The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1866-11-10
Marriage In Egypt.

When an Egyptian wants a wife he il
not allowed to visit the harems Of his
friends to select one, for Mohamncd fore
bade men to see the face of any woman
they could marry, that is to say, any be-
sides their mother or sisters. A man is,
therefore, obliged to employ '.kalabeh,"
or nlatch-inaker, to find one for him, for
which services, of course, she expects
abacksheesh," that IL, payment. The
Kalabeh, having found girl, recommends
her to the man a. exceedingly. beautiful
aud cninently suitable to him. The faith.
er is then waited upon TO ascertain tho
chased, as they we're in patriarchal days
When Jacob had no money to pay for
Rachel, he served her father seven years
as an equivalent, and when duped, he
was obliged to serve second term 10 se-
cure his prize. Father still.refuse to give :
Ia younger daughter in marriage before an
elder shall have been married. The peol
pie Of Armenia, in Asiatic Turkey, for
bid younger son to marry before an eld-
er, and this is likewise the lsw Of the
HiBdoos.
The price Of wife varies from FIVE
shilllngs to fifteen hundred dollars. The
| girl may not be more than FIVE or six
years old, but whatevor her age, twoI4
thirds of the dowry is at once paid to the
father. in presence Of witnesses. The.
father, or his representative, says: 81
betroth to thee my daughter ]" and the
young man responds: ''I accept Of such
betrothalV Unless among the lower
classes, the father expends the dowry in
the purchase Of dress. ornaments, or fur
niture for the bride, which never becomes
the property of her husband. Even
when betrothed, the intercourse of the
parties is very restricted. The Arabs
/ will not allow them to see each other. but
the Jews are not quite SO stringent. The
betrothals often continue for years before
the man demands his wife, thus sSamp-
son went down to the woman" or espouss
J ed her, 'sand after q time he returned to
take her."
i Girls are demanded at the age of ten,
and betwean that and sixteen years of
age; but after sixteen few men will seck
them, and the dcwry expected is then
proportionably low.
j Girls in Egypt are often mothers at
thirteen, and grandmothcrs at attwenty-six;
and in Persia they are said to be mothers
) at eleven, grandmothers at twenty one,
and past child-bearing at thirty.
When man demands his betrothed, o
!. day is fixed for the nuptials, aud for seven
nights before he is expected to give q
feast, which, however, is given by the
i guests themselves. Thus one gives eoffee,i
!, another rice, another 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. Atthe middle
of this day the bride arrives at the house,
land retires to the harem, where she sits
with her mother, sisters and female
friends. At the third or fourth watch Of
the night, three or four hours after sun
set, the bridegroom, who has not yet seen
his fair one, goes to the mosque to pray,
: accompanied by "meshals," or torches
and lanterns, with music
Upon his return he is introduced to his
bride, with whom. having given her at
tendant a present to retire, he is left
alone. He then throws off her veil, and
! for the first time sees her face. If satis-
!, fed he informs the women outside, who
Immediately express their joy by scream-
ing "Zuggareet," which is echoed by the
: : women in the house, and then by those In
: the neighborhood.