The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-31
A LAND OF LOVELY GIRLS
Chilean Maids Are Closely Guard
ed by Chaperons.
The Women OF Chile. Old and Young
Are Great Churchgoers md DeNof-
ed to the Opera. where They Are
Seen in Fine Gowns and Gems.

ed to the Opera. Where They Are
Seen in Fine Gowns and Gems
Mrs. Henry Lane Wilson, wife of the
limited states Minister to Santiago, IhlIe'
has recently returned to this country ana
in speaking of her life at her husband
post, said:
Chile is a land of lovely girls, but
they are much hamoered by the chaper-
on A girl never goes out alone, though
she NAV go out accompanied by her sis
ter They have the most beautiful eyes L
have ever seen. They are not so well e'iu-
Gated as the girls in this country, eN-
cept in the languages Every girl knows
several languages, French, Spanish, and
English at the very least. The only free
dom that the girls have is at the Plaza,
where the chaperons go, but they soon
get tired and sit down and then the girls
walk about By themselves. The American
and English girls shock the southern PEG
nile by the way in which they go about
unattended.
THE people are great churchgoers. the
women doing the most praying. Nheh-
ever woman or a girl goes to church
she wears a black crepe shawl over her
head. This is said to be done to make
ali equal in church, and there is no look
ing around to see who has new bonnet.
In Peru. the women wear the lace man
tilla instead of the crepe. Chile is
great Roman Catholic country. They
have magnificent cathedrals and grand,
spectacular professions. Men carry great
golden images on their shoulders ana all
the people throw flowers as they go by.
The women gather on the balconies ana
when the procession approaches they fan
,l., hot ny p,ar-G
In showers over the priests and those in
the procession. 1t was often wonder
to me how the women accomplished their
housekeeping for every morning the
streets would he filled with blacll-man-
lied women on their way to the churches.
The women of Santiago dress eN-
travagantly almost too much so on the
streets They wear light silks, satins,
and Iaces and their street costumes on
this account seem in very poor taste. On
the other hand, in Valparaiso, which is
only q thirty minutes ride from san
tiago the women wear tailor-made suits
and sailor hats. play golf. and do all
sorts Of English things. and in Santiago
it is quite the other way. The people
40 not exert themselves very much. 1T is
called q land of do-nothing, but since
coming back to this country / am in
clined TO think they do about as much
as the average American
THE place to see the fine clothes is at
the opera. A company comes over from
Italy each year, and there is an opera
season of sixty nights. The opera is Civ
en- about four evenings a week. and al
WAYS on Sunday evening, that being the
fashionable night. as it is in most Catho-
lie countries. The opera house is one of
al
$4ta, coo. 1t has tiers of boxes or polcos,
to the ceiling.
The boxes are supported by large,
white figures with golden wings and
they are filled with these lovely women In
the richest and handsomest OF gowns and
fairly blazing with diamonds. One night
woman wore point lace dress and had
diamond shoulderstraps. She also had
necklace and hair ornaments of diamonds.
The women wear their Jewels in sets.
cannot describe the effect, for every
woman sParkles with gems. They do not
seem TO care much for the operas. They
take the boxes for the season, one person
securing the box for all the "A nights,
and others for other nights, and the
operas are arranged accordingly.
They know the operas. for they are the
standard operas that have been heard.
year after year, ard II is said that they
20 to the opera TO see each other and not
to hear an opera, unless IL may be new
one, occasionally brought out. This VIII
seem more true when ] tell you that the
GlUlCS seat III the BOA Is NIt pllt lll1l
faces the audience and has its back to the
stage. Here the women sit. with their
opera glasses and lorgnettes to their eyes.
and gaze at the people in the house. The
men stare dreadfully. They get down
in front, between the acts, and simply
stare. straight into the boxes.
"A man never takes a girl to the opera
or to a dance She goes with her chape-
ron and also goes home with her It's
the same way at a party. The man meets
the girl at the party AZ the opera ne
visits from box 10 box, or in one particu-
lar box but forever under the eyes of the
chaperon.
Nearly every bit of the splendor of
the dressing comes from Paris, and they
have all the newest and latest Paris and
London STYLES. as much as any one in
this country. There are heavy duties to
pay on the gowns