Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1855-11-28
BRIDAL ARRAY.

head-dress worn by the Syrian fashion
ables, is from the November number of
Putnam:
But there is one article of fashionable
costume in Mount Lebanon, more useless
and very near as ugly as beaver. On
her bridal night, girl of the mountain
is cumbrously hsnessed with something
that, for want of better name, may be
called horn. To take horn on such
an occasion, is no great novelty to be
sure; but the oddity of it here consists
in its being put upon the head instead of
into the head. 1t is a nonstrous tube,
about sixteen inches in length, rudely
chased and fretted, usually of silver, but
sometimes of brass, or even dried dough,
and sometimes, too, of gold, set with ru-
bies. 1t is fastened to the upper part Of
the forehead by means of a small cush-
ion, and a number of silk cords, which
pass under the chin and interlace with
the hair. 1t projects forward at an an
gle of about sixty degrees, and its fatigu-
ing weight is balanced by three or four
huge tassels of silk and silver, which
pendulate behind. Ayeil is thrown over
its pinnacle, and hangs there, to use
comparison of the Slick family, like a
shirt on beanpole. Wherever she goes,
whatever she does, the matron of Mount
Lebanon must wear her horn. She visits
in it, works in it, and worst of all, sleeps
in it. This last circumstance is terrify-
ing, and leads me to hope that my own
country women will never adopt the fash
lou. What an unpleasant circumstance
to be bruised and gored in ones slum-
bers by the antler Of a restless wifel-
How man would be surprised, to wake
up for the first time with the end of one
of these ponderous cones in his eye! II
is a wonder to me that any Syrian ba-
bies survive sleeping with their mothers.
Perhaps, indeed. this is the reason why
Arab infancy is SO cautiously swathed
AMI guarded by seven fold armor Of
bandages. In point of fact. the men Of
ten grumble, and seek to divest their
spouses of such costly and annoying
decoration. The war of 1910 helped
them wonderfully to this end, although
in a way that was very disturbing to their
nerves and purses As the Druzes whip
ped the Maronites in almost every battle
they had large opportunities for plumber
ing the Maronite districts, which they
improved with great zeal and faithful
ness. And wherever they met a mar.
ried woman, they wOUId have her horn
as souvenir of the interview. In short.
horns became such uncertain property,
that most people put them into conceal
ment, and only enjoy their horns in pri-
vate, as topers enjoy theirs under the
pressure of the Maine Law. A sort Of
interregnum thus ensued, and continued
so long that the traditional influence Of
the custom became sadly dilapidated.-
At the end of the war, horns went up
again, like stocks, but diminished in
number, and much weakened in popu-
Llrity.
Three kinds of them may be noticed
in the mountain; in agricultural parlanee,
there are long horns and short horns
The first species, which l have just des-
cribed, is to he found in the districts back
of Beirut. Another, reminding one by
its shape of an enormous thimble, and
worn on the apex of the head, but with
ont any balance weight of tasseliug, is
peculiar to the still loftier villages be-
hind TriUoli, around Eden and the local.
ity of the cedals. In lower part Of the
mountain, called the kessarawan, exists
a second variety of the short horn, mod
eled something like an unequal hour
glass, bound firmly to the right temple,
and projecting latterly - u Il; h:tl.
l remember, with some admiration,
the face of handsome mountaineeress,
who carried on perpetual war with her
spouse, about this matrOnly appendsge,
She insisted upon wearing It; he held as
obstinately to the contrary policy. When
the husband was out, the horn went On
in triumph; when the husband got home,
the horn came off in an ignOminious hur-
ry. And so matters continued, the horn
exalted and abased by turns. up to the
date of my departure.