The weekly Butte record., 1863-01-31
The Jewish Women OF Barbary.

In the evening had an invitation to be pre-
sent at two Jewish marriages, which it requir-
ed little pressing to make me accept. Our
whole party was invited so in body we
visited the houses of both brides We were
led through one of the low doors before spoke
of into a square center court, where an immense
assemblage of Benz Israel were congregated.
As soon as it was known we were English,
way was made for US to where the bride was
sitting, which was in the small room leading
off one side of the court. Here we found her
surrounded by crowd of handmaids any one
of whom might have sat for a Rachel "Such
a collection of transeendent beautyr' we all
exclaimed together. And such, certainly, we
had never before seen. Most of them were
very young-for in this climate they are wo-
men almost from childhood, and old age sets in
when maturity would be barely attained in our
northern lattudes and all surpassed in lowell
ness my utmost ideal of romance Not the
dropping noses, meaningless eyes, and awkward
figures 50 often seen among the wives and
daughters of Israel in England but the most
exquisite aquiine features, enlvened with the
fire of sunny cline, and outlines, so symmet
rica and flowing, that no pen can convey any
impression of them. Their hair, too, of the
darkest raven, falling in tresses over their
shoulders together with the profusion of costly
jewels with which they were adorned, gave
them an appearance so celestial, that we were
at no loss to understand the reason why the
Jews are scrupulous IN keeping their daughters
from the public gaze. The young married fe-
males were seated more Immediately round the
brides
In Barbary it is the custom to shave the
heads of the females as they enter wedlock, and
substitute wig for their beautiful hair, which,
it may be readily believed, is no Improvement;
but as they conceal this defect by sklfully
contrived headdres studded with enormous
brilliants, they continue TO presant charms little
inferior to their unmarried sisters. The brides
tuCuIcStNSo MttS lONSi., ouu uEChtu, Dc lucy
were, in golden and silver embroidered robes,
crowned with diadem, oil set with jewels they
shone even amidst the surrounding galaxy |
could not but recall the illusions in the Old
Testament to the Eastern bride, adorning her
self with jewels and having her clothing of
wrought gold : and more especially the de-
scription given in Ezekiel of the Church, under
the figure of the bride, when God says al
decked thee also with ornaments, and l put
bracelets upon thy hands, and 4 chain on thy
neck And put jewel on thy forehead, and
earrings in thine ears, and beautiful crown
upon thine head" (Ezek. xvii. IL, 12.) The
bride sits with her eyes fast closed and covered
with 4 veil, thus to be admired for several days;
and as she is not allowed to look about her on
any preteuse whatever, or to smile, or even ap-
pear cognizant of anything that is passing
around, she was the only one of the party not
TO be envied After time she was led by the
hand through the crowd that ell might see her,
and perfect buzz Of admiration followed her
triumphant progress. Previous TO our arrival,
a large wiuear, out of which the bride and
bridegroom had drank, was broken TO pieces
in the centre Of the court, il accordance with
some old rite.