The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-10-02
Low Life in Egypt.

A correspondent OF the Philadelphia
Press writes from Egypt From my win
dow in what believe to be the most south
ern hotel in all Africa above Cgpe Colony,
at Minich, in Upper Egypt, looked down
into the interior Of the houses OF many of
these agricultural lsborers, IL houses the
simple structures can be called. They con-
sist OF a clay enclosure. of irregular shape,
six feet high and 10 or 10 feet square.
Across one corner of this enclosure are
thrown few bundles Of reeds or cane,
which form a shelter from the MONDAY
rays eff the sun. The door of this enclo-
sure opens into similar one, but without
such shelter, in which at sunrise stand
donkey and a buffalo COW and her cali.
This yard opens into the street, from which
it Is separated by door of plated reeds,
This structure the Egyptian calls bis nome.
Here he lives, here his children are born,
here he expects to die. The whole AFFAIR
cost probably SO besides his own labor. In
the neighborhOod of the town he may rent
a small plot of ground at the rate of $40
Iper acre he also possesses tue buffalo COW
and her calf, a donkey, and few goats
then perhaps $40 worth of tools, furniture,
and clothing, and ornaments for his wife
and family This ends the catalogue OF
Ach,net's worldly possessions. Yet Ach-
met is the most independent man in the
world, and II is Just this Independence that
ruins HIM; tliis absolute freedom that keeps
him in such abject poverty. He wants
help from nobody he shares his tack with
nobody. He is utterly ignorant OF that
great modern secret OF power, the division
Of labor. He does not support shoemaker,
because he and his family go barefoot the
entire year nor tailor because his wife,
Fatina, takes the cotton cloth from the
bazaar, and, sewing a few seams, makes
upon a SIMILAR and most simple plan all the
| garments Of the family; nor does he need
! wooden mill, fol- he sits at the door Of
his hut spinning with q single spindle
sometimes all day long Nor 90 his needs
extend to wagon maker; the donkey
transports everything he requires - his
home made, sun-dried bricks, his hay, him
self, Fatima, and his children. lie wants
no miller, for Fatima, turning one fiat stone
upon another, grinds the corn and wheat to
| a coarse powder. Dispensing with the
oven, Fatima mixes this powder with wa
ter and bakes IL IN Q rude stone and clay
oven, which Achmet, a self-taught mason.
has built IN one corner Of the outer yard.
| He needs no halter, for he role his turbau
Of white muslin himself--and this, to the
European, ia the most attractive work OF
art OF which Achmet is capable. He scarce
ly patronizes the comb-maker, because lii
head, for cleanliness sake, IL shaven al
40 close as the chin OF Frank. lie re-
quires no physician, because he has sus
pended around the necks of his family, In
4 durable leathern bags, scraps OF paper bear
ing magical toxts from the Koran, which
a Scribe who sits cross-legged At the cornc
of q street is ready to write at u momenr'
notice, and thcse are the cheapest and Bee
preyentivcs and cures for all diseases
Even his designations are Of his own pre-
partition he grows drowsy on tobacc
raised on his hit Of ground, which b
smokes as a cigarette, rolled by himself