A NATURALIST IN BRAZIL 



Other sex, which heightens the charm of the essentially attractive, 

 often extremely pretty, and always graceful young creatures. It is, 

 of course, a general practice to heighten the complexion with artificial 

 colour, and in the train from Sao Paulo one morning, as the dawn 

 was breaking after an all-night journey, I was able to witness this 

 process, and no one seemed to take exception to my presence. In 

 Brazil women have a better opportunity of dressing becomingly 

 than in Europe, as the climate always permits of thin clothes and 

 light colours, which suit their graceful figures. The "Gariocas," as 

 the ladies of Rio de Janeiro are called, are even able to leave their 

 houses in bathing-costume and cloak, and walk through the city, 

 or ride in the trams, and enter the water of the bay at some suitable 

 spot. The Brazilians are extremely decent when bathing, even in 

 the most secluded neighbourhoods; as regards the children this 

 virtue is sometimes carried almost to excess. 



It is an old custom that a young man may not enter the house 

 of his beloved until he is betrothed to her; before this they may 

 converse over the garden hedge, but only at a becoming distance. 

 I was touched to see that even the servants follow this custom. 

 The black cook of one of my hosts received her admirer every 

 Sunday afternoon. The two conversed for hours, but she stood 

 always three yards inside the hedge, and he three yards outside, 

 A lady who had for years been a governess in the north of Portugal, 

 where similar customs prevail, told me that she once asked a lovable 

 old gentleman why he had never married. "I am hoarse," he 

 replied ; and when she gazed at him in astonishment, he explained : 

 "Yes, the lady I loved lived on the third floor, and she could not 

 hear what I said from that height." 



Another most attractive characteristic of the Brazilians is their 

 quietude. People often scoff at the paciencia of the Brazilians ; and 

 in business life the prevalent use of this word may indeed have 

 unfortunate results. For myself, I grew accustomed to it. I remember 

 standing for half an hour beside the peasant-farmer of whom I have 

 spoken, before the door of our hut, while the horses were being 

 caught on which we were about to ride. "Leva, leva!" cried the 

 good man; in other words, "Catch him!" — and "Que diablo!" 

 each time a horse got away. Many a Brazilian would stand thus for 

 hours before he himself would lift a hand. One of the most frequent 

 gestures of the Brazilian is to hold out the hand with outstretched 

 fingers. It means : "Patience !" 



But after all, in such a great and wealthy country as Brazil there 



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