LIFE IN BOLIVIA

Evening Star, Issue 22442, 12 September 1936, Page 2

LIFE IN BOLIVIA

PIGS AND WEDDINGS Further extracts from the letters of a missionary’s wife. Already we are feeling at home in this queer little village. It is situated on a rise, .with .higher hills surrounding, ■ and the river just below. Coming up from the riverbed, the red-tiled adobe houses, nestling. in the curve of the hill, ’are quite picturesque. A nearer view is not so pleasing, for the village -senora is no ultra housewife, and pigs and mongrel dogs roam at will in the lanes and streets. This, 1 gather, is contrary to law, or by-law, for policemen, in uniform, have a fine time, savagely throwing their bayonets at the pigs, while they practise their vocabulary on them, assisted joyfully in it all by the dogs and small children. Sometimes an irate owner takes part in the fray, when tilings seem rather mixed up and disagreeable, but I think they enjoy this break in the monotony of the day. y We were told of one constable who carried out the law to its utmost limit, and shot several of the wandering animals. One kindly-disposed owner gave a piece of the pork to a “ gringo ” (European), wlio, after waiting it became desperately ill. The beast had been shot but not bled. The streets, though still far from clean, are greatly improved from what they were in the bad old days when the mission started here. Then the water-table was in the centre of the narrow street, and all dirty water from the homes was thrown out on the road. This practice, especially from a balcony, was apt to be a nuisance to passers-by, particularly on a windy day. Our director was instrumental in bringing about a better state of affairs. To-morrow there is to be an English wedding, the first in the mission band. The whole village is in a state of excitement, for nothing like this has occurred before. There is much preparation at the mission house, cooking fowls, making jellies, putting the finishing touches to clothing. Ine mother of missionaries is in her element this day, and wo all happily potter about, getting in each other s way, as we prepare for the great event. All our party are gathered “home” for. the occasion, fir pm north, south, east, and west they 'came, on foot or on horseback or muleback, over the mountain tracks and along the riverbeds that led. to the mission centre.A “ GRINGO ” WEDDING. A week later; The “ Gringo ” wedding is over, and a wonderful day it was! Someone said the whole town was painted red. I can’t say it looked any redder than usual to me, but certainly there was a great crowd of people. We were very busy all the morning with the usual frivolities, making bouquets and decorating things and persons generally. ~ One little bridesmaid was disappointed because shoes were not included in her outfit. She had longed for a pair of English shoes to replace the native sandals. I remembered a pair of boots which a careful husband had insisted on buying one winter. I never had appreciated them, but now I was glad 'that I had included them in my luggage, and gladly handed them over to Lola,’.who even more gladly received them. - Native women of the upper class wear long-topped boots, so a little English girl felt very smart in something similar. , , ' The service was arranged tor Z o’clock, and about 1 the bride went down to her own home—the one she has occupied for the last two years. Thither, when wc were all duly arrayed in our best attire, wo wended our way, and returned in a very imposing procession to the other end of the town, where the registrar has his office. We marched along, two and two, on the footpath, while the admiring multitude hustled along the road, keeping pace and anxiously watching that they didn’t miss anything. The scene at the office was rather remarkable; first the bridal party, then the smartly-attired guests (the mission band), and then a room full of the dirtiest, most interested crowd, men, women, and children. The civil ceremony was performed here; then we marched, still in style, back to our own “patio ” (courtyard), where a religious service was conducted in Spanish. This is what made the greatest impression, especially, the part which says “ Till death do us part.”. The young couple stood on a strip of carpet spread on the cobblestones of the patio. The organ had been brought out, and we sang the old marriage hymn. From neighbouring balconies and the large courtyard about 250 interested spectators noted every detail of the ceremony. The rumour had spread abroad that the evangelical marriage was a time contract, for two years or so. As the reading of the marriage service proceeded the interest of the audience deepened. In these unusual surroundings wc sang in Spanish: But nought can break the union Of hearts in Thee made one, And love which Thou hast hallowed • Is endless love begun.

The service over, the father of missionaries spoke a few words to the crowd; then.they quietly dispersed. We overheard one man say: “There it is! It isn’t for two years; it’s for life!” A NATIVE WEDDING^ Coming home from , a walk one day we happened on a native wedding feast. For convenience the banquet was spread on tho footpath, for the home of the bride was one room about 15ft by 9ft. Small tables held little round loaves of native bread and a variety of sugary cakes while against the wall stood largo earthenware jars of native beer. We stopped for a friendly word, when suddenly the scene changed Faces were grave, and there were whispered words of consternation which puzzled us. Suddenly the tables and everything else were whisked indoors, and "the party disappeared entirely. The pat pat of s'andled feet was heard, and presently a funeral came round the corner. ' If that pathetic little procession had passed the wedding feast bad luck would have dogged the footsteps of the bridal pair for ever. Superstitious? Yes, but in our homeland we have some customs equally ridiculous. How many folk would arrange a wedding for the 13th of the month ? A message came this morning that the village priest is going away and has

furniture for sale, so after tea we went bargain-hunting. A large red carpet, a good deal worn, hut still cosy, we got for about £3. It will cover the brick floor of our dining room nicely, and we bought straw matting for the- bedrooms. My kitchen would interest you. It interests the natives, but for a different reason.,; As all “ Gringos ” do, we brought 'with us from Wellington a small stove. This, of course, is the great attraction in my kitchen; in fact, it is the only piece of furniture Worth mentioning. The fuel is wood only. Sometimes the wood is dry, and burns well; sometimes it is green, and smokes and sulks in a most distressing way. As well as the stove there is a wooden' bench which runs the length of the kitchen, on which reposes an enamel basin for washing up. There is no sink and no taps. Oh! And there is also a wide shelf which runs along above the table Juanita, the girl who comes in to help each morning, remarked truly^ “Senora this is a tucuyimachurinapaj, which means a place to put everything! All the water for household purposes is carried from the plaza, _ where a “ pila ” sends forth a continual flow. In the cool of the evening our respective and respectable husbands sally forth, armed with the inevitable kerosene tins, to wait their turn with Indian servants at the town supply- _ In upper circles, among our Spanish neighbours, it is considered “ infra dig ” for the man of the house to perform this menial task, but our men go cheerfully, and imagine that they may bo setting a new standard iu the social world.—Bums.