Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1874-03-25
Life in Portuguese Country Towns

rarity of rcnl country houses in Por-
tugal. 1t is entirely against the genius
of the people to live country lifo.--
The Portuguese is too sociablo TO en-
durc 10 be surrounded only by woods
and fields and mountains. He has
many of our northern tastes he likes
field sports in moderation ho rides
in his own stylo, better than any ma
tion in Europe except ourselves he
has o sincere delight in country life
and country scenery, but he cannot
long support tho utter solitude of the
country. A Portuguese nobleman, II
ho bs rich enough, lives in Lisbon or
Oporto, and il he has country house
will visit it for month or two in the
autumn even then he will often rath-
or endure the misery Of seaside
lodging among crowd than 60 in
land. Tho larger of tho country
towns have streets full of gentlemon's
houses and here vegetate, from year
to year, families who arc just rich
enough to live upon their incomes
without working. To live, indeed,
as the Portuguese do in such towns,
need cost but little. A large house,
with plot of cabbages-a kaleyard
behind it; with white washed walls,
floors uncarpeted, a dozen wooden
chairs, one or two deal tables; no pic
lures on the walls; no mirrors; no
tables pleasantly strewn with books,
magazines, newspapers and ladies'
work /; no such thing visible as pot
of cut flowers; no rare china, no
clocks, no bronzes-none of the hun
dred triHcs and curiosities with which,
in our houses, we show our taste, or
our want of it, but which either way
give such a charm and individual
character to our English homes. All
these negatives describe the utterly
dreary habitations Of the middle-class
Portuguese. For occupations, the
women do needle work, gossip, go to
mass daily and look out Of windows
by the hour. Except the one short
walk TO church at s o'clock in the
morning, a Portuguese lady hardly
ever appears in the streets. As for
the men, they lounge about among
the shops, they smoke innumerablc
paper cigarettes, and they take a
''siesta" in the heat of the day. II
there is sunshine, they stand in groups
at the street corners, with umbrellas
over their heads in winter, they
wear shawl over their shoulders,
folded and put on three.cornerwisc, as
a French or English woman's shawl is
worn--for this is fashion in Portu-
gal, and the Spaniards laugh a good
deal at their neigbbors on tho score
of their being q nation who invert the
duo order of things, and whose wo-
men wear cloaks and the mon shawls.
In these towns there is never any
news, and if two men are seen IN
eager discussion of some matter OF
apparently immense importance, and
If one happens TO pass near enough TO
overhear the subject of conversation,
be sure that one of them is plunged
in despair or kindliug with enthusi.
asm at fall or rise Of a halfpenny
in the price Of pound Of tobacco
An American gentleman of my nc.
quaintanco told me that be had never
passed two Portuguese in converse.
tion without hearing one oftwo words
spoken, "testao" or "rapariga," f.
nance or love. There arc not even
fashions for them to think about
young mon and old men dress alike
but the younger ones wear exceeding
ly tight boots, and "when they take
their walks abroad" it is obvious thai
they do so in considerable discomfort
The young men, however, have ont
occupation more important even thar
wearing tight boots, and which, al
most, in fact, goes with it-that o.
making the very mildest form Of love
known among mon. The procoss, in
decd, is carried on in so Platonic Q
manner, and with SO much proper
feeling, that / doubt If even the strict
est English governess would find any
thing in it TO object 10. Tho young
gentlemen pay their addresses BY
simply standing in front Of tho house
occupied by tho object Of their affcc
tions, while the young person in ques
tion looks down approvingly from al
) upper window, and there the matter
; ends. They are not within speaking
} distance, and have 10 content them
selves with expressive glances anC
dumb show; for it would be though
highly unbccoming for the young la
dy to allow q billet dour TO flute
, down into the street, while the law
of gravitation stand in the way Of th
upper fight of such documcnt--un
Weighted, at least, with q stone, an,
this, Of course, might risk giving th
young lady black eye, or breaking
her fathers window-pancs. So th
! lovers there remain, often for hours
feeling no doubt very happy, bu
looking unuttorably foolish. Thes
silent courtships sometimes continu
for very long periods before the love
can ask tho fatal question, or the lad.
return the final answer.-1he Nel
: Oudrferly Mdodzips.