The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1862-02-05

Spccting exchange OF prisoners OF war. l
will communicate with you on that subject
as soon as they are received.
(Signed) H. W. HALLEcx,
Mai. Gen. Commanding Department.
Life i" the, NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Hs,sse OF an
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 persevcring inquiry
among Arab ladies, found out how it was
that the brides face looked so lustrous. 7
learn that girls are prepared for marriage
with very great deal Of ceremony. There
are women who make the beautifying Of
the brides their especial profession.
\ widow woman, named Angelina, is the
chief artiste in this department of art in
Haifa. She uses her scissors and twcczers
freely and skillfully to remove superAuous
hair, and trains the eyebrows to an arched
line, perfect!ng it with black pigments. She
prepares an adhesive plaster of very strong
sweet gum, and applies it by degrees all
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.
pcarance, much admired by Orientals The
face requires very careful manipulation. -
| When women have once submitted to this
process they look frightful if from time to
time they do not repeat il; 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
d:al slightly irritates the skin, ami perfum-
cd sesame or olive oil is applied, or cooling
lotions of elder.hower water arc used.
The bride invites her friends to accompa-
ny her to the public bath previous to the
wedding day, and sends to each one pack
ct Of hcnna, two or three pieces Of soap,
and two wax candles. Angelina is gencr-
ally the bearer Of the message and of these
articles, which arc always to be paid for.
| have now and then accepted such invita-
tons.
Bridal parties assemble, and sometirr es
pass three successive days in the luxury Of
the Turkish bath. Pipes, shcrbet, 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 girdcd with crimson
silk, she is mounted on high clogs, and led
through halls and passages & adually in
creasins in temperature, with fountains
overflowing their marble floors; she is
placed on marble platform, near to q jet of
hot water fullers 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 a more moderate temperature, and
lastly to fountain of cool water. Her
companions in the meantime undergo the
Grape or linen, they sit together, smoking,
ill they are rested and refreshed.
Al HAREM INTERIOR.
Miss Rogers gives a very bright and life
like picture of tn. interior Of the harcln oil
Mohammed Bck Abdul, the Governor OF
Azzebeh, whittier she was invited
They pounced upon me, as if were o
new toy for them. They kissed me one
after the other, and stroked my face. They
had never seen European, and told me
that no daughter of the Franks had ever
entered the town before.
They said: "Bc welcome, oh sister from
Il 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 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. told them wished to change my
clothes. as they were wet.
The boys went to order my portmanteau
to be rOught to the precincts Of the harem
and then two slaves fetched it. As soon a.
| had unlocked it the ladies', servants and
children, one and all, began examining its
contents. In minute or two it was actu-
ally almost empty. Mantles. 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
out IN all sorts Of fantastic ways. One oil
the girls took little lace collar and placed
it tastefully on her forehead; she thought il
was part of a dead dress. was very much
amused bat was obliged to put a stop to
their mischief, by telling them to put eve
rything back into the box they did SO di
rectly. had already discovered that Arat
women are like children they almost sub
init Immediately to gentle but unhesitatins
tirmness.
| I Il 10 = /
said they had not any other for their use
| fancy it was because they wished to see
allmy clothes and how put them ON, theirs
being so very different to our. They tolt
me that wore too many dresses at the
same time. They wear only shirt Of thi,
cotton or Grape made high to the throat
= open at the bosom, and with long wild,
sleeves. Very full trousers drawn in and
tied round the waist and below the kne.
but falling in gaceful folds nearly to tn,
ground; and an open short jacket with q
shawl tied round the waist like sash OF
girdle. They kindly sent away my wet
garments to be dried at the oven, and made
4 comfortable seat OF cushions for me on the
floor. One lady made ms some sweet sher.
bet Of pomegranates and handed it to me-
A second brought me coffee in little china
cup without any handle, held in another
one (exactly the shape and size Of com
mon egg ,u2) made Of prcttily embossed
ard chased silver.
THE woNAN's QUESTION IN THE EAST.
l observed that there was little whis.
pering and consulting going on among the
women, and then Hrlweh came and sat by
me and said, "Are you married ~ | said
NO." and they answered, "Why then
have you left your father and your mother
Aare they not kind to your" told them
how good they 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 educate their chill
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