The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1879-08-07
SYRIAN LADIES AT HOME.

4 l.. 81
Women Who Never Go Outside Their
:. own Doors. rs - g.. a.
damascus Letter to the Boston Traveller. I
After few moments Mime. Meshaka
entered, making excuses for, her hus-
bands absence, through our interpre-
ter, and requesting most earnestly that
we would make our visit, to her, and
soon sending for her sister, who spoke
french, we spent half an hour very en-
loyably with them. They are Syrian
women OF the best type, with fine, bright
iaces and IN European dress, that of our
hostess being an embroidered white
wrapper, with re silk girdle about her
waist, and, like her sister, artificial
flowers in her hair, which latter is an
almost universal custom with these peo-
PIE If dressed with any pretensions.
Even little girls, when appearing
"dressed up" all have artificial flowers
on their heads. Both ladies, when they
entered, had over their slippers wooden
clogs, which are used by the peasantry,
and slipped them off before stepping on
the carpet; and, referring to this Gus
tom, they said 'they were put. on when
crossing the courtyard, from habit, as
II was often damp, and thus their feet
were raised above the ground.''
We thought these must be difficult TO
walk with, but they were much amused
at the idea, and produced a pair which
were much higher than any we had seen,
saying that those were the kind lady
wore Just after marriage, to make her
look tall and of more Importance than
heretofore, raising her at least O. foot
above ground, but they were. only worn
short time" suppose she meant
until her friends We're fully impressed
with her Importance. Referring to our
free, untrameled life, Madame putin Q
her hands to her mouth several times
and throwing them out gracefully-said: ::
/" How happy we must be to be able to
smell the wind" She did not doubt but
that in the three days we had passed in
Damascus we had seen more than she
had seen in all her life. gqegT fvsx9
According to the custom of her race,
the women almost never go outside Of
their own doors. Having been married
at Il, she is now %, the mother of five
'or six children, and shut up with them
within these walls from one years end
to another. We sympathized with her
most heartily when she sighed over the
dullness of the life it was their lot to
lead. Not, however, nearly as hard for
those who have known no better, as we
know it would be for US unless it became
g necessity from i'll health. The other
call we made was on wealthy Jewish
family, the house being of the same gem
eral design, and fitted up with great ele-
gance, the walls being made up Of rare
marbles, and spaces between the win
dows built to initiate temples with arch
ed roofs and slender pillars. A foun-
tain in the saloon makes it as cool and
fresh as if we had entered another coun-
try, after coming from the hot, dusty
street. eatI&s9te7s
Here the, females were all robed in
calico or cambric, but the mother wore
about her neck a rare collection of
pearls, and, the guide said,. s'if one CALI
ed on their Sunday they would be rich
ly arrayed and decorated with dia-
monds." They were very cordial, and
entertained us as best they could, offer
ing coffee as they had done at the Con-
sulate. And if time had permitted 9th
er houses would have been open to US.
But the next thing on the programme
was to ride about the city and see the
old walls, having the house Of Naaman
pointed out, and the place where St.
Paul was let down in a basket from the
wall; piece Of the old Roman high
way where he was converted, and in a
small church the spot where he was
bantizpd All of which were very inter-
esting. as we'll as the different quarters
of the city-Christian, Jewish and Mos
lem-through which we passed.