The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1891-10-03

Comparatively little can be said q
girl-iife In Portugal for girls have
such very slight role in the life Of
the nation In childhood they are
bright clever and prccocious very
much spoiled and very much dressed.
A formal respect TO their parents Is
insisted on. however; they address
them in the third person. kiss their
hands and ask their blessing at bed
time. They are constantly In the com
pany OF grown-up people sit up late
At night and are frequently taken 70
the theatre and opera A little girl Of
nine amused me very much one day by
grave criticism on the voices OF
Nine Nevada and Theodorini. who
were then singing at San Carlos and
the parts In which thoy respectively
shone. Conversation Is not restrained
Ia the presence OF children. so they
are early initiated into that freedom OF
ideas and freedom OF expressing them
that Is so marked feature OF society
in Southern Europe.
The education OF Portuguese girls Ia
superficial. consisting chiefly in what
used to be called accomplishments
music, embroidery. and languages.
In all three they attain great pro-
ficiency. and In the latter they excel.
The Portuguese unlike the Spaniards
and Italians. are first-class linguists;
they are. in many cases as fluent In
French. English and German as In.
their mother tongue. and conquer the
difficulties OF accent and idiom with
accuracy. There are schools OF all
sorts in Lisbon; government schools.
private schools. and convent schools
belonging 10 the French order OF st.
Vincent de Paul; Tor since the suppress
sion OF the national religious houses in
1884. these nuns have quietly spread
their influence and multiplied their in
stitntions and have now almost ex-
c!usively in their hands the education
OF girls OF the higher classes. They
leave school at fifteen Or sixteen. some
times little earlier and marry very
soon after. Among the upper ten
thousand the young people meet each
other constantly. at balls. receptions.
bull-hghts. and at the summer resorts
and their courtship is cosmopolitan.
rather freer than in France. much less
SO than I'm England. IL Is In the middle
and lower classes that il Is character
istic OF the country and the nation.
The Portuguese are very conscrva-
tive In their ideas of the position OF
women in society. and they got their
ideas from their Moorish masters In
Dygone centuries. Consequently girls
lead a very shut-in life; they go regu-
larly 10 mass on Sunday mornings and
take occasional walks during the week.
always with one or two chaperons.
Young men never call at the house.
and If they did would not be admitted
except on business This strictness
leaves but one way open for an inter.
| change OF sentiments. and that Is the
window, and IL is quite the thing 10
make use OF it, 1t is not considered
ill-bred TO stare in Portugal; a man
may stare at n girl he does not know
rs long as he likes; he must not do 80
TO a girl he has been introduced TO I'M
less she gives him some encourage
ment by returning his glances
A girl will sit at her window all
tho afternoon looking into the
street. and her adorer from
the street looks at her and this is so
much tho custom that il attracts no
attention from the pas ers-hy. From
looks they proc ed TO bows TO smiles.
to few words. then he follows her TO
church, finds out II she Is going 10 the
theatre and goes too, sercnades her
with his guitar on moonlight nights
and finally makes an offer TO her father
lie is then received by the family. and
allowed TO come 10 the house In quiet
way till the wedding. and after that
the young couple usually live either
with her pa ents or with his. and the
even tenor OF their life continues
heard a Portuguese gentleman who hal
Travelled and WIS considered ''hommc
du monde, say: Marriage makes nc
difference in the life OF woman: b.
fore il she lives with her mother. afte-
il she lives with her mother; what
more could she want?" From Alta.
lanta.