Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-09-23
The Middle-Class Portuguese.

Mr.. John Latouche, in his travels in
Portugal" gives somewhat striking pict
ure of the habits of the middle-class
Portuguese, and their method of love
making:
There is nothing that would strike a
traveller fresh from England, Germany or
France more than the great rarity OF real
country. houses in Portugal. 1t is entirely
against the genius of the people to live
Countrywide. The Portuguese is too socia-
BILE TO endure to be surrounded only by
woods and fields and mountains. He has
many Of our Northern tastes he likes
field-sports in moderation; he rides, in his
own style, better than any nation in
Europe except ourselves; he has a sincere
delight in country life and country
scenery, but he cannot long support the
utter solitude of the country. A Portu-
guese nobleman, if he be rich enough,
lives in Lisbon or Oporto, and if he has a
country house will visit ii for a month or
two in the autumn; even then he will
often rather endure the misery Of sea
side lodging among crowd than 90 in
land. The larger of the country towns
have streets full of gentlemen's houses !;
and here vegetate, from year to year, fam
lilies who are just rich enough 10 live
upon their income without working. To
live, indeed, as the Portuguese do in such
towns, need cost but little. A large
house with a plot of cabbages Ga kaLe-yaTd)
behind it; with whitewashed walls, floors
uncarpeted, dozen wooden chairs, one or
two deai-tables; no fireplace, not even a
stove, either in sitting-room or bedroom;
no curtains TO the windows, no covers TO
the tables; no pictures on the walls, no
mirrors; no table pleasantly strewed 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 hundred trifies and
curiosities with which, in our houses, we
show our taste, or our want of it, but
which either way give such an individual
character and charm to our English
homes. All these negatives describe the
utterly dreary babitations of the middle,
class Portuguese.
For occupations, the women do needle
work, gossip, go 10 mass daily, and look
out OF window by the hour. Except the
one short walk TO church at eight 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 innumerable paper cigarettes,
they take a stestd in the heat Of the day.
II there Is sunshine they stand in groups
at the streetcorDers with umbrellas over
their heads; in winter they wear shawl
over their shoulders, folded and put on
three-corner wise, as French or English
woman S shawl Is worn, for this Is a fash.
ion In Portugal, and the Spaniards laugh
a good deal al their neighDors on the score
OF their being nation who invert the due
order Of things, and whose women wear
cloaks and the men shawls. In these
towns there - never any news and If two
men are seen in eager discussion Of some
matter Of apparently immense importance,
and IL one happens to pass near enough 70
oyerhear the subject of conversation, be
sure that one Of them is plunged IN de-
spairor kindling with enthusiasm at a fall
or rise Of halfpenny in the price of a
| pound Of tobacco An American gentle
/ man of my acquaintance told me that he
had never passed two Portuguese In con-
yersation without hearing one Of two
words spoken, testao'' or "rapartgd' -
| finance or love.
| There are not even fashions for them to
think about; young men and old men
| dress alike, bat the younger ones wear ex,
ceedingly tight boots and when they
/ take their walks abroad il Is obvious that
| they do 20 In considerable discomfort,
! The young men, however, have one occu.
\ ton more important even than wearing
/ tight boots, and which almost. in fee.
| goes with it--that ef milking the very
| mildest form Of love known among men.