The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-07-21
The Brazilian Girl.

Girls are sometimes married so young
in Brazil that they become mothers at
twelve or thirteen years of age. A GER
tain 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 pa
rents to insure their fortunes remain
ing in the family. A girl is never per-
mitted to 90 out, not even to church,
unless chaperoned by one of the family,
or some other lady, generally of mature
age. Nothing could be more colorless
than the life of young Brazilian
woman: she has no taste whatever for
reading, her education is of the most
meagre description, it not being consid-
cred worth while to educate girls. The
necessity of educating boys is under
stood by parents, and those who are
able do so; but girl, what need has she
for an education? They would laugh at
such high-hown ideas, should any one
suggest that their daughters be given the
benefits of an education as recource at
hand for their own enjoyment, or that
they might be intelligent companions,
capable of stimulating the intellects of
their children, and husbands, too, for
that matter. Avery large majority of the
Brazilian girls could not tell who is the
Emperor of Germany, or that President
Garfield and the Car of Russia were
assassinated: the Soudan and General
Gordon are riddles to their minds. They
are even ignorant of some of the most
important historical facts relating to
their own land, and of the thousand and
one other topics that the women of
America and other countries are gener-
ally conversant with. They embroider,
crochet, and study music, but usually
lack the patience and application neces-
sary to excel in the latter. If they
want a drink of water or their shoes
changed, they call slave to do it
Many can sew, and do their own dress.
making, being very convenient with the
needle, their natural antipathy to work
being overcome by their love of dress
Their conversation is utterly frivolous
and when with familiars they talk very
loud, and in the most animated man
ner, gesticulating and beating the all
with their hands and arms, all talking
at once, with seldom anything worth
saying. If the Brazilian girl does not
marry at an age when she ought to be
playing with her dolls, she frequently
continues to play with her dolls unit
she does marry. The writer remembers
seeing young woman, apparently abou
eighteen years of age, in a street car
in the city of Bahia, with doll in hel
lap, which she cared for and handled
the same as a little girl would do, anC
it is no unusual thing for young married
women to own and play with these anC
similar fixtures of the nursery. One
young woman named Marie had fiv,
or six dolls, upon whose garments sht
spent much of her time. When sh,
married she insisted upon taking then
to her new home, but when this hom'
became invaded by less tractable babies
she was finally obliged to bury her in
animate, quondam friends, with al
their finery, in a trunk, probably to b'
resurrected by other little Maries, whel
they will again be nursed and mad,
confidants of.-Brooklyn Magazine.