The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-01-31
LIFE IN THE HAREM


LIFE IN THE HAREM.
OBSERVATIONS OF AN ENGLISH WOMAN
An English lady, Miss Rogers, sister to
the British Consul at Damascus, gives some
interesting accounts of life in the Eastern
Harems. Here is something about
THE TOILET OF A BRIDE,
On subsequent and perseveriug inquiry
among Arab ladies, I found out how it was
that the brides face looked SO lustrous. I
learn that girls are prepared for marriage
with a very great deal of ceremony. There
are women who make the identifying OF
the brides their especial profession.
A widow woman, named Angelina, is the
chief artistic in this department of art in
Haifa. She uses her scissors and tweezers
freely and skilliully to remove superhuous
hair, and trains the eyebrows to an arched
line, perfecting it with black pigments. She
prepares an adhesive plaster of very strong
sweet gum, and applies it by degrees ali
over the body, letting it remain on for
minute or more then she tears it off quick
ly, and it brings away with it all the soft
down or hair, leaving the skin quite bare,
with an unnaturally bright and polished ap-
pearance, much admired by Orientals. The
face requires very careful manipulation.
When women have once submitted to this
process they look frigbtful if from time to
time they do not repeat it !; for the hair
never grows so soft and fine again. Per-
haps this is one of the reasons why aged
Arab women, who have quite given up all
these arts OF adornment, look so haggard
and witch-like. In some instances this or.
deal slightly irritates the skin, and perfum.
ed sesame or olive oil is applied, or cooling
lotions of elder-fower water are used.
The bride invites her friends to accompa.
ny aer to the public bath previous to the
wedding day, and sends to each one pack.
ct Of henna, two or three pieces of soap,
and two wax candles. Angelina is gener>
ally the bearer of the message and of these
articles, which are always to be paid for.
l have now and then accepted such invita-
tioB.
Bridal parties assemble, and sometimes
pass three successive days in the luxury of
the Turkish bath. Pipes, sherbet, coffee,
and other refreshments are served, and songs
are sung in honor Of the bride, who is, of
course, attended by Angelina, and forms
the centre of attraction. Her hair is un-
braided, she is slowly disrobed, and then,
with her loins slightly girded with crimson
silk, she is mounted on high clogs, and led
through halls and passages gradually in.
crossing in temperature, with fountains
ove:fowing their marble floors; she is
placed on marble platform, near to Jet of
hot water; fuler's earth is rubbed on her
head, she is lathered with soap, and brushed
with handful of tow, then hot water is
poured over her freely, she is swathed in
long towels, and by slow degrees conducted
back to q more moderate temperature, and
lastly to fountain of cool water. Her
companions in the meantime undergo the
same process. Then, shrouded in muslin,
Grape or linen, they sit together, smoking,
till they are rested and refreshed.
A HAREM INTERIOR.
Miss Rogers gives very bright and life.
like picture of the interior of the hsrem of
Mohammed Bek Abdul, the Governor of
Azzebeh, whittier she was invited:
They pounced upon me, az if were q
new toy for them. They kissed me one
after the other, and stroked my face. They
had never seen a European, and told me
that no daughter of the Franks had ever
entered the town before.
They said: " Be welcome, oh sister from
a far country; this house il years, and We
are your servants" Then they asked me
with whom, and how, and whence 1 had
come? The ladies wore full long trousers,
made of colored silk; short tight jackets,
made of cloth or velvet, embroidered with
gold; and flowers and jewels in their head.
dresses. The servants wore cotton suits,
and the slaves red cloth. They wondered
to see my plain, long, dark riding dress and
hat l told them wished to change my
clothes, as they were wet.
The boys went to order my portmanteau
to be brought to the precincts of the harem
and then two slaves fetched it. AS soon as
I.had unlocked it the ladies, servants and
children, one and all, began examining it's
contents. In a minute or two it was actu>
ally almost empty. Nantes, morning and
evening dresses, nightgowns and collars,
were passing from hand to hand, and as the
uses of them were not known, they were put
out in all sorts of fantastic ways. One of
the girls took little lace collar and placed
it tastefully on her forehead; she thought it
was part of head dress. was very much
amused but was obliged to put stop to
their mischief, by telling them to put eve
rything back into the box: they did so d.
rectly. 1 had already discovered that Arab
women are like children; they almost sub
NIT Immediately to gentle but unhesitating
6rmness.
Then dressed in the same room, for they
said they had not any other for their use.
I fancy it was because they wished to see
all my clothes and how l put them on,theirs
being so very different to ours. They told
me that l wore too many dresses at the
same time. They wear only shirt of thin
cotton or Grape made high to the throat,
open at the bosom, and with long wide
sleeves. Very full trousers drawn in and
tied round the waist and below the knee,
but falling in graceful folds nearly to the
ground; and an open short jacket with a
shawl tied round the waist like sash or
girdle. They kindly sent away my wet