Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1885-09-12
LOVELY WOMEN OF LIMA.
Peculiar Manners and Dress-Their
Amusements and Families.

Lima Letter to New York sun.
TheladieS of Lima are ALE eyes. They
have Interpolation ofbelng, as aclaSs'
the most beautiful in the world. and
meeting them on the way tomas inthe
morning or shopping later in the day,
one can easily see how they obtainedlt.
1t is the manta, which they wear in
such a coquettish way, that gives them
their reputation for beauty, forlt con-
ceals every feature except their be-
witching eyes and dlovely olive complex
ion. No matter how ugly her mouth
or her noise is; no matter how high her
cheekbones or large her ears, manta
will make any woman with pretty eyes
look handsome, and, like charity, 1t
covers a multitude of sins.
On the street the women look like
procession OF nuns, but in their homes
when they are dressed, like the queen
of Sheba. Indoors she is bright, viva
cious and winning. With more pas
sion than intellect, with very little
knowledge of the world outside of her
own orbit. she never reads Il newspa-
per and never looks at book, but
She is UP in art and operas, plays the
piano brilliantly and with exquisite
taste, and talks like n conversational
blizzard. She is affectiOnate, lmpetu-
Gus, aud strong-willed; gushes over
what she likes and shuddcrs over what
does not please her. Impulslve frank
and generous, she is easily betrayed,
and the principal object in life OF her
mamma is to watch over her like a
hawk. At seventeen or eighteen she
marries-oftcn younger still. At TWEEN
Ity-five she is the mother OF three or
flour children, shrunken and wan, oI
else inordinately fat. Their good
looks seem to go with youth, and old
maids are unknown.
| A Peruvian soldier is usually accom-
panied by n woman called a rabona
who sometimes is his wife. They re
ceive rations like the soldiers, but nc
paw. They are faithful and enduring
but degraded creatures, who follow
army in it's long, weary marches. rs
sisting their husbands by carryingpar'
of their load, and about half OF then
have babies slung over their shoulder:
in blankets. When camp is reached
they do the cooking; in battle che!
nurse the wounded and rob the dead
Water is very scarce along the coasts
OF Peru, where most of the marchin
and fighting is done, and it is part o
the duty of a rabona to see that he
, husband does not die of thirst.
Milk is peddled about Lima bywom
en-, who sit astride ola horse or mul
with a big can hanging on either sid
of the saddle behind them. When the
ride up to a doorway they give Il pecu
lar shrill scream, which the servant
: within recognize.
The fashionable entertainment /
, Peru is bull-baiting. The bull Is no
p killed, as in Spain and Mexico an
other countries, and no horses ar
slaughtered in the ring. The animi
, lis simply teased and tortured to max
, a Liman holiday. The young men
: the city do the batting, and 1t is II
garded as a very high-toned sort
! athletic sport, like polo at Newpor
The young ladies take darts made
Z | tin decorate them with ribbons, lac
, and rosettes, and give them to the
-Ilovers to stick into the hide of ii
bull. The great thing is to cast thos
o darts so as to strike the bull in II
: fore shoulders or in the face, and
!. order to do it he who throws thel
n must stand before the animals horn
:. Active young fellows do the trick yer
dexterously, but it takes nerve an
: agility, and at times fair senorita
o have seen their lovers ripped open.