The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-28

I gilded railings and resplendent rows of sun painted palaces-merry Larangeira, with it's hundreds of smartly equipped equipages, emblazoned trappings and liv- cry and dainty burthens of belaced and bejewelled senhoras and it's promenades lined with hashily bedizened military ohicers-gay Larangeiras, sonant with the mrth of maiden's merriment and chimes of heart reaching cathedral bells-dreamy Larangeiras, unrolling it's panorama of scenic beauty from out the sleeping shad- ows of Corcovado to the bustling Largo do Machado. where the drowsy Brazilian life is painfully alive and existence cruel ly alert. In truth, l was so wonderfully impressed with the charms Of the ayen- ida that I ventured to apostrophize it, which I am bold enough to here repeat: l What heart beneath these gilded hills Can know a touch of sorrow?
 Laved by the opalescent tides
 Of laughing Guanabara.
 What soul within this rapturous cline
 Can dream aught of the morrow?
 Where love and light, and life and bliss
 Form the incantadora.
 If on this earth there, chance to be
 | The long-sought Fl Dorado,
 'Tis found adown the sunny wales
 That rest meath Corcovado.
 The city's principal park Is known as | the Passeio Publico and fronting directly upon the bay constitutes, with it's wealth | of dark tamarind trees it's maze of wind | ing paths and labyrinth of cool retreats, | it's tasteful disposition of exotic and indi- 1 genous plants and it's tinkling cascades, a | triumph of arboreal grouping and floral 1 effect which nature and the horticulturist have combined to achieve. Numerous statues mirrored in the glassy surface of many clear pools, loom out resplendent from the dark background of evergreen l shrubbery, embellishing the serpentine promenades whose swaying vines over head are duplicated by moving shadows below, and whether it's inviting retreats | and sparkling fountains are seen in the day time, or it's shadowy gas,lit paths and crowded terrace viewed in the cool of the evening with sounds of music stealing softly through the foliage, the Passeio Pubico creates one of zthe most pleasant recollections of Rio de Janeiro and stamps upon the visitors memory an | impression as indelible as it is delighting. l But I loved to visit it best just at sun set, when the afterglow was upon the sky and its saffron shroud began to glint here and there with the unsteady light of heavens gloaming-born jewels; when the blue stretch of the bay swept from the beach at my feet to the dark outline of the sea- whose sullen swells fell in froth at the rocky base of cannon mounted Santa Cruz and yillegagnon; when each spike and thole, cross minaret and dome seemed touched with the holy radiance of etheraI fire and gibbous moon glanced askant at the glorious cruz do sul For hours have I hung over the stone balustrade of that terrace and watched solitary boat wherein a pes cador (fisherman) had been angling being propelled homeward with lazy stroke of oar. while the rich voice of the occupant, l chanting a sunset melody in unison with thud of paddle was floating over the sea. In truth there has always been to me something ineffably sad, something in- 1 effablv sweet in moonlight night upon the water I have sometimes imagined I could almost hear my souls cry in the plash of the oar-broken wave and have compared it's immensurate longings to the dreamy glister of the troubled water born but,to sigh and perish.
 Saturday Is beggar's day in Rio de Janeiro and as it is considered unlucky to receive a mendcant's curse, the sup plicant is never refused. The banks and exchange offices. called cambos, have no time to spare in meeting the demands of the beggar, consequently long row Q out upon public counter on Saturday, hut no mendicant ever takes more than one coin nor comes more than once that day
 These coins become so filthy and so menacng to health from contact with the leprous and otherwise, diseased that they in ordinary circulation are enclosed In a quantity in a stiff piece Of paper and thus pass current with no one ever think ing to remove the case and count the amount The value of the package is known by it's size nl'lreis is worth | about 20 cents and as it requires 1000 reis to reach this denomination the insignii- cant value of 40 reis piece can readily be appreciated. The law forbids lepers from walking the streets. but they evade this proEision by borrowing a horse and riding him through the thoroughfares.
 Every Saturday a most pitiable leper would appear mounted in front of the American legation. He had a rope halter, one end of which was passed around his , beasts nose and the other fastened to the stump of his right arm, the lower part oi that member having been eaten away nS the disease. His left hand was also gone and to this wrist was strapped tin cur in which coin was to be thrown. When seated upon his animal he was just upon A level with the stone stoops of the man. sion, a characteristic of Brazilian archi- lecture and the aims were easily passed to him. I paid visit to the leper hos pital and dined with one of the medical internes. There was no distinction ob z served as to those suffering with the ad- vanced stages of the disease and those merely suspected. I saw men and womer whose loss of nose or eyes and other Ia cal disfgurements had rendered then so hideous that they wore mask tS conceal it. and yet among them was beautiful young girl whose only symptom Of leprosy was peculiar isht m he' eye
 Illegitimacy is quite comnion In Brazi l and foundlngs are, taken in by th' dozens every night. One hospital whicf cares especially for these unfortunates has a large hole in the enclosing wal back of which is a wheel, a cradle beini at the end of each felloe. When the chiie is placed in the cradle by the abandonini parent it's weight causes the wheel 10 re volve and the revolution rings a bell whlci advises the inmates of the presence or tn' waif
 There are some very peculiar birds II thu, country, the oldest two or which ar' : the Maria ia dia'N tMaria. It IS day) so named from the fancied resemblance } of it's notes to the sentence, and the 'Ras ga nortalha (Shroud-tearer) The latte , is a beautiful bird. about the size of chicken. with head and talons as thos' of an owl, its brilliant yellow plumag being splashed with black and whit [ points It's cry resembles the sound mad' by the violent rending of muslin, and al if to enhance the illusion. the bird jus
 before uttering its prophetic plalnt clashe