St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-07-06
BRAZILIAN GIRLS.
Married While Children and Moth
erS at Twelve.

Married While Children and Moth
erS at Twelve.
Brooklyn Magazine.
Girls are sometimes married so young in
Brazil that they become mothers at 10 OF IS
years Of age. A certain count was married
to his cousin when neither had yet reached
their teens. the little bride being only Z
years of age when the ceremony was per-
formed. This was done by the parents to
insure their fortunes remaining in the
family.
A girl is never permitted to 60 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 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 girls. The neces-
sity for educating boys is understood by
parents, and those who are able do so,
but girl, what need has she for an educa-
ton? They would laugh at such high
flown ideas, should any one 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 in
telligent companions, capable of stimulat-
ing the intellects of their children, and hus-
bands, too, for that matter.
A very large majority of the Brazilian
girls could not tell who is the emperor of
Germany, or that President Garfield and
the Gar of Russia were aSsassinated; the
Soudan or 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
generally conversant with. They en-
broider, crochet and study music, but
usually lack the patience and application
necessary to excel in the latter.
If they want a drink of water, or their
shoes changed, they call a slave to do it.
Many can sew and do their own dressmak-
ing, being very expert with the needle,
their natural antipathy to work being over
come by their love of dress. Their CONVEX
sation is utterly frivolous, and when with
familiars they talk very loud and in the
most animated manner. gesUiculating and
beating the air with their hands and arms,
all talking at once, with seldom anything
worth saying.
Ii the Brazilian girl does not marry at
the age when she ought to be playing with
her dolls, she frequently continues to play
with her dolls until she does marry The
writer remembers seeing a young woman
apparently about Is years of age, in street
car, in the city OF Bahia, with doll in her
lap. which she cared for and handled the
same as little girl would do, and it is no
unusual thing for young married women to
own and play with these and similar fix
lures of the nursery. One young. woman
named Marie had five or six dolls, upon
whose garments she spent most of her time
When she married she insisted upon taking
them to her new home, but when this
home became invaded by less tractable
babies she was finally obliged to bury her
inanimate. quondam friends, with all their
finery in trunk, probably to be resurrected
by other little Maries, when they will again
be nursed and made confidants of.