Chilian Beauties.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1037, 15 January 1892, Page 14

Chilian Beauties.

At a time when Chilian affairs, through the tragic events of the past few months, and, later, the threatened rupture with Brother Jonathan, have assumed an interest in European eyes that was formerly confined exclusively to the stocks and debentures of the country, our readers will probably peruse with intereeb the following remarks from the New York Sun on the beauty of the fair inhabitants of Chili :

• The whole -Western World may be searched from Grinnell’s Lend to Cape Horn, but nowhere can be found more fascinating and more beautiful women than in that picturesque and remote slip of fertile land crowded between the Andes and the blue waters of the Southern Pacific. Tbe Chilian flowers, as they are Btyled in their own language, are generally of Andalusian, Castilian, and Valeneian types. The principal features of their appearance are oval faceß, olive complexions, dark and abundant hair, dark, large, and lustrous eyes, full chins, rather undersized but full figures, small and shapely hands and feet, and Castilian insteps, under which water could flow.

‘ The Chilian woman’s most potent and dangerous feature is her eyes. In public the women look at one with slow and languid glances, sometimes wickedly, sometimes innocently and wonderingly. But under the cover of the home their eyes light and flash and glow and melt. They are at times the windows of a nature of deep spiritual tenderness ; at other times they gleam with coquetry. At morning mass the senorita has the self-forgotten gaze of a cloistered nun ; at the afternoon she shoots errant glances with the audacity of a grisette, ‘ The characteristic dress of las flores Cbilonas is black and plain. Of course it has tucks and pleats and gores io the skirt, and occasionally lace and embroidery. From the head falls the world-famed mantilla, a light wrap, generally of China silk, often costing hundreds of dollars. An edge is drawn over the head, and the rest of the garment falls to the shoulders and thence continues, sometimes to the waist, sometimes to the hips, and sometimes to the feet. The right corner is then drawn across the breast and over the left shoulder, like the ancient Roman toga, and is fastened behind with a black brooch of jet. The outlines of the head and the shoulders are thus shown, though artistically draped, while a corner of the mantilla projects over the forehead and shades the eyes. There are no women on the western hemisphere better dressed than the genoritas of

the upper classes in Valparaiso and Santiago, for they follow the latest Parisian fashions, and import all their clothing, down to their openwork silk stockings. ‘On waking, the senorita summons her maid to bring her a cup of chocolate, which she enjoys in the sanctity of her bed. Then, having donned skirt and mantilla, she repairs with her portly but sharp-eyed duenna to Mass, accompanied by a fetnalo servant, who carries her prayer-book and prayer-rug. The rug is an article of necessity, for the senorita kneels for many minutes at a time on a cold stone floor, which is no respector of knees. On leaving tbe church she passes by an irregular lino of gallants, who make admiring remarks in stage * asides.’ She passes by with her eyes fastened on the gold cross of her pi-ayer-book. Mass over, the young woman gossips with her dearest feminine foes, and then sandwiches in a little shopping before breakfast, which in Chili is eaten at noon. When she shops she does not enter the store, but remains in her carriage while the goods are brought out and displayed on the sidewalk. * After breakfas* - the belle retires to her boudoir for a siesta and a little smoke. Then she dresses for the afternoon promenade. This recreation is taken on tbe avenue or in tho plaza, according to tbe season. In winter tbe promenade is along tbe finest street of the city. In summer she promenades tho pluza to tho music of a regimental band. In winter or summer she is always under the tbe lee of of her buxom duenna. Any approved young man may join her, and make himself agreeable. Should he succeed in the latter, he may be rewarded with an invitation to dinner, which is serred at six or seven o’clock. In the evening the senorita frequently attends tbe opera, in which case the party is a family one, and the duenna is militant. ‘ Courtship is carried on in the presence of the duenna, and sometimes of a fourth, a fifth, and even a sixth person. When a young man makes a call, he sends his card to the head of the family; who invites him to take a glass of his choicest wine, and finally calls in senorita. When finally a proposal has been made and accepted, with the approval of senorita’s papa, the papas of the two young people got together, and an agreement is reached concerning dowry and settlements. * Beauty suffers in Chili as well as elsewhere. There is a Chillian custom of emtiloying women as horse-car conductors, and these conductors, owing to the possession of charms similar to those of their higher-born country women, are subject to many annoyances. Often a man will wait for a particular ear, and will patronise it from noon to dewy eve, riding the entire length of the line many times, aud paying a dozen or fifteen fares. In Concepcion, a wealthy widower of sixty.five became infatuated with a tram conductor of twenty. One afternoon Don Roberto discerned that he was making no headway, and he bluntly asked : ‘ “ Why is it you show me no more consideration ?'’ ‘ “ You are too old, senor.” * “ I feel as young as ever.” ‘ Just at that moment the car was passing El Club Concepcion, whose rooms were parked with the young bloods of the city. The conductor requested Don Roberto to give an exhibition of the juvenility he claimed. Her evident scepticism piqued tbe old man, who, with a bluff of nonchalance, stepped from the car. He slipped, fell, and rolled into the gutter, directly before the club’s windows, thereby earning for himself the name of D<Jn Roberto L’Acrobato. The little conductor rang up her fares in peace thereafter.’