, 1876-03-19

As SO40DA uA1AAN~AA ~
say" replod Simpson, cracking walnut. Bnt
| If you do ask. am bound to say Il IS 40 lar
like marriage 10 this couutry-i: is someslmea
| domestic failure aud sometimes not- feEnaps
! 1t requires more Judgment in selection you
| have not only to please yourself, you know, bur
! to please your other wives" .-..,.
'Gooduess gracious !" said J. "how coolly
| you talk about it! hope no European who
happens to be resident in this strange commnnl-
! ty ever gives in to the custom ?"
"Sowie do and come don't, WAS the reply OF
Simpson. II lived in Persia with one vile 1or
fifteen years before gayo iD,"
What! you married second wife, your nrss
| wife being aiye2"
just go was the unabashed re]o,naer;; :;
Simpson swept tho wa!nut-shelIs into corner OF
his plate, and helped himself to sherry. II
have now four wives"
"Bless my soul apd body!" said l.. "Four
wiyes!" ...-...
ayes. The story OF my little menase may
seem in yOnr ears rather c11rOnH+ Ii IT WILL NOT
bore you, I'll toll you about it."
1 had no words to decline the offer, even II
wished it. My breath waa fairly taken away oy
Simpsons four wives. Tho traveller tlat had
liked his food uncooked had given me rather
turn; but that was nothing to this revelation OF
my present companion: u man VIC had always
considered of the highest respectaba'ltS. ana
whom my wife had even thought would have
suited our Jane.
"Wel it was at n picnic paIty on the p]ains
near Dussora thas tho thing first camo about.
Ny wife and r were both present. at it;
aud my European notions preventing my
believing there could be tho least m1sun-
derstanding about it. since was already niar-
ried, made myse1f very Agreeable to carta'n
Persian lady. She was neither young nor pret,
ty.-just like what my wife herself. indeed, had
grown to be bv tlet time,-and I no more
Thought OF making her my No. 2 than-dear me!
-of embracing Nlohalnmedanisu Aly ntten-
tions, however. were mlsconstrnea; anu her
brother, being violent man in tho Shah'a cav
Y!ry. and knowing had a fairiall income. IN
sisted unon my becoming bis brother-i1,-law. |
boliavo Iriah marriages are often brought about
in tho eamo way, SO there WAS nothing In fhdt
the pecu|iarity oil the case lay IN my having
wife already, and one who was very reso-
luto indeed to prevent my having another.
[ spare YOU tho troubles that ensued. Be-
tween my No. wife ou the one band, and
her sharp tongue, and the officer OF spah1s On
tho other, with his sharp sword, was placed ~
a very unpleasant position, Promise YOU; but
in the end i married khaela. l am sorry to
say the two ladies' gut on extremely, Ill to-
gether. 1t waa said b great English WIZ
that when onos wifo gets to bo ~, Quo ought
to change her for two 20s, like s*4a-Dofe,
and dare say thai would be very nice: bit
unhappily, had now two wives, each 10. If
they we1e day, and there was no prospect OF
getting them changed. or parting from them
in any way.
III. Pirouze and Khaleda led me most un-
happy life. They Qua1tele1 fgom morning to
night, and so fay from being able to play on one
against the other, as had secretly hoped, was
treated with grent uukindoess By both Of then-
They were d matter Of very considerable ex-
pense, Of conrse, and very lttle satistactsoo-
NV position, in fnct became intolerable: and
as could please neither Of them resolved to
please myself by 1uaEsying No. 3"
spite OK myself in this remarkable narration
:" Veil yes TINT is, she would have been
twenty in England, but id Persia young faiios
marry good deal earlier. She Was charming
creature, aud cost mo
..What did you buy hor !? cried I, in aston
ishneut and horror.
well, no, not exactly; her father no "
ever, insisted upon something handsome. and
there wero hbavyish fees to be paid to heK
mother and sisters, and to the Governor Of
Bussora. The custom Of the country ls curl
oua in that respect. After ones second
wife n considerable tax Is leTlsa by the Govern
was worth oil the money she Gang ahe played
diyiuely; that is, she would have done go ii she
had not been always crying. Plrouze and
kbaleda made her life utterly miserable. A1th-
erto they had been at daggers drawn with one
another, but now they united together to perse-
cute the unhappy Badoura. Her very life was
ecsrcelr safe With them Nretche1 rs my for
mer lot lad been, it WAS now become uoendura-
1le, for ond can bear ono's own misery bet
ter than that Of those we love-
Hero Simpson took out his handkerchief OF q
beautiful Persian pattern, and pressed 1t to hlH
eyes. ayes, ny dear FREUD, they led my Badonra
q dogs lfe-did these two women. foit m5seH
powerless to protect her. for was never very
strong. and, though did not % Understand o., one
could see by the effect thoy bad upon her that
they were most injurious--what have no doubt
would in this country be considered act.onaD'e.
For her, however, there was no remedy,
and I think she would have sunk nn,
Zoheilo."
-" No. ~ said I ashaat. "What on enrth
Il married zopeida solsly and wholly for Bn-
doura'a sake. I cho6o her, not for her beauty,
her virtues, nor her accomplishments. but entre-
ly for her thews aud sinews. I said to her, 70
heide, you ara strong and powerful young
woman it I make you my wife. will you protect
nv lamb = and she said, I will II was the
most satisfactory invostment-I mean, the hap
piest choice-I ever made. Ny home is no" the
alode Of peace. IN one wing of the house abide
pirouze and khaleda, il tbs other Lobaide and
DadOurA: two On the east slde and two on tho
west. Each respects the other; for. although
Pirouze snd Khaieda are strong females. and
conld each wiring the neck Of my dear Badoura,
Zobeide is stronger than both Of thom put to-
gethe1, md protects her. Thus the opposing
elements arc. as it we're, naturalized; the COM
of united house. got letters from all of my
four wives this morning, each OF them most
Characteristic and Interesting: Dadoura forgot
to pny the postase-sho has soul above pecu-
n1ary details--and her foster was the dearest OF
all"
''Don't CRY, Simpson said I: "don't cry.
old fellow. The stenner goes on Tuesday, aud
then you will see oil your wives again. They
will welcome you with outstretchod atms-eigbt
outssretched arms, like The octopus" I confess
I was affected bY my friends artIess narration,
at that tisne though, since have reflected upon
the natter my moral sense has once more assert
cd itself, and is outraged. state the matter
as fairly as can. have been to picnics my
sell, IS married man, and made myself agree
able to the ladies'. Well in Persia this might
have cost me my life, Or the expense Of d Sec
ond establishment. So far. there is every ex-
cuso for Simpson. But on tue other hand, the
astounding feet remains that there are four Airs.
Simpsons ut Bussora. Whenever look at his
quiet, business-lke face, OF hsar him talking to
my VITO and tho girls about Persian scenery, this
revelation Of his strikes me anew With wonder.
or course I have not told them about his do
nestle relations it would be too great shock
to their respective systems; get tue possession
of such secret all 20 myself is too hard to
bear aud have. therefore, laid 1t before the
public. The whole thing resolves iteelf into q
rule-of-three sum. II even quiet, respectable