The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-12-31
Women in Brazil.

1t would be difficult to imagine any
thing more dreary and monotonous than
the life of Brazilian senhora in the
smallest towns. In the northern PROV
inces especially, the old Portuguese notion
about shutting women up and making
their home life as colorless as that of
clustered nun, without even the ele-
ment of religious enthusiasm to give it
zest, still prevails. Many Brazilian
lady passes day after day without STIR
ring beyond her four walls, scarcely
showing herself at the door or window,
for she is always in slovenly attire
unless she expects company. 1t is sad
to see these stifled eXistences. With
out any contact from the world outside,
without any charm of domestic life,
without books or culture of any kind,
the Brazilian senhora either sinks con-
tentedly into vapid, empty, aimless
life, or frets against her chains, and is
as discontinued as she is useless. The
education of women is little regarded
in Brazil, and the standard instruction
for girls in the public schools is low.
Even in the private schools, where the
children of the better classes are taught,
it is the complaint of all teachers that
they are taken away from school just
as their minds are beginning to develop.
The majority of girls in Brazil who go
to school at all are sent at about seven
or eight years of age, and are consid-
cred to have finished their education at
thirteen or fourteen. The next step in
life is marriage. OF course there are
exceptions. Some parents wisely leave
their children at school, or direct their
instruction at home, till they are sew
enteen or eighteen years of age, and
others send their girls abroad; but usu-
ally, with the exception of one or two
accomplishments, such as French or
music, the education of women is neg
lected, and this neglect affects the
whole tone of society. 1t does not
change the general truth of this state
ment, that there are Brazilian ladies
who would be recognized in the best
society as women of the highest cul-
ture and intelligence; but they are the
exceptions, as they inevitably must be
under the present system of instruction,
and they feel its influence upon their
social position only the more bitterly.
Indeed, many of the women | have
known most here have spoken to me
with deep regret of their limited, i'm
prisoned existence. There is not IA
Brazilian senhora, who has ever
thought upon the subject at all, who is
not aware that her life is one of repres-
sion and constraint She cannot go
out of her house, except under certain
conditions, without awakening scam
dial. Her education leaves her wholly
ignorant of the most common topics of
a wider interest, though, perhaps, with
tolerable knowledge of French and
music. The world of books is closed
to her, for there is little Portuguese lit
erature into which she is allowed to
look, and that of other languages is
still less at her command. She knows
little of the history of her own country,
almost nothing of that of others; and
she is hardly aware that there is any
religious faith except the uniform one
of Brazil. She has probably never
heard of the Reformation, nor does
she dream that there is sea of thought