The record-union., 1892-01-09
WAKEMAN'S WANDERINGS.
A Study of Lisbon Women, Men
and Manners.
Quaint Street Sights and Scenes
Lowly Types and ways-The Water
Carriers of Lisbon-The tsDickens
of Americas on His Tramp Through
Portugal.
Special Correspondence of REcoRD-UNIoN-
Copyright, Edgar L. Wakeman, 1921

iueIe Is udTuly announcer CITY III LuS
world where neatness in attire is so gen.
eral as in Lisbon. You cannot find an
uncleanly or q slovenly person in the city
outside of beggars, who are numerous,
licensed and therefore professional, and
who all affect both rags and filth. The
middle classes and the aristocracy are
faultlessly dressed, and spotless linen
from nobleman to lighterman and fisher
man is here as delightful universally
as in that other elysium of the lavendera,
fair and brilliant Havana.
With men, throughout the various
ranks of the aristocracy and among gen.
tlemen of leisure. gallauts, merchants,
professional men, and even with clerks,
the normal condition seems to be one of
faultless dressing. 1t is also observable
that no one seems gotten up for any oc-
casion, or as if only occasionally gotten
up. You can never surprise these Portu-
gueSe gentlemen, or discover them out
of good form as to their attire. They are
never oVer-dressed, but they are always
well-dresSed. 1t is difficult to say how
much of this is the result of national good
taste. But 1t is certainly more possible
with Portuguese men, where finger is
never lifted to manual labor, than with
idea of helping ones self and others, or
performing any duty necessary to the
furtherance of business is not repugnant.
The men of Lisbon are the best served
men in the world. More than 10000
Spaniards are practically their slaves
These are my old friends the Gallegans,
from the north of Spain, among W hom /
wandered two winters ago. They are
most docile of all servants and the best.
For the value of an American fve-cent
piece they will go anywhere and perform
miracles of service. They are not usually
attached TO a single individual or house
hold. They are everywhere, and are any
ones porter, servant or valet, at mo-
ment's warning. The magical kissing
sound, "Sh-s-s-s-s," uttered anywhere in
Lisbon, will bring one instantly to your
side. And so the poorest clerk may have
his valet, seamstresS-for he Will mend
your clothing with the deXterity of a
tailor-and all in one, as much or little
as he likes or can afford.
AS much cannot be said for the women.
Their street appearance is not SO charac-
terlstle nor so graceful as the Spanish
women. Phe beautiful mantilla is less
worn here than seems fitting, or as one
could wish. One feels, when group of
Senhorftas are met in the pracas or seen.in
costly equipages on the Campo Grande,
that unlike all other women of the Latin
races they possess no distinct air or style
or presence of their own. In dress they
are, i'll fact, composite, and like Bayreuth
architecture, which is in Europe the uni
Versal simile for every manner of style in
congruouSIy composed, "a Portuguese lady
often presents startling combinations Of
date and style in her most priced and
sumptuous attire. She still possesses a
fine carriage and figure, and, as l have
previously stated, certain honesty and
whoIeSomeneSS of face and look. and par
ticularly an ever glowing radiance of eye
and smile, which command the best sort
OF liking and respect.
The artist and sentimentalist in gen
eral, will not find the poetic and rhap-
sodic type so frequent here as in Spain,
Italy and Algiers, but the conversation
is at hand in a better type of womanhood.
In what may be termed the middle classes
there are few ravishingly beautiful
women. They are often tall and angular
or short and stout, in either of which
cases the rather small and oval face has
not the same attractiveness as with daint-
Ter women of petite and symmetric figure,
Women of the latter type are oftener
found in Lisbon in the two farthest re-
moved classes, among the nobility and
peasant and servant classes. The latter
are most invariably beautiful in face and
figure. So many of the female servants
as may be seen upon the streets can al
ways be readily observed at the foun-
tains, where, with the Gallegans, they
perform the duties of water-carriers,
while they often, to the number of two
and three, accompany their mistresses
for promenades or to the shops. Then
the flower market is full of beautiful
girls; the daily procession of the fish
women from Belem contains many ex-
traordinary types, though painfully
straight from always carrying their fish
upon their heads; and the peasant women
who come with flowers, butter, milk,
eggs and cheese from the outlying farms
are almost invariably wenches of grace
ful carriage, perfect figure and piquant
and often lovely face.
NO klnder-hearted, more hospitable or
polite people exist than those of Portugal
Politeness here has not the ffippancy of
the French nor the unmeaning pretense
OF the Spanish. 1t is more redundant and
opulent than with either of the former,
but 1t possesses genuine sincerity The
effort to please comes from right feeling
rather than through form and custom, with
cold-hearted calculation of profit behind
This extends to, and is even most marked
among the lowly, who seem to be the
most sunny-faced and kind-hearted peo-
pie who live. Among every manner of
city servlng-men and women there is a
chlvalry and apparent earnestness in in
terchange of greeting and commonest civ
ility which often reaches the ludicrous to
brusque Americans. Their gravity and
dignity in this regard are really wonder
full. The cumulative adiectives applied
to intensifying the formal expression of
mutual regard and leading up to those
highest titles of respect, senior and SEN
nora never are less expressed than most
adored," 'truest regarded, !" "most heart
thrillingly beloved" or exceeding and
most illustrious."
Even the beggars speak to each other
in precisely these courtly terms, and if
you should refuse them aims with the
customary phrase, Pardon! in the name
of God, - they will follow you only to bless
and shower benedictions upon you.
You can never tire OF the street scenes
OF Lisbon. From Belem, nearer the sea,
every morning comes the procession OF
nsh-women. Iney are most picturesque
IN their blue kirtles, huge black felt hats
bare feet and legs, massive gold earrings
complexion brown and eyes as piercing
black as Spanish gypsies, and their bask-
cts OF whlte ana cleaning fish. They re-
mind one strangely of the same class of
women who come up from the CIaddagh
every morning in Galway But the
lives of the former are SUMMER, and thew
are a genial kindly lot without a yuloar
word on their endless chattering tongues.
Over from Seixal, Aldea Gallega and
Alcochete every morning come boat loads
of market stuff and peasantry, while
down from the mountain villages, behind
the city, stream the peasant men and
women. The women among these bring
along, with every manner Of small pro-
duce, some of the prettiest feetand ankles:
the barefooted habits of many, and the
short-skirted petticoats of all, ever give
unconscious display. The crates, casks,
pouches, baskets, ewers and wheel-like
glgantlc wooden platterS these women
brIng with them, carrying nearly every
thing upon their heads, are of incredible
size and weight Thick, goiter-like necks
are the result, but their grace and bright
ness. as beasts of hl1,.llon nra 1,insorna