The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1866-09-20
Marriage in Egypt.

When an Egyptian wants vile, ne
is not allowed to visit the harems OF his
friends to select one, for Mohammed
forbade men to see the face of any wo-
man they could marry, that is to say,
any besides their mothers or sisters. A
man is, therefore, obliged to employ
Hkhatbeh," or matchmake, to find out
for him, for which service, of course, she
expects backsheese"- THAT is, payment.
The khabtbeh, having found girl, re-
commends her to the man as exceeding
ly beautiful, and eminently suitable to
him. The father is then waited upon
to ascertain the dowry he requires; for
all wives are purchased as they were in
patriarchal DAYS. When Jacob had no
money to pay for Rachel, he served her
father seven years as an equivalent and,
when duped, was obliged to serve a
second time to secure his prize. (Gen.
xxxix.) Fathers still refuse to give
Younger daughter in marriage till an
elder shall have been married. The peo-
ple of Armenia, in Asiatic Turkey, for
bid Younger son to marry before an
elder: and this is likewise the law of the
Hindoos.
The price of wife varies from five
shillings to fifteen hundred dollars.
The girl may not be more than five or
six years old, but, whatever her age, two
thirds of the dowry is at once paid to the
father, in the presence ofwitnesses. The
father then or his representative says, 81
betroth to thee my daughter" and the
young man responds, 81 accept Of such
betrothal." Unless among the lower
classes, the father expends the dowry in
the purchse of dress, ornaments, or fur
niture for the bride, which never become
the property of the husband. Even
when betrothed, the intercourse of the
the parties is very restricted. The
Arabs will not allow them to see each
other; but the Jews are not quite so
particular The betrothals often contin-
ne for years before the man demands his
wife, thus: Sampson went down and
talked to the woman" or espoused her,
and CATER a time, he returned to take
her"
Girls are demanded at the age of ten,
and betwee that and sixteen years; but
after sixteen few men will seek them,
and the dowry expected is then proper
tionably low.
Girls in Egypt are often mothers at
thirteen and grandmothers at twenty
six; and in Persia they are said to be
mothers at eleven, grandmothers at
twenty-five, and past child-bearing at
thirty. When man demands his be-
trothal, a day is fixed for the nuptials,
and for seven nights before he is expec-
ted to give a feast, which, however, is
furnished by the guests themselves.
Thus one sends coffee, another rice, an
other sugar, etc.
The principal time of this continued
feast, is the night before the consumma-
ton. The conduct is entrusted to the
friend of the bridegroom" John iii.
29.) About the middle of this day the
bride arrives at the house, and retires to
the harem, where she sits with her moth
er, sisters and female friends. At the
third or fourth watch of the night-three
or four hours after sunset-the bride
groom, who has not yet seen his fair
one, goes to the mosque to pray, accom-
panied by 'smeshals,' or torches and Ian
terms, with music. Upon his return he
is introduced to his bride, with whom.
having given her attendant present to
retire, he is left alone He then throws
Oft her vail and for the first time sees her
face. dissatisfied, he informs the women
outside, who Immediately express their
JOY by screaming 'Zuggereet,'' which
is echoed by the women in the house,
an dby those in the neighborhood.