Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-07-26
Jrnvesfng In Persia

The charm OF travelling In Persia Is utterly
lost n one weighs al that IL met with IN tue
scales OF progress. Ia Persia, passing from
the swim, ano, on the whole, steady career
OF Western Europe IN the ways OF civlliKa-
tlon, there appears TO he not only al an
tence Of progress, but rather retrosression.
That which Il truly interesting la Persia 10
The extended scenery and the out door life
for no European sees much Of the indoor
OF magnificent distances. In summer, the
mountains, always IN sight. and Ia many
places stronsly colored with the metallic
drous beauty I'm the roseltght OF The morning
sun. and harden into masses OF deep purple
and black when the clear and black stsrlisnt
Is substituted for that OF the blazing sun OF
Persia- In another season we have seen the
plains resembling an Arctic sea. when their
sppsrently perfect level was covered with
again when the white hills doomed through
Ine binding storm like icebergs OF
poisr regions. Wherever the people are
on the landscape. The men are hand
some and picturesque In their costumes OF
olue or white cotton, with here aud there
caps OF felt, turbsned with cotton or silk Of
every color. The food OF the lower Glasses
Is generally composed OF bread-thin na0oy
CAKES baked on the outside of a conicai
chimney, which they occasionally sosl( in a
warm mess OF sour milk-grapes melons
ana pomeersnates, which are produced IN
nearly al The provinces Of Persia 10 great
abundance. Ia the towns, the traveller re-
cognizes In the people the character OF the
tales IN the Arasian Nights. There IL the
handsome, stalwart porter, with painting
breast exposed and darkly sunburnt sktn.
scratching his shaved head, ready for any
new summons, including that OF the mysts-
rious lady, the mistress OF the equally mys-
teIious house, wherein he NAV be murdered
or enriched, killed aud buried A Ke a dog, or
clad In splendid robes, rs is the good plea
from BRgdad. wearing the respectable
marks OF q pilgrim, and saluted In virtde OF
his Journey 10 Mecca by all men as "haiii,"
his green or white turban Is spotless.
from his shoulders hangs a cloak OF fine
cloth, gold braided, and his tuuic OF purple or
green is bound with costly sash. fn which
prooseiy the case containing hts materials
Tor writing Is thrust likes dagger. Every
where is seen the priest or mooli&h riding
with nothing Of meekness in hts face a
whlte oonkey, his dress proclaiming him To
oe member OF the caste which Is the strong
est In Persia There are no old men, for
those whose boards are white with age ma va
peen Transformed into unnatural youth by
ayeing thelr hair deep red with henua.
Their hands and feet are colored with the
same preparation, and they sit smoking a
"ksleaup or reading the Koran upon the
front planks or their stall In the cool bazaar,
without any more apparent interest In their
business than II it were q mere cloak for tue
supernatural concerns OF their sctive life
Even without aid from the genii, there are
always present In Persia two mysteries
which no doubt will serve 20 transmit 60
long as they exist, the ideas OF Arabian
ANA6ubc. Lucft arc Tue NclleQ lazy aud the
walled-up house into which no outside eve
can penetrate. No "giaur" can see even the
eyes ofa Persian woman OF the middle or
superior classes. She moves through the
streets or bazaars on her white donkey
or on foot, In perfect disguise. Even
her husband would not know her
She Is covered from head TO foot In q loose
"chudder" where that envelop covers AL
but the vissge. The legs are hidden In loose
trousers OF cotton OF the same color which
are not worn IN the house. The only Opening
In the face veil Is a small bar of embroidered
work before the eyes, which enables her 4,
see her path and the quality OF the goods she
is buying In the bazaar. But in all her out
door life she is moving ms stery. She may
be young or old, white or black fair or ugIy.
ON mission OF sin or upon an errand OF
charity no one knows who she Is as she
snuffies along upon shoes which are difficult
10 keep on her feet, as the upper leather ends
lar above the heel. She raises at some mud
walled house an iron knocker upon q door
like that OF fertilization, is admitted the
door is closed, and what goes on within that
house, what is the fate OF the women, the
children, and the slaves, no one can know:
there is no window from which they can
communicate with the outer world; IL is a
despotism within despotism. Each of
these walled houses is the seat OF a despotic
sovereignty established and Confirmed by
the greatest power IN Persia that OF the Ko-
ram Contemporary ReUieJU.