Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1874-03-05
Vol. Xxx. Whole No. 997..'No. 10.
The Women of Brazil,

A Rio Jameiro correspondent OF the
Providence Journal declares that hand
some women are rare in Brazil, and
adds:
''The face is generally very plain, and
often ugly, and really believe that be-
cause the lack of comeliness is SO fire.
quent it is not truly apprehended. The
complexion is generally sallow, never
clear and fresh, and by no means i'm
proved bv the abundant use made of
cosmetics. If any single feature deserves
notice, 1t is the eyes, and yet these do
not possess that quality which makes
even the plainest eyes brilliant; there is
no soul looking at you or speaking to
you through them. Childhood seems to
| cover the whole period of physical
beauty. and some of the children ale
most interesting; yet even then the
habits and tastes of ignorant and COM
monty negro nurses are fixed, in place Of
the impressions uf a mothers careful
training, and the example of a mothers
devoted life.
! The excessive vanity ofgirlhood, which
seems to be encouraged by the pareuts
rather than restrained; the grail
fication OF the palate with all manner of
| condiments; the entire absence of anv
physical exercise; and what is more,
nothing but weakness inherited, cannot
assure any perfect womanliness. For
eign ladies who teach in the schools
(private and select schools) have told
me that schoolgirls life in Brazil is in
most lamentable Eoral condition. A
knowledge of French, music and dane
ing, is all that is considered worth OBJ
tanning, and then until marriage-which
dOsen't come at all to many of them, or
II 1t does come, is an arrangement of the
parents, and simply changes the place OF
idleness-they wait, doing nothing,
week, month and year, nothing; they
neither study, nor read, nor sew, they
do nothing. lu the forenoon, i'll a state
of slothful dishd6iNe, they dawdle and
lounge around the house in the after
noon they look out of the windows; and
| this is national custom, mOss striking
to stranger, to see them, white and
black, high and low, educated and illit-
crate, hanging out OF the windows,
through the afternoon; indeed, the Win
dow seats are fitted with cushions that
the arms may not become bruiseaby the
continual leaning upon them.
In the evening, dressed--and l really
believe the taste displayed would give
Nine. Demorest convulslons II not
paralysis-they sit, and sit, and do moth
ing else again. Sometimes they speak,
aud it S wonderful what commonplaces
caa be uttered, and how little can be
said when the Brazilian mouth does
open. So far as female employment Is
concerned, Brazilian girl labor ior her
support! No, indeed. She would rafh
er have but one dress and turn it on
holidays. Her father would sell his
shirt first, and then button up his scedy
coat. Her mother would die OF mortl-
tication. And 20 they live, poor and
vain, apin. at aristocracy by mock al
Icmpts ut show, the cheap and tawdry
emptiness of what is ridiculous. The
r%%nitlhifr. r",,,it and not less vain, are sur
iouhieo will. 49, -.---~spuviU nIgIu
hdufear, through which only members
oil the Clique have the courage to at
tempt 10 penetrate.
Brazilian women develops and ma
lures Young, and becomes old while still
Young. Her moral sensibilities become
obscnrcd by the lite which exists about
her, and into which she NAV possibly at
times get glance through the custom,
OF her fathers or her brothers,