LIFE IN ENTRE RIOS, MINAS GERAES. 155 



Antonio, was there, who said grace at the end of dinner, 

 after which a slave brought in a basin, and warm water 

 was poured over our hands. It is always the rule after this 

 ceremony to adjourn to the reception-room, which is very 

 large and lofty, and commands a magnificent view from the 

 windows in two directions. The only furniture in the room 

 consists of two small tables and two settles, with a number 

 of chairs of Austrian bent wood. On the walls are a few 

 photographs, a portrait of Pius IX., and two little English 

 chromo-lithographs, which I have long known and liked ; 

 one represented a smiling, light-haired, blue-eyed child, 

 playing with a daisy-chain, and the other a little girl asleep. 



At sunset there was a pretty funeral of a little child. 

 A man carrying a cross went in front, with another bearing 

 a lighted candle on each side ; next came the priest, in a 

 white and gold cope ; then followed the coffin, covered with 

 pink stuff and silver lace, carried by six little boys ; while 

 at each side were four little girls {anginhos) dressed in 

 white, with veils, carrying candles. The village band closed 

 the procession. 



Nearly every one in the village is suffering from 

 coughs and colds, which they call " bronchito-asmatico." 

 We have all had it more or less, while Mr. Large has had 

 really bad bronchitis. 



March 30. — To-day being Passion Sunday, there was a 

 special service. All images have been removed ; the gaudy 

 super-altar, with all its appurtenances, was hidden by a 

 large mauve curtain ; the crucifix was also shrouded, and 

 the curtains of the tabernacle were of mauve-coloured silk. 

 There were only six candles burning during Mass, instead 

 of the usual twenty or thirty, and no ornaments. There 

 was but one communicant. 



Two slaves were engaged the whole day in plastering 



