The emigrant aid journal of Minnesota. [volume] (Nininger City, Minn. Terr. [i.e. Minn.]) 1856-1858, 1857-08-29
Condition OF Armenian Woman.

The condition of women in Armenia partakes of Eufa
pean freedom and .Asiatic re>traint-the restraint be36
laid on the wife, and the freedom allowed to the maid
70 all, except Armenians born, this appears a periQf
or at least Il prepoSter0us regulation. Yet, practical
it would seem to lead to no evil results, and at the wd
renders households tranquil, though, it may be, ratf -
dull, If marrying and wooing in Armenia were, as M
more civilized climcs, affairs of the heart, and not o.
private business of fathers and guardians, we might juSz
" expect that the Tyanscaucasan young ladies would
come Il nation of vestals OF amazons, SO as to avoid d.
uncomfortable doom which surely awaits them in tn
married state. While unwed, they go where they VIII
and converse with whom they please. But with til
words pronounced at the altar female liberty is at an end
The lords OF the Armenian creation are of opinion mo-
merely that q voice soft, gentle, and low, is an excel
lent thing in woman but also that rigid Pythagoreaq
silence is wholesome for the sex. For six years thd
wife is condemned to almost complete taciturnity. Nd
more gadding about for her; no gatherings at the village
fountain no dances under the umbra geous arcades OF
the wood. Even in her own house she must 60 about
yelled if i stranger comes on the premises, she hides
herself in the innermost chamber and twice only in
the year is she permitted to appear in the street, and
then she is escorted to church and back again by some
bearded aud booted marital or fraternal dragon. She
mary speak 10 tier hu.trurt wir.r ufuuu with h;ua, bu.
neither to father nor brother and as for cousins, they
are not so much as mentioned in her presence. What.
soever communications are Indispensable must be made
by gestures or through the alphabet of the fingers. Her
first step towards enfranchisernent is the birth OF her
first child. She may talk to her infant, and should&hey
happen to be on good terms, to her mother-in-law
Gradually her intercourse is extended to her nearest fe
male relatives, and the experienced matron is occasional
ly licensed to address her male kinsfolk. But the disease
Of garrulity has been tolerably reduced by this disci-
pline of six years; and an Armenian lady has A>1ne
the chance Of becoming fluent in conversation,
she attains the years Of the sybil or the treble
crow.
Cisterns.
Brick cisterns are expensive woodens ones
perisllablc and temporary. With a little meg
skill and a hand or two, any person can build
cisterns, at very little cost. In excavatinS the
pit, dig it some six or eight inches larger in d
than the size of the intended cistern, allowing th
for the wall eight feet diameter and ten feet dee
quite a large one, and will contain an ample So
water for any family use six feet diameter al
feet deep is a good size. With light inch plank
wheel or circle, with a tread or periphery one fed
the diameter of the wheel or circle being tina
proposed cistern. The cistern having been du
eight inches in diameter larger than the mol
place the wheel on tie bottom Of the excavation
in the center, so that there is Il space Of six
inches between the wheel and the bank Of the
ton. Have ready Il bed Of srouting, made
gravel mixed with one part sand and two parts b
CEMENT, or water lime fill the space around til
with this. If gravel can not be easily procured
freestOne, broken into pieces about the size OF
may be substituted in its place; and If nelthe
sand nor freestone is convenient, any rock broken into
pieces of about two inches will answer the purpose MI
the space around the wheel with them, and grout with
one part sand aud two parts cement. In the course o.