The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-10-17
THE WOMEN OF BRAZIL.
Some are Very Beautiful but Most
all Live Purposeless Lives.

Society in Brazil is divided into three
distinct c-lasses-the arIstocrats. the mid
die, and the lower classes. says the Chicago
Herald. The ladies of the upper class are
~undepiably beautiful. They have raven
black hair. white teeth and perfect forms,
and if it were not for the enormous
amount of plaster-of-p paris enamel with
which they cover their faces they might
have lovely, creamy complexions. But
their wondrous eyes are the chief and
never ending charm-large, dark, lus-
trous and full of expression, throwing
more meaning into a single glance than
an hours conversation could possibly
convey; for. though attractive and captl-
waiting in their simplicity and grace, they
may not be able to write a single sentence
correctly-for the education of women is
net considered essential to their happi-
ness. They learn embroidery and music
indifferently, and spend their lives in
rocking chairs and hammocks, never
reading a book of any description.
The girls are very fond of their dolls,
taking them wherever they go. even to
church, and never give up playing with
them until they are married, which Is
generally between the ages OF twelve and
sixteen years, thus early assuming the
important and responsible duties of life.
Young mothers, little more than twenty,
with four or five small children, are no
uncommon sight.
Brazilian ladies never go out. even in
daytime. without the family or a servant;
they seldom go out at all. They do not
nave gentleman visitors, and if a young
man who has been associated with a girl
in childhood, or who by some accident is
allowed to visit the family. becomes a
lover, he is Immediately elected from the
house, and the courtship proceeds from
the balcony to the street, II
cretly, never through the mail. Often a
gentleman sees a lady for the first Time on
a balcony, at the opera or at church, and
falls in love with her. A cour.ship like
the above ensues; they become engaged,
frequently without knowing more OF
each other than they can learn from in
quiry; know nothing of each others
minds, tastes, characters or dispositions.
[ was told of u gentleman who thus court
ed a girl for eight long years Il left her
three months after marriage.
If a Brazilian girl should walk with a
gentleman not ner relative in the day
time it would ruin her. If the lover de-
sire an engagement to the ball or opera,
or q promenade with his senora, he must
first propose at headquarters, then seek
her pleasure, and If she accord, the whole
family goes along,
Among the lower classes there are
DleulY III WOnlCA ~ ROOpt - v
with bare, brown feet thrust in small
Turkish slippers, whose neels %clatter
along the dusty pavement in the most
slipshod style. These women lead simple,
purposeless lives. going to mass every
morning, where they may be seen kneel-
ing throughout the entlre service, as no
seats are provided in their churches. In
the evening they are found sitting in
groups on the ground, their nude children
around them, smoking their long
stemmed pipes and gossiping with their
neighbors or the passer-by. Their dress
generally consists OF one garment, a loose
hanging skirt, with straps over the shout
ders, and reaching but little below the
knee. The arms and neck are always
bare, M it makes not the slightest diff
| ference whether strangers are present or
not. They seem perfectly happy and con-
tented with their lives, and are always
ready to chat with anyone they may hap
| pen to meet.
The Care of the Little One.
Under no circumstances give q child
drops, stimulants or sirups to produce
| sleep. Let the physician be made respon-
sible for this dangerous practice. The ex-
citemenJ of being tossed and jumped by
a too ardent papa, the glare of the dinner
| table or a tardy romping about the room
| often unstrlng the delicate nerves and
| chase away sleep. Hunger is often the
cause of distress at bed time, and negli-
gance on the part of the nurse to observe
it is another reason for fretfulness.
In washing, sponging or bathing a child
wet the head first. One bath a day IS
enough for a sturdy little one; one every
week is all that should be inflicted upon
a feeble child. Give 3 sponge bath for
the daily washing, and follow it with
brisk rubbing. A rag is unfit for a baby's
| toilet. Get a fine sponge, use water at a
| temperate of so degrees and white Spanish
CASTLE soap, and let the youngster have
as many bites of the sponge as he wants.
Exchange.
Boston Women.
What strikes the pilgrim from other
lands is the predominance of women in
| Boston. Women everywhere-in the res
taurants. behind the lunch counters, in
| the shops, IN the offices, women seem to
be doing all the work. / don't find any
more civil than the men. 1 only wish
they could become street car conductors.
Probably they may some day.
Down at Nantasket Beach you find
the same superabundance of the fair sex.
They preside at the popcorn booths with
all the dignity of long lineage and great
mental developement. Foreigners from
New York or Chicago, ignorant of the
customs of the country, sometimes make
an effort to be pleasant with these young
ladies. The result is always disastrous
to the foreigner.
"Ill wait upon you, but I'll not be ia
miliar with you"
That's the shibboleth Of the 30 tor
serving lady.
| was much amused at the attempt Of
one OF these Foreigners just mentioned
to bestow q small fee upon one of these
young women. She drew herself up with
all the hauteur of family pride-for nc
doubt her name was Winthrop, OF
Adams, or Hancock. or Winslow-and
then she remarked
Excuse me, sir. we are literally re-
warded for our services by the corporate
E@v~v~~~V~vvs~v-v ss~s%vsv~~S hoouo
Nsaa b. it,