Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-08-15
Girl-Life In Portugal.

From Atalanta-
Comparatively little can be said OF gfrl-life In
Portugal. for girls have such very slight role
in the life Of the nation. In childhood they
are bright. clever and precocious, very much
spoiled and very much dressed. A formal re-
spect to their parents 10 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 company of grown
up people. sit up late at night and are fire.
quently taken to the theater and opera lit
tie girl OF nine amused we very much one day
by grave criticism on the voices Of Mines. Me-
vada and Theodorlnl, who were then singing ~
San Carlos, and the parts In which they re-
spectively shone. Conversation il mot re-
strained in the presence OF children, they
are early initiated into that freedom OF ideas
and freedom OF expressing them that IL
marked a feature Of society in southern Europe
The education Of Portuguese girls IL super
fetal, consisting chiefly IN what used 20 be
called accomplishment embroidery
and languages. In all three they attain great
proficiency, and in the latter they excel The
Portuguese, unlike the SpaniarGs and Italians,
are 6rst-class linguists; they are, in many
cases, fluent in French, English and German
in their mother tongue. and conquer tie
difficulties OF accent and idlom with great accu-
racy. There are schools OF al sorts in Lisbony
government schools, private schools and oon-
vent schools belonging TO the French order of
st. Vincent de Paul; for since the supprsssioa
of the national religious houses in 1884 thess
nuns have quietly spread their influence and
multiplied their institutions and have now al
most exclusively in their hands the education
of girls Of the higher classes. They leave
school at fifteen or sixteen, sometimes
earlier, and marry very soon after. Among
the upper ten thousand" the young people
meet each other constantly at balls receptions,
bull fights and at the summer resorts, and
their courtship is cosmopolitan, rather freer
than in France, much less than in England.
1t is in the middle and lower classes that il 10
characteristic OF the country and the nation.
The Portuguese are very conservative IN thels
ideas of the position of women in society and
they got their ideas from their Moorish masters
in bygone centuries. Consequently girls Iced
a very shut-in life; they go regularly 10 mass On
Sunday mornings and take occasional walks dur
ing the week, always accompanied by one OF
two chaperons. Young men never call Ut the
house, and IL they die would not be admitted
except on business" This strictness leaves
but one way open for an interchange OF senth
ments and thai is the window. and il il quite
the thing to make use Of II. Ii ID not consicL
cred in-bred to stare in Portugal man may
stare at girl he does not know az long As he
likes He must not do SO TO q girl he has been
introduced TO unless she gives him some
encouragement by returning his glances- 4
girl will sit at her window all the after
noon looking into the street, and her sdoreS
from the street looks at her, and this isso much
the custom that il attracts no attention from
the passers-by. From looks they proceed 70
bows to smiles, to a few words, then he follows
her TO church, finds out IL she is going 10 the
theater, and goes too, serenades her with his
guitar on moonlight nights, and finally makes
an offer TO her father. He is then received by
the family and allowed to come to the house IN
. quiet way till the wedding. and after that the
young couple usually live either with her par.
ents or with his, and the even tenor Of then
life continues.
I heard q Portuguese gentleman who had
travelled and was considered HON me du monde
say: Marriage makes no difference IN ths
life Of woman; before il she lives with hss
mother, after It she lives with her mothsz
what more could she want?'