Evening star., 1922-12-10
Brazilian Embassy
Secretary and Wife
-: Are Adert Linsuists
Madam Oracle Deep in
Plans for Winter When
Fire Invaded Sunderland
Place Home.

The secretary OF the Brazilian en-
hassy is like SO many of the proml-
nent men of his country of English
descent and the tongue of his fore
fathers Is spoken in his home quite
as much as the soft musical Portu-
suese. Nine. Oracle. though she much
prefers to be called Mrs. Oracle. is for
the nonce the chatelaine of the Bra
lillian empasSy. and since the ampas-
sador Is a bachelor. will preside on
all formal occasions there. She was
deep in plans for the winter when her
home in Sunderland place was almost
disrupted by a fire. which. happily
discovered in time. was extinguished
before much harm was done. But the
result is that the drawing room Is
rather smudged, the heating ap-
paratus must be replaced and mean
time the family is depending on gas
and wood fires for comfort. and en-
tertainment is out of the question:
Mr.. and Mrs. Oracle came to wash
ington late last spring from Para
quay. where they had passed two
years. Both are natives of RIO de
Janeiro and had passed most of their
lives there and both come of well
known and distinguished Scotch and
English ancestry. Mr.. Oracle is or
the fourth generation from the sam
uel Oracle who came to fight TOT
Brazilian Independence He considers
himself entirely Il Brazilian though
he has much blood other than Portu-
guest in his veins. Mrs. Oracle was
before her marriage. Miss Miriam
Hime and she is the granddaughter
on both her mothers and fathers
families of men who have helped to
develop Brazil and have acted 4
worthy part i'll it's history. Her pa
tcrnal grandfather, Edwin Elkln
Hime. came to Rio some sixty years
ago and married the daughter OF
Scotch neighbor, Henry Harper Her
mother belongs to the same family
also and was Miss Ernestine Harper.
Educated in the fine French convent
outside of Rio. conducted by the nuns
of Sion. Mrs. Oracle studied several
has an excellent soprano voice ana
has been very popular in her own
home and in the Paraguyan cities as
a concert singer. always in the anna
teur sense and fer charity She hopes
when her domestic affairs are more
tranquil to take up her musical stuu.
les again and to join some musicai Il
organizations here. Rio OFFERS much
to the music lover which aShlnGtoh
does not The opera house is among
the greatest in the world and as fne
a troupe as can be gathered together
is maintained at government expense
and is for the enjoyment of the peo-
pie at prices which seem almost
trivial Each winter the best of new
operas are heard and especially those
by Brazilian masters of which the
very names. much less the music, are
unknown in this country. are en-
joyed for almost eight months OF the
year.
There arc two pretty little golden
haired maids in the Oracle family,
Veronica. who is six. and Miriam, not
quite five. They are in every way
like Scotch lassies. with deep blue
eyes and pale transparent skin OF
that sturdy race. They speak Eng
lish almost entirely, though they
know Portuguese and French equally
as we'll They are much interested In
Father Christmas for so the tituIar
saint Of childhood known variously
as Santa Claus. st. Nicholas. krls
Kringle. is called in Rio. But the
legend which their small American
friends have told them OF Santa
trip down the chimney t" bring good
Things to good children is entirely
royel and interests them profoundly.
Mr. and Mrs Oracle are both young.
in the late twenties. and have entered
into their new duties with zeal ana
enthusiasm. They are fond of dane
ing and have been enjoying the un-
wonted activity of Washington IN
this direction. and which always
marks the little season..