Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1886-08-21
BRAZILIAN GIRLS.
Married While Children, Mothers at
Twelve, Frivolous and Densely
Ignorant.
Brooklyn Magazine.

Brooklyn Magazine.
Girls are sometimes married so
young in Brazil, that they become
mothers at twelve OF thirteen years of
age. A certain Count was married to
his cousin when neither had yet
reached their teens, the little bride
being only seven years of age when
the ceremony was performed. This
was done by the parents, to insure
fortunes remaining in the family.
A girl is never permitted to go out,
not even to church, unless chaperon-
ed by oneof the family, orsome other
lady, generally Of mature age. Moth
ing could be more colorless than the
life of a young Brazilian woman; she
has no taste whatever for reading
her education is of the most meagre
description, it not being considered
worth while to educate the girls.
The necessity for educating boys is
understood by parents, and those who
are able to do so, but girl, what
need has she for an education?
They would laugh at such high
flown ideas, should anyone suggest
that their daughters be given the
benefits Of an education, as a resource
at hand for their own enjoyment, or
that they might be intelligent COM
panions, capable Of stimulating the
intellects of their children, and their
husbands, too, for that matter.
A very large majority of the Bra
lillian girls could not tell who is the
Emperor of Germany, or that Presi-
dent Garfield and the Gar of Russia
were assassinated; the Soudan, or
General Gordon, are riddlers to their
minds. They are even ignorant of
some of the most important histori-
cal facts relating to their own land,
and of the thousand and one other
topics that the women of America
and other countries are generally con-
versantwith
They embroider, crochet, and study
music, but usually lack the patience
and application necessary to excel in
the latter.
If they want drink of water, OF
their shoes changed, they call slave
to do it. Many can sew and do their
own dress-making, being very expert
with the needle, their natural antipa.
thy to work being overcome by THEN
love of dress.
Their conversation is utterly friv.
olous, and when with familiars they
talk very loud, and in the most ami
mated manner, gesticulating and
beating the air with their hands and
arms, all talking at once with seldom
saying anything worth saying.
If the Brazilian girl does not marry
at the age when she ought to be play
ing with her dolls, she frequently
continues to play with her dolls unit
she does marry. The writer remem
bers seeing young woman, appar
emily about eighteen years of age, il
a street car, in the city of Bahia, will
a doll in her lap, which she cared fo
and handled the same as little cir
would do; and it is no unusual thing
for young married women to owl
and play with these and similar fix
lures of the nursery.
One young woman named Marie
had five or six dolls, upon whose gar
ments she spent much of her time
When she married, she insisted upol
taking them to her new home; bu
when this home became invaded b.
less tractable babies, she was finall.
obliged to bury her inanimate quon
dam friends, with all their finery, il
trunk, probably to be resurrecte'
by other little Maries, when they viii
again be nursed and made confidant
of.