Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1880-05-28
Social Customs In Brazil.

Our host is q gentleman of the old
Brazilian school. When he places his
house at our orders we may be sure that
we are welcome. The breakfast is as
unceremonious as possible, but curl
ously different from q meal at home.
There are no ladies at the table; only a
few families in Santarem have adopted
the new customs in this respect and Sr.
Caetano is not one of them. Two or
three barefooted negro servants stand
behind our chair with very little to do.
Sr. Caetano serves the meat, and then
invites us to serve ourselves. Mo hq
ceremonial" Beyond that there is no
passing of plates, and no waiting be-
tween the courses. After u dessert of
fruit and wines, the inevitable tooth
picks are passed around we light cigar
cites and sit smoking for ten minutes
before leaving the table. This is very
much what we shall find al all the bet
ter houses; no especial preparation is
made for transient guests, and we are
welcome at the table of any ac-
quaintance at half-minute's notice.
During the hot hours from two till
four many of the stores are closed; the
master takes his siesta, and though your
business be never so urgent no one will
venture to awaken him. Beware how
you break in upon this afternoon nap of
a Brazilian; if you do so, you willbe
set down as ill-bred and decidedly
bore. Rather avoid attemting business
and calls at this hour; they are as much
out of place as a New York visit would
be at seven O'Clock in the morning.
sg a1, nt ~
like breakfast in the courses and fol-
lowed by coffee or tea. We stroll out
at sundown, and make aequaintances
readily. People are sitting before their
door, as we have seen them in Para,
only here there are no ladies in the
groups. They smoke, play at draughts,
oftenest of all talk politics; and you find
after a little that members of the same
party fall together. We who have no
politics are welcome everywhere. There
are many intelligent and cultivated men
here, and traders who have spent half
their life on unheard-of rivers, among
semi-savage tribes; from them we can
pick up great stores of information that
will be valuable to us in the future. |
| like this Brazilian custom of out-of-door
evening chats; there is charm about it
that encourages interchange of ideas
and opinions. .-s '''
The hour for ceremonious, black-coat
calls is in the morning, shortly after
breakfast. The Senior welcomes us
| politely at the door, conducts us to one
end of the room, where a settee is placed
! against the wall, and chairs are set in
! front of it, so as to form an exact square.
! Here we talk commonplaces and pass
compliments, and, altogether, are quite
as unnatural as we would be under SIM
| liar circumstances at home. On leav-
ing we are politely bowed to the door,
and we 90 away wondering if this is the
pleasant, sociable gentleman with whom
we were chatting the evening before
Something of this same ceremony is
found in other social observances. For
instance, if we leave the town, even for
a month, we are expected to make calls
on all our acquaintance para deSpedir,
for good-by.
/ One day we received printed invita-
tions to an evening party "a dancing
party, of course, and the elite will be
there. We find the large house full OF
guests, ladies and gentlemen handsome
ly dressed in the French fashion, the
description of which is quite beyond
our geological pen. Brazilians art
graceful dancers, but the ladies between
the sets are any thing but entertaining
custom, or bashfulness, keeps then
together at one end of the room, while
the gentlemen may be strolling dowr
the street to the little beer shop, which
IS always open on such occasions
These parties are almost the only occa
sions on which ladies are permitted Il
mingle in social life. There are, in
deed, exceptions with one or two of th'
better families, in which ladies come Il
the table with their husbands anC
brothers, and converse freely witt
guests; and you will often see SOM
young fellow stop at n window for
moment to talk with some fair acquaint
ance. But, as rule, the old Portu
guese custom of seclusion is still domi
nant in all the Amazonian countr,
towns. The people think, and say, tina
women are unfit for freedom. Wise
men mourn the want of education TO
their daughters; they urge, with muc
seeming truth, that the sex must b
fitted for liberty before it is freed
Beyond this restraint, l believe tha
women are universally well treated
but they must lead dub life, shut on
from the world in their dark rooms
They look yellow and unhealthy. Ii
young man is paying addresses to lad
he visits her at stated intervals, alway
in the presence of her mother or som
: female relative. In course of time
carries her through a dressy wedding {
: the church; there is a great party
, honor of the event; and thereafter sf
J is more shut up from the world tina
! .-Herberk u !Snlith'S "Brn.H.N