Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-01-21
QNortester Daily SPY.
LIFE IN THE HAREM.
OBSERVATIONS OF AN ENGLISH woMA

British consul at Damascus, gives some inter
esting accounts OF life in the eastern harems
Here is something about
THE TOILET OF BRIDE.
On subsequent and persevering inquiry
among Arab ladies', | found out how it was
that the brides face looked so lustrous. l
learn thar girls are prepared for marriage with
very great deal of ceremony. There are
women who make the identifying OF brides
their especial profession.
A widow woman, named Angelina, is the
chief artistic in this department OF art in Haita.
She uses her scissors and tweezers freely and
skitully to remove superfuous hair, and
trains the eyebrows to an arched line, perfect
ing it with black pigments She prepares an
adhesive plaster of very strong sweet gum,
and applies it by degrees all over the body.
letting il remain on Tor a minute or more ;
then she tears it of quickly, and it brings
away with it all the soft down or hair, leaving
the skin quite bare, with an unnaturally bright
and polished appearance, much admired by
Orientals. The face requires very careful
manipulation. When women have once sub
mitted to this process they look frightful if
from time to time they do not repeat it; for
the hair never grows so soft and fine again.
Perhaps this is one Of the reasons why aged
Arab women, who have quite given up these
like In some instances this ordeal slightly
irrtates the skin, and perrumed sesame or
olive oil is applied, or cooling lotions of elder
flower water are used.
The bride invites her friends to accompany
her to the public bath previous to the wedding
day, and sends to each one packet of henna,
two or three pieces Of soap, and two wax can
dies. Angelina is generally the bearer of the
message and of these articles, which are al.
ways to be paid Tor. l have now and then
accepted such invitations.
Bridal parties assemble and sometimes pass
three successive days in the luxury of the
Turkish bath. Pipes, sherbet, coffee, and 9th,
err refreshments, are served, and songs are
sung in honor of the bride, who is, of course,
attended by Angelina, and forms the center of
attraction. Her hair is unbraided, she is
slowly disrobed and then, with her loins
slightly girded with crimson silk, she is mount
ed on high clogs, and led through halls and
passages gradually increasing in temperature,
with fountains overlooking their marble floors,
she is placed on marble platform, near to a
Jet OF hot water fuller's earth is rubbed on
her head, she is latEered with soap, and brush
ed 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 more moderate temperature, and lastly to
a 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 harem of
Mohammed Bek Abdul, the governor of Azze.
beh, whittier she was invited =
They pounced upon me as il | were a 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 daugh-
ter of the Franks had ever entered the town
before.
The said, "Be welcome, oh sister from
far country; this house is yours, and we are
your servants" Then they asked me with
whom and how and whence had come The
ladies wore full long trousers made OF colored
silk short tight jackets, made OF cloth or vel
vet, 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. 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 | had
unlocked it the ladies', servants, and children,
one and all, began examining its,contents. In
a minute or two it was actually almost empty
Nantes, morning and evening dresses, night.
gowns, and collars were passing from hand to
hand, and as the uses of them were not known.
they were put on in all sorts oftantastic ways
One of the girls took a little lace collar and
placed it tastefully on her forehead she
thought it was part of a head-dress l was
very much amused, but was obliged to put a
ct n of hxy oil n.
every thing back into the box they did so
directly. had already discovered that Arab
women are like children; they almost always
submit immediately to gentle but unhesitaliug
tirmness.
Then L dressed in the same room for they
said they had not any other for their use. l
fancy it was because they wished to see all
my clothes, and how 1 put them on theirs
being SO very different to ours. They told me
that | 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
70 ds nearly to the ground; and an open short
jacket, with shawl tied round the waist like
a sash or girdle. they kindly sent away my
wet garments to be dried at the oven, and
made comfortable seat of cushions for me on
the floor. One lady made some sweet sherbet
Of pOmegranates and handed it to me.
second brought me coffee in a little china cup
without any handle, held in another one
(exactly the shape and size of a common egg
cup) made of prettily embossed and chased
silver.
THE woMAN's QUESTION IN THE EAST.
observed that there was a little whisper.
ing and consulting going on among the wo.
Inlt usl,
and said, care you married 2" | said @No
and they answered. "Why, then, have Won
left your father and your mother? are thew
not kind to you? told them how good thew
were, and how my mother taught me to speak
and read and write my own language. and the
languages Of other people | tried to make
them understand how English parents edu
cate their children
Werdeh said, at is much better to marry
and to stay at home than to travel about the
country, Tor the dangers are great now in this
time Of war, and the women should stay at
home"
Sit Sara said, "Werdeh has spoken wisely,
why do you not marry 2"
l answered, "Ya sitti, there are no men of
my country here; how can | marry 2"
Sara then said, "You speak our language
like stranger, but sweetly An Arab would
take you. Why do you not marry an Arab 2"
Ireplied, (very much amused "My moth
er is not here to find husband for me.
How can | marry 2" 1 thought this would
settle the question at once in their estimation !;
but Sit Sara said, 81 will be your mother, and
bring you to a husband My brother is Cadi,
great Judge Of Nabus; he looks fer a wife.
he has only three He will love you because
you are white 2"
answered laughingly, "Thank you, oh,
my mother what preparations must make.