Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1892-07-12
LIFE m tAxY MO.

n you lived In Brazil you woulh coon
comprehend what u meant by ~ life of
busy kileuess"-i. O., being unceasinely
employed 10 doing nothing, ey.n hurried
1t the bottles occupation, With no mo-
ments of absolute leisure except when
asleep, ret With never that comfortable
feeling experienced by IongfelIow's
Blacksmith C''somethlng attempted,
something done has earned nlGhts Ne
pose''), for here you never attempt any.
thing of account, and u you did u would
not be accomplished.
Next Ia indolence, the most impressive
trait of BRAZILIAN character IL morbid
curiosity, aud u IL that which keeps Hun
continually out of doors, persnibulsting
regular beat, like q policeman, aud
which sends him 90 the station every
morning when the train departs Tor Iiio,
and every evening when u returns.
Walk along any street In Brazil, and at
any time Ut day, and you Will observe
that nearly every window u Decorated
With female heads and shoulders hang
Ing over the sllls, while their owners
chatter With one aaother aud infinitely
Inspect al pssscrsby, evidently quite
ne Willing tn he seen ne tn ace.
Not only do the women Of the lower
classes spend most of their waking hours
In this way, but the habit IL UNIVERSAL
probably the natural outcome of the na-
tional Characteristic of morbid curiosity,
enhanced BY the Latin notion that Tor
females "a little learning isa dangerous
thing" that reading IA not good Tor
them, and that work of every Kind should
De left entirely To the servants. Thus
ladies of upper tendon have not even
the care of their own children 10 occupy
their thoughts, aud society orialns that
|, they must not walk abroad unless ACCOM-
panied by some male relative. There
fore. without resources In themselves or
cultivated tastes Ia gr,tify-no,hlng
In the world to do but to eat, sleep, aud
look A. pretty ss nature Will allo~--the
pcor things ARE driven Ia pass much al
their u.-lc.. lives loungins In balconies
and hanging out of windows.
The ouly alternative IL religion ani
music and La both Distraction. they In
duigr Ia exccss, without going very
deeply Into why's aud whrwforrs. Day
after day. year Ia aud out, Que may hear
them stunning over aud over again the
same llghiest Of wrench, spanish and
i'ortugese operas, until the wonder
grows that In crowded conmuniiIes--
the windows aud door. be'pg always
open the neighbors ARE not driven stark
staring mad as perhaps they would be
we're not the nol.c partially drowned 10y
tia, they wer. making them .el,e.-the
.sme air. belng continually r,iilcd on
every plano by all NJ aud down The
/ street.
shopping In Brs,ll :. by no means the
pleasant occupation Que may find u IN
Nsx York. Everywhere In that coun-
try you will hnd the merchants blocking
their own doorwsy., even during th.
busiest hours of the day, by standing In
them, CARING Into ID. street, not because
they expect anything to happen, but
merely from an oycr-~c-nlng desire Ia
SEQ what other p-ople are doing; the
same Instinct which impsls them At the
theatre Ia turn their backs upon Oh. high
priced performance. and spend the time
staring at zach Other. Ifyou inslst upon
buying something, aud succc~d In PIN
ming the unwilling .hopkceper behind
al. counter, YOU cannot lnfu.. Into Him
any apparent Interest either In your bus
inc.. az his. lie trrats you With an air
that plainly says your patronage IL moth
In. Ia him.
In reply Ia your Inquiry for some de
sired article, he I. quite as likely Ia ay
d. has u not, although II may be Ia plain
sight, aud should YOU point IL out, b.
will smll. and elevate his eyebrows q. u
tn say, "what persistent bor-s these for
,igners are" Or perhaps " YOU ask Tor
a particular thing. he will direct you Ia
the ease az drawer where u ought a. h..
aud leave You Ia search Tor your-.lf.
while be hurrie. hack Ia hi street gar
log aud go.sIping. No matter how
much or how frequently YOU buy, there
l. never any discouni ani " you object
Ia an extortionate pricr. the merchant
smiles politely, shruss hl' shoulders, an'i
turn. III. entlfr attention Ia the cigarette
b. Ia. all the time been smoking, AZ u
glad Ia be- rii ~ you at any terms.
And then II IL so exaspcratlng Ia take
long walk In the brolling SUI, 10 Ind
the shop. all closssl. q. they are about
tso-thir,i. IL the tim. (slway. except
Ing Sundays because u h,pren. Ia H.
some saint. day or patriotic anniversary.
az b~viuse the alleged cuisines. hour.
have not begun, or maybe they are over
for that day, though the streets are Yet
throng-d With pos.iblc CUSTOMERS.
tine observe. With surprise that no
matter how ample q BRAZILIAN. city lot
may h.. i,e build. his house .o that IT,.
front vail. are hush with the hot. dusty.
r--king psycment.-for no ether rcs.on
than Ia morr easily crafty hi. irr-.i.tl-
bile impulse of inIuisiii,eDess. IN.
finest mansion In Ito !. q fair example ~
thI. idlosyncrsy. u IL an Immense
three story palace, and though backed b,
m,ny acre. 90 land. extending dosn Ia
the beautiful hay snd -o,ered With .plrn-
did old trees. fruits, ho~ers, fountain.
aud statusry--the grounds are entirely
neglected, bsvau.e ~. front windows,
un.h,d.d by tree or screen. Open d.
rv,tiy on the most noisy street In Tito ;
aud there the family congrcgai., forever
looking oat With curiosity unab,tri.
Every HOUSE not provided With bal
couics for observation has is window
sills carefully CUSHIONED, 80 that the oc-
cupants may hang over them With great
er comfort aud the doctor of our party
fac.tiously suggests that probably they
are fitted With rings inside, In which the
ladies may hitch their toes Ia prevent
th,m from tumbllng out When more than
half their bodie. are protrudci. 10 by
rse chance . mansion IL situated q little
way from the street, an ornamental arbor
u constructed near the curb, In which
the family nav .it and see.-lne flag.
sick-IIeadache yields to Bcccham'.
Pills.
81 tall Won mn I'm .vln ali mi. .hIn