Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1880-05-07
Marriage in Egypt.

When an Egyptian wants wife he is
not allowed to visit the harems OF
friends to select one, tor Mohammed
forbade men to see the face ofany woman
they could marry-that is to say, any
besides their mothers and sisters. A
man is, therefore, Obliged to employ q
"khatbeh," " or matchmaker, to find one
for him, for which service, of course,
she expects backsheesh that is. pay
ment. The khatbeh, having found a
girl, recommends her to the man as ex-
ceedingly beautiful and eminently suit
able to him. The father is then waited
upon to ascertain the dowry he requires,
for all wives are purchased as they were
in patriarchal days. When Jacob had
no money to pay for Rachel, he served
her father for seven years as an equiv
alent; and when duped was obliged to
serve a second time to secure his prize.
(Gen. xxix.) Fathers still refuse to
give a younger daughter in marriage
before an elder shall have been married.
The people of Armenia, in Asiatic Tur.
key, forbid younger son to marry be-
fore an elder, and this is likewise the
law of the Hindoos.
The price of wife varies from five
shillings to $500. The girl may not
be more than five or six years old, but
whatever her age two-thirds of the
dowry is at once paid to her father in
the presence of witnesses. The father
then, or his representative, SAYS: 81
betroth thee, my daughter" and the
young man responds: 81 accept of such
betrothal." Unless among the lower
classes, the father expends the dover in
the purchase of dress, ornaments or
furniture for the bride, which never
become the property of her husband.
Even when betrothed the intercourse of
the parties is very restricted. The
Arabs will not allow them to see each
other, but the Jews are not quite so
stringent The betrothals often con.
tinue for years before the man demands
his wife. Thus, Samson went down
and talked to the woman" or espoused
her, and latter a time he returned to
take her." Girls are demanded at the
age of ten and between that and sixteen
years, but after sixteen few men will
seek them, and the dowry expected is
then proportionably low.
Girls in Egypt are often mothers at
thirteen and grandmothers at twenty
six, and in Persia they are said to be
mothers at eleven, grandmothers at
twenty-four, and past bearing at
thirty. When a man demands his be-
trothed day is fixed for the nuptials,
and for seven nights before he is ex-
pected to give feast, which, however,
is furnished by the guests themselves.
Thus one sends coffee, another rice,
another sugar, etc. The principal time
of this continued feast is the night be-
fore the consummation. The conduct
is entrusted to the friend of the BRIDE
groom" "(John iii, 29) About the mid
die of the day the bride arrives at the
harem, where she sits with her mother,
sisters and female friends. At the third
or fourth watch of the night-three or
four hours after sunsat-the bridesroona,
', Ir0 Lao nuU yet ocIn MS Ialr one, goes
to the mosque to pray, accompanied by
meshalls," or torchess and lanterns,
with music. Upon his return he is in
troduced to his bride, with whom, have
ing given her attendant present to re-
tire, he is left alone. He then throws
off her vail and for the first time sees
her face. If satisfied, he informs the
women outside, who immediately ex-
press their JOY by screaming "zug-
garrett" which is echoed by the women
in the house, and then by those in the
neighborhood.