeiet, ulehulDB
Our Lady of all Mercies. l was greatly
amused at watching, not only these ladies,
but all thefemales present, who endeaVored
to prevent the i'll effects of the liquor being
apparent by merely slipping taste at every
toast and compliment. But even the
ofHcious gentlemen guests would not spare
them this luxury, for the glass was in
stantly filled with agudrdieats, brandy or
HaIia, (the wine OF the native Italia grape,
and very much like chsmpagne,) as soon
as one little sip had reduced its contents,
until the dark eyes grew more brilliant and
the clear cheeks glowed deeply, and, in
some instances, the languid head sunk back
against the sofa or chair, and the heavy,
oh, how heavy, eyelids closed. Then | saw
an old drenns, or Peruvian maiden aunt or
grandmother, gently lead the sleepy
damsels from the room, to return in an
hour or 80, bright and Wakeful, and 10
enter with renewed zest into the closing
dances. Similar scenes occur in every
family counting a Mercedes among its
female members, on Friday, the patton
feast-day OfSAnta MERGED.