Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1875-03-31

Arab Women.

The dress Of an Arab woman of the
lower class is more simple than elegant;
if consists Of a habava-a kind of linen
chemise with wide sleeves-tied round
the waist with cord, like the habit of
a capuchin. In the street all this is
covered by a haik, which does not,
however, hide her bare legs, adorned
with silver or copper anklets. She
wears large earrings, which are almost
hidden under the mass of hair twisted
about them, while profusion of neck
laces amulets, coral and glass beads,
fall over her tatooed neck and bosom.
These things belong to the wife per-
sunally, being settled upon her by
marriage stipulation in case of aband-
oument or divorce. Thus she puts
them on as often as possible, for the
display Of such finery is one Of the few
pleasures which she enjoys so the most
il made of 1t.
Sometimes she dyes her hands, and
always her nails, with the orange tint
Of henna, and is fond of the scent
called souak. She, like her Moorish
sisters, also attempts to improve upon
nature, blaekening the lashes of her
large eyes with koneul. The adiar
worn in Algiers and other large towns
was unknown before the the time of
Mahomet, who introduced it to serve
his own personal jealousy thus the
distrustful disposition of one man has
condemned all Moslem women to pass
through life with kerchief over the
face. This law of the Prophet is one
of many which has contributed to de-
grade women in her social position.
Whenever they-the young, at least
can remove the .jdiousie, which not
only conceals their charms, but pre-
vents them from breathing the air of
heaven freely, they take 1t off thus we
often meet women unyaIled in the
country, when no Arab is near.
If they see one approaching they i'm
mediately replace the vail, but they are
not equally particular when they meet
Roumi, so that many opportunities of
seeing their faces are offered, even in
the neighborhoOd of Algiers and Oran.
In the Kabylie the adiar is not worn !;
for the Kabylie-who makes compan-
ION of his wife, and treats her as his
equals not so suspicious as the
Arab. Young Arab and Moorish wo
men, we may remark, cover their faces
because they are ordered to do so the
old find il convenient policy, for, like
charity, it hides many defects. Thus
old women are in general very strict in
wearing the adjar themselves, and are
as little indulgent to young ones who
are caught without 1t as the jealous
husband himself f: the reason being
envy in one case and mistrust in the
other.
some of the sex allow one eye only
to be seen. These, instead of the
usual adiar, draw their drapery-which
covers them from head to foot-over
the face, leaving little hole for the
solitary optic to peep through. We
have often in our rambles IN the
country about Algiers, met with women
thus muflied up-and still more fire.
quently in out-of- the way places far
ther off. who noticing our apparent
speculation on the countenance which
offered only one black eve to guide us
III our coDjectures, suddenly let the
curtain fall, as they laughingly showed
ms face which had no cause to fear
being exposed this was done with a
merry look which seemed to say, "How
DO you like it ? does it please you?"
In the same way we have seen girls in
the Arab quarter of Algiers, on arriving
at their own homes, take off the adiar
on the threshold, to allow us a single
glance, as they closed the door on us,
and our algeria as Il is, .
hy GcOge CdskeH.