Anti Slavery Bugle

Women's Rights In Paraguay.

In a series of 'Sketches of Paraguay,' written by Geo. S. Raymond, we find the following attractive description of female habits: 'Everybody smokes in Paraguay, and nearly every female above thirteen years of age chews. I am wrong. They do not chew, but put tobacco in their mouths, keep it there constantly, except when eating, and instead of chewing, roll it about with the tongue, and suck it. Only imagine yourself about to salute the rich, red lips of a magnificent little Jebe' arrayed in satin and flashing with diamonds; she puts you back with one delicate hand, while with the fair, taper fingers of the other she draws forth from her mouth a brownish-black roll of tobacco, quite two inches long, looking like a monstrous grub, and depositing the savory lozenge on the rim of your sombrero, puts up her face, and is ready for your salute. I have sometimes seen an over-delicate foreigner turn away with a shudder of loathing under such circumstances, and get the epithet of el salvaje (the savage) applied to him by the offended beauty for his sensitive squeamishness. However, one soon gets used to these things in Paraguay, where you are per force of custom, obliged to kiss every lady you are introduced to; and one half you meet are really tempting enough to render you reckless of consequences, and you would sip the dew of the proffered lip in the face of a tobacco battery, even were it the double distilled 'honey dew' of Old Virginia.'