Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1862-07-24
The Persians.

When poor man has pretty daughter
about eleven or twelve years old-tbe age
which Persian ladies are supposed to have
matrimonial views-a marriage broker waits
upon him, and endeavorS to strike a bargain
for her. The broker, generally moolah or
priest, will perhaps offer from two to four
hundred tomauns, or, say, from one or two
hundred pounds English money, as a fair price
for young lady. The bargain completed, the
girl probably becomes wife of some khan,
rich enough to afford himself such luxury, aud
to give the broker handsome profit on the
transaction. 1t it is usually all a matter of
business, and man posting up his accounts
at the end of the year mi ght note down tha:
upon such day he bought a lady, pretty
much as if he had purchased fine Turcoman
horse or an English rifle only the price of
the two latter articles would be considerably
higher than that of the first 1t is seldom
that either of the parties have previously seen
each other, so that the lifting OF the veil upon
the wedding day may be delightful SURPRISE
or gloom of disappointed, according to cir
cumStanceS.
A Persian bride, when first bought is q
queer little body, fatteued up with rice and
sweetmeats for the occasion, and sadley be-
smearcd with cosmetics Coilyrium has been
pat into her eyes to make them dark and lam
gushing, and they are also elongated by some
means, so that they may have the shape of al.
monds. Her hair is dyed of a coal black by
indigo, or of a redish brown by indigo and
henua mixed with it, according to her own
fancy or that of the broker Her eyebrows
are plastered and painted SO thickly that they
look like large piece of court plaster cut in
to arches stuck upon her face | say large
piece, because they are joined arti6caly by a
chick line across the nose. Her cheeks are
painted in excessively bright colors, and two
shiny locks of hair, ,gummed together, are stuck
fast on each side OF them, in the shape of mum.
ber skies placed the wrong way. Her hands
and feet finger nails, and toe nails, are dyed
light mahogany color with henna. She has
no more shape or figure than bolster. Poor
little thing She plays such tricks with her
self, generally, that at twenty she is an old
woman with her skin all shriveled and burnt
up with caustics and poisoned pricks or
needles
This odd, undersized creature waddles
about the apartment of her new lord in the
finest and largest tronSers possible. She puts
on great many pairs of them, and is as proud
of the size of her legs as British damse is
of the size of her crinoline. She wears smart
embroidered jacket with short sleeves, and
pretty cbemisette of some light white silk ma
teral, embroidered with gold threads but
her arm, and leg, and neck are bare. She
hangs upon her little person as many jewels
gold COINS and trinkets as she can possibly
get at. She is especially fond of PEARLS and
diamonds, but is not particular as to their
beauty or value diamond is diamond for
her, wha tever flaw it may have pearl is a
pearl, whatever its shape or color may be-
She is very fne, but never elegant. Her
mind is entirely uncultivated She has neither
education nor accomplishments but she has
good deal of fiowery talk about roses and
night gales, with an under current of strange
roundabout wit and drollery. There is an ut
ter want of delicaey and modesty in her con-
versation. She knows great many things
which she ought not to know, and child as
she is in years. she would outwit the Eisest
man who ever wore gray beard.
One OF the first visits she receives after her
marriage will most probably be from her father
who will tell her that his home is cold and
cheerless since she left it, and that her mother
is getting DID, This pathetic appeal is certain
to touch her heart, and she will employ the
first money she can coax out of her husband
to buy her father new young wife.
Indeed, the proceeding Of taking lady on