Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1879-04-05
LIrEaIN BRAZIL.
NOTES BY A LADY RESIDENT.

III VIC may lIilsU Vle HicIlOTy VI "
Gladys life in Brazil" which the lady
herself sketches briefly in Lippincott's
Magazine for April, there is no land
or climate, or abiding-place like it in
the world; but, rs she herself confess
en-, the little annoyances fade away
and the beauties and delights remain.
Probably there are, as in oil countries,
some drawbacks to the 'fperfect days'
at Pernambuco. There, if one may
generalize from her particulars, the
black gardeners whistle the "Mise-
rere' from Trovatore; the house furn-
iture is Of solid rosewood, and the
hedges Of the jessamine so thick and
heavy that you can shake them from
end to end; the thermometer at seven
ty degrees is thought chilly, at eighty
FIVE hot, but II is never too hot or too
cold; a land breeze in the dry season
sets in at night, and while the bed
room windows never need closing, q
thin blanket is always wanted; the
moonlight is delightful, especially for
showing off the palm trees, whose
leaves lose the roughncss and scraw-
nincss which the SUMS full glare re-
veals; creepers with bright yellow
blossoms grow six inches in a single
night; rose-buds IRE rarely seen OK
ccpt ut very early hour in the morn
ing; the lilies are glorious with exqui-
site perfume whose beauty and odor
attract brilliant moth with ruby
eyes and q bill eoiled like a watch
spring which he unwinds and thrnsts
into the heart Of the flower; there are
oranges or pineapples equal to those
of Pcrmmbuco, and bananas are va
rious and cheap. When II bunch is
nearly ripe the tree is cut down and
the fruit laid away in the dark to
ripen, and the old tree sends up new
shoots. In the season there is n pro-
fusion of guavas, custard-apples, figs,
grapes, mangocs and other fruits.
The first cook was q large, fat, good
natnred old negro. She had been
employed about a week when a chick
en- was served for dinner with the
breast removed. The lady demanded
it, but the sly cook did not under
stand. She asked her husband to
interfere, but he said if he did she
would lose all control of her servants;
and he furnished her with the best
Portuguese scolding he could muster,
with which the lady overwhelmed and
subdued her thievish cook. The next
venture was q man, sent with the re-
commentator that "lloncsty was his
strong point" He took the market
money and basket the next morning
to get the dinner and was never seen
again. But the negro is usually hon
est, particularly if he is u slave.
The principal dish is fresh beef and
vegetables - potatoes which come
from portugal, gumbo, cabbage, and
two or three bananas, all boiled to-
gether. 1t is very nice, and the
blacks can make it and a cup Of coffee
to perfection. Everything - fruit,
vegetables, fuel and cotton-isbr brought
into town on poor, miserable horses,
who live chiefly on m0lasscs and wa
ter, prefering it to more solid food.
The owner drives his horse into the
yard early in the morning, for mar
kcting is over by nine o'clock, asks
you twice as much as you can make
him take, and finishing the bargain,
grabs his beast by the tail, pits his
foot upon the animals hind knee,
mounts and rides off. The baker
brings at five o'clock in the morning
a bag filled with delicious bread, made
by Trieste and American -four mixed.
Milk is sold in quart bottles for six
teen cents each. The cook goes for
the choiccr articles needed. during
the day; "the boy" which means a
negro servant Of any age, betakes
himself to the grocery for the fuel for
the day. A breakfast is eaten at
$3.50, beginning with a little fruit.
The kitchen has door, possibly a
window, but no chimney; if the door
is too small to let out the smoke, a
hole is made in the roof. There is a
brick oven in one corner, q table, a
chair, few saucepans, bowls, plates,
knives and forks-no suainer, grid
iron, or modern utensil. The brick
oven is built solidly upon the tile
floor, and is used for wasting and
baking. A horizontal iron plate is
fastened to the back Of it, with FIVE
holes of different sizes for sauce pans.
1t is a very economical arrangement
because the wood can he used in ac-
cordance with the amount of heat
required. The long sticks are kindled
and pushed forward under the plate
as far us there is need Of it, and push
ed in as fast as it is burned. When
charcoal is used one place is kindled,
Or as many more as are required.
There are no towels: the sin does the