The Portland daily press., 1899-04-01
WOMEN IN URUGUAY.
They Are Beautiful aud wen Dressed
but Hedgcd Aboas by n Rigid wall Of
Etiquette. .a

starr
1t would surprise many Americans VIII
look upon society south of the equator rs
half savage to know that there are many
Montevidean women who wear evening
aud visiting dresses which cost 500 dol
lars apiece, and that few Of the upper
ten have single dresses in their ward
robes for which they have paid from $500
TO 81 coo in gold. Their best dresses coioe
from Paris. and they have the styles as
soon as New York. Our women may
also be surprised to learn that the South
American cities are among the best dia-
moud markets of the world, and that at
great receptions fortunes in diamond 5
are worn. The use Of jewels is more com
mon In Montevideo than in either New
York or Washington.
Take the instance of a recent dinner
here. One of the best dressed women
present was the wife of the vice consul
general of the United States, Mrs Thorn
as Howard. Mr.. Howard is an American
who camo to Montevideo years ago and
who il now one Of the wealthiest men of
the republic. His wife is an Orientale Of
one of the best families. At this dinner
she wore a gown of brocaded white satin
trimmed with wide drapery OF point
lace, which festooned the whole skirt and
its long train. Her oorssge was trimmed
with row of diamond BUTTERFLIES, some
Of which were quite large. and these dia-
rnonds ran from shoulder to shou der. At
this dinner there wers other costumes
equally fine, among the most common of
the ornaments being aigret plumes fas-
tened to the hair with elaborate diamond
9ins.
Uruguayan women are of the Spanish
sype tall and well formed. The scrawny
girls are few ard the average maiden is
large boned. we'll rounded and plump.
As the women grow older they run to
adipose tissue. aud not u few of the elder
Iy danes ara fat. The type is uniform.
The eyes of most of the women are dark,
Tut full of lustsr, and their complexions
are clear, dark and rosy. Both young
men ara young women look clean and
healthy ana show great animation OF
face ami style. The men are as careful OF
their dress as the women, and those OF the
upper classes are very particular as TO
Just what they wear upon every occasion.
White gloves, you know, always go with
full dress. l am told that our minister
wore yellow ones when he was presented
to tine PRESIDENT and that the cirlum-
stance was 10 noticed that it formed one
of the subjects of society gossip for some
days thereafter
There are no cities In the world where
etiquette Is of more account than in the
south American capitals. There is In
Montevideo an etiquette of the pavement.
The oriental thinks none but boor would
allow a lady to walk upon the outside of
ths pavement in going ong the street
with him. The inside is the place of
honor, and the lady must always have 1T.
If two ladies go together, the young lay
always takes the outside. If two gentle
men walk together. each vies with the
other in trying to make him take the in
side. A host must always give his guest
the inside, and the man of low rank gives
the man of high rank with whom he Is
walking the inside honorable path.
Girls never appear ON the street without
q chaperone. If a young woman goes for
a walk or to shop, she cannot do SO with
ont her mother or aunt or servant girl is
with her. She may take u nurse girl of
thirteen or fourteen, not because she is of
any earthly good TO guard her, but as a
ladge of respeotability as IA chaperone
NJ omen never make the first bow to ths
lpeO they meet on the street. The man
must take OFF his hat, or the woman can
not notice him, and If he does not do this
it Will be considered a slight by the
woman Young unmarried men and wo-
men cannot walk along the street together,
chaperone or no chaperone, and a nom
light ride OF a young woman and young
man would not only ruin the girls repu-
tation. but would result in the social os
tracism of both. Young men who have
sisters never ask their men friends to
come to thsir houses, and, as for a young
man spending an evening alone with his
IaR 10 iG n t nd
Even among themselves young ladies
have no such intercourse as in the United
States There ara no musical clubs, |
Shakespeare clubs or woman smiss ionafy |
societies. A young man has no chance to |
learn the character of IA woman before he
proposes for her hand. His sisters will |
know but little about her, and his only |
avenue of information is through the ser |
wants. From these he may possibly find |
out something as to her disposition and
habits-whether she is or is not big
eater, and what it takes to keep her.