The Opelousas courier., 1891-10-31
HOW THE CHILIANs LIVE.
BOTH MEN AND WOMEN LEAD A
LANGUID SORT OF LIFE.

Reiatious-A Chifian Household
The fair Ghilena rises late, says Fannie
B. Ward in the Washington Star. She
dresses hastily, throwing a charitable
shawl about her shoulders, her little feet
thrust earelessly into slippers, her
splendid black hair, snarles and all,
plated in two long braids that fall down
her back, and her additions, if she
troubles herself to make any, being
merely a form of p~oliteness at the wash
bowl. Of course she must go to morn
ing mass, but the big black mania that
custom demands for that service, drawn
over the head to the eyes and closely en-
yeloping the body, obviates thu neces-
sity for any further dressing. Nh every
case the Chilian woman prefers a silk or
wooden gown, however solled and tat
tered, to the finest and freshest cotton
fabric, for she considers the latter ma
terial the exclusive property of servants
and despised gringoes or foreigners.
Thus en- deshabille she dawdles about,
amusing herself with fancy work or
doing nothing at all, until ennui drives
her to seek relief in shopping or paying
visits. Then the glossy hair mounts up
on top of her head in a marvellous heap,
the slipshod slippers give place to French
boots with the highest heels and most
peaked toes that were ever intended to
torture their foolish wearer, and in al
the splendor of costly apparel, than
which Solomon in all his glory va never
so arfayed, she sallies forth with stately
tread, generally bareheaded, closely fol-
lowed By a servant, whose business it is
to bear my lady's purse. handkerchief,
parasol and whatever triie she may pur-
chase. at the sunset hour or in the early
evening before time for opera or tertulia
she repairs to the promenade to enjoy
a little music and perhaps some mild
charlottesville last mentioned amuse-
nent, however, being discreetly restricted
to signs, t'sheep's eyes" and following
footsteps.
Thus for the women the days go by
inone monotonous round, year in and out.
The men omit the mass, look a little af-
ter their business affairs, if they have
any, during the middle of the day, but
diligently attend to the promenade, the
opera and tertulia or to the gaming
table for the night. Gambling is a ma.
tional habit. In many of the SWEETEST
easas of Santiago and Valparaiso the
gaming table is regularly set out and
forms 4 Of the features of private en-
treatments, like the baccarat Of Great
Britain, which lately plunged the eldest
hope of her respected majesty into SUCH
boiling water. In Chill the poorest peon
and raggedest gamin may be seen at all
times in the alleys and by-Ways betting
medios and centavos (the pennies and
nickels of the country with as much
eagerness as the wealthy mine owner
stakes his golden ounces. The tallest
gambling that has ever came under my
own observation took place on a steamer
between Copiapo and T~aIcahuano, when
a man who had recently ssstruck it rich
10 copper at the Ataeama mines lost
$4,000 in a single night. There are
laws against gaming, but they are seldom
enforced.
In Chill the man who makes your
shoes, the tailor who cuts your coat, the
woman who irons your linen will charge
according to your steloth" for his or her
service. II you claim to be a gentleman
by dressing up to the character the price
will be enormous; but il you are a trades
man, a clerk or a laborer of any deserip-
ton it will be more moderate. Should
you be so excessively vulgar as 10 ven
ture to the market in person TO purchase
3 piece of meat it will cost you at least
forty cents a pound; but il you send a
servant he will buy the sams quantity
and better quality for half the money.
In Chill the greatest repect is shown
by children to their parents, but the ten.
der love between mother aud daughter,
as It exists among US, is almost I'M
known.
A young girl never leaves the house
OF her parents unless accompanied By
some member of the family or a female
If she goes to pay a visit the
duenna waits for her at the front door
or gossips with the female servants. In
terVieWs between young ladies and
gentlemen never take place except ii
tnG pkSSGnG6 III utllGISs H.
Servants are abundant, and if one does
not please a better maT be readily OBJ
famed, 50 that Gillian ladies are entirely
from some Of the responsibilities
that harass northern housekeepers. Here
ne hire of servants IS 50 cheap and their
demands so moderate that people can
easily afford the FIVE or six that
usually compose the kitchen brigade
than the matron of the United States her
one or two. Eight dollars a month is &
high price to pay ones cook, and 50 on
Town the scale to nothing but his sskeepe
for the errand boy, who is ~everVbody's
servant and the hardest-worked member
Of the household.
In every Gillian household hospitality
q evening visitors IS expressed BIZ tea
md cakes, the hostess always pouring
out the beverage and a servant handing
Ito the guests. The beverage Of the
common people IS yerba mate, the leaves
# q shrub that grows In Paraguay, and
t is also much used By the better classes,
the Chinese plant takes It's place
n the parlor. Yerba mate is a slightly
'xhilerating drink, with the taste Of tea
md q faint SAVIOR of tobacco. It is pre-
by putting D little burnt sugar IN
he bottom q cup, then q pinch or two
i the dried leaves, after which boiling
IS poured on and it is drunk
teaming hot, or rather sucked through
tube. The poor use little gourds for
with a bamboo tube called q
.ombilIa, while the rich indulge in eIa-