New-York tribune., 1841-08-06
F.omThc NewYorke eF
fetters from the 4le6iierraHcall.
by An AMERICAN LADY.
No. XL. -MoRocf

home turned away for u long walk in the count, ~ s
an hour had forgotten the circumstance. a. an outdoor
wa. passing the door an old cronc VINO a H. and with
so,,a,, slammed me with invitation 10 e' ~ r ,.s,nre
very ttle bad Spanish and great J t her mas
gave me 10 under stand my first call was o ; 20 omen
'eT' |ho i t;G,I intelligent little SWISS, not mere
H. ~, ~ of age was there before me- waiting " ,o''
8. ;pternreter She had been ioohihS ioi 'H' % |
,be dav and had been every haihour 70 see a- I
. home bv another street inquired III" reason VI di'
,c,nent and amused 10 hear the whole story
f their embarrassment 1t appears that had PROMISED 10
M tbe dsy before and neglected 10 do so; fortunately
for me; for q be.y OF wrnked old danes, the Feia-
rive, of the good lady, had been assembled to look at me as
foreign curiosity. The day was not expected ana
the tender husband in the pentude s his care had ochn
up his the day and leaving the street when ne
saw me go 10 the door He turned back to open tor me-
already rousd the corner on my way to the eds'
The acquaintance Of Christian in itself ne would be per-
cctly willing dispense with but the wei-ored Ao'e'n
was fearful it would be considered breach OF poeness 10
close his door when stranger in the least degree WIN"
the bounds Of invitation He had therefore taken every
step ne could think Of to remove the bad impfes5lon
The old who lives was summoned 10 attehd
his wife that she night be alone when the door was u
locked and the Young Swiss called III TO help "a'ch o
me and the medium of explanation But why docs
Ben Ali compel his wife remain alone inquired III
all she might have companion. Line chh sa''
Ben Ali rich enough to support servant or poor
relation as many Others do He is not very poor thousn
she added for his wife goes out hat must be
great happiness certainly bat what she lind to occupy
herself about?' The Swiss could the question,
and explained the Morisca, who equally uaabe to
reply % 1t her fate be locked up alone while her
husband was out she said and for occupation she
seemed think rather enviabe privilege to he exempt
ed from the necessity Of exeron' Many OF the Moorish
women spin the wooen and OF which their aqes
are made but she obliged SPIN. DO you read
sometirHesp ~ asked. not priest. was the reply
Absolutely destitute of resource In the way OF employment
and cut off from the gossip e neighbors and aS
am convinced from certain observations attached to her
ed wonderfully can the human character adapt itself TO
its situation.
1t is not ut all uncommon for the Moors to keep their
doors fastened when they from home but usually the
wife entirely alone If there children or SER
wants, some elderly female relative lives with them the
companion and guard of the wife shadow OF this custen
existed until lately in Spain in the spenabe Duenna VINO
left the presence of her Scnora but the Ducnna went
out of fashion with their national costume and like the Mas
todon has left but few relics sustain the tradition OF their
The poorer class of Moorish woman have from
necessity liberty than the rich as they are obged t"
buy provisions for their families bring from the ioun-
lans and attend all the domestic arrangements that with
the others devove the As in the rest OF the
world poverty when it stops short OF absolute pnching
want is here smiling and contented than wealth The
spghy ght-heared persons have seen IN Morocco
two women both wives Of one about thir-
~, the other something older who collecting and car
ryng their mutual lord brush and reeds mend the gaps
in the hedge of his garden The Moor stout ford
parsonage with merry twnklng eye. and had altogether
the ar of bon uiuant than of abstemious, hard
working Mosem In fact he seemed to perform his part OF
the labor with exceeding moderation When the materials
of his work brought, he would place in the hedge one
stick after the other his attentive wives handed them with
the deliberaon talking good-humoredly nj Inc
while TO the women and us, after ;olcd them. He
certainly deserved credit t Inc excellent harmony he
preserved in his family the his youngest wife
appeared really nd of him the other seemed rather indi
ferent oS to himself, he the flower of mpartlaity
We went through the garden The peas and beans were
nearly fit for the table and he had rndishes, onions, and
other vegetables already in prouson The peach trees and
grape gave promise of abundance, but the orange
trees were thnly decked with thsr fragrant blossoms
rustic summerhouse aensey covered with species
of myrtle be impervious 10 the rain 1t was furnished
IA much und as we'll us Moorish houses generally that
is had earthen sewpan which their food was cook
ed and of which dish perfectly eXpc
1ive and Moorish houses out of seven don't own one
rush rolled up and back of it was the third
treasure of the mansion-a of cradle The SIGHT OF
this depository of domestic felicity induced inquire
about the children We have none, the reply We
have had five but they all died young. Children are nj
wavs spoken OF us stock of the family Whether
the real mother not all of the speak oi them
So in this case found that neither oil me
women talking with ever had any chldren-"ur hVe
that are sleeping having been the children oi previous
wife who dead So your husband has made three mar
r;oo.s, remarked The Younger laughed and said
she was his fifth wife. 'Whcre the other thGee lhe
elder woman hestated and after exchanging lew words
with the other under answered that two were
ead and one divorced The lord than htty and
He did not look more than forty and met the cares OF e
with the gayety youth Blessed with such temperament
he could never grow od-t is endowment equivalent TO
perpetual YOUTH The wives about TO go after another
load of ggots while their happy lord prepared his pipe 10
smoke away the of their absence. and we prepared 10
continue our ramblc
Before parted learned farther that this garden about
three extent containing many ir trees and vines
and an excellent WE'LL hired the Of dollar
month by good-natured independent friend who was
not first supposed the actual proprietor reia
non left him three of the dimnutive donkeys OF the country
his creditors seized one. and another he was obliged to
sell buy foed for the last Upon the strensh OF this cap
itsl of boco worth perhaps four dollars and two
wives. worth-nothns al a-hc had hired the garden or
field he ting and regarded himself as prosper
You may be a Bashaw yet, | observed to HIM
Please God he said, in that showed he thought
the office and himself sufficiently svted each other TO
render the possible In The interim his worldly estate
of wives and borrico filled the of his
tent. 1t would be hard find happiness cheaper
any where 1t is impossible stimulate these people to