St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1880-05-01
Marriages in Egypt.

! When an Egyptian wants wife, he
IS not allowed to visit the harems of his
! friends to select one, for Mohammed
! forbade men to see the face of any Wo-
man they could marry, that is to say,
any besides their mothers or sisters. A
man is, therefore obliged to employ a
khatbeth, or matchmaker, to find
one for him, for which service, Of course
she expects "backsheesh, that is, pay
ment. The khatbeth having found a
girl. recommends her to the man as
as exceedingly beautiful and emiDentIy
ultable to him. The father is then
waited upon to ascertain the doWry he
requires; for all wives are purchased
as they We're in patriarchul days When
jacob had no money to pay for Rachel
he sci we'd her father seven years as an
e4ulva lent; and, when duped, was
ooilgeu to serve second time to secure
his prize. Gen. XIX Fathers still
refuse to give younger daughter in
marriage before an elder shall have
been married. The people of Armenia
Ill AsIatlc Turkey, forbid Il younger son
to marry before the elder, and this is
likewise the law of the IiDduOs
The price OF Il wife varies from five
shllllngs to fifteen hundred dollars.
The girl may not be more than five or
six years old, but, whatever her age.
two-thrds Of the drovry is at once
paid to the father, in the presence. of
witnesses, The father then, or repre-
sentative, says 81 betroth to three my
daughter,' aud the young man re-
spends, Il accept Of such betrnthal."
Unless among the lower CLASSES the
father expends the dowry in the
purchase OF dress, ornaments or furni-
ture for the bride, whiciI 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 betrOtllaiS often continue for years
before the man demands his wife, thus:
Samson went down and talked to the
woman, or espoused her, and after 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 pro-
portionately low.
Girls in Egypt are often mothers at
- and grandmothers at 36, and in Persia
they are said to be mothers at II, grand
mothers at %, and past child bearing
at 30. When Il 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
before the consummation. The conduct
is entrusted to the " friend OF the bride
groom" John iii, 800 About the
middle of this day the bride arrives
at the house and retires to the harem,
where she sits with mother, sisters
and females friends. At the third or
fourth watch of the nighttime or
four hours after sunset-the bride
groom, who has not yet seen his fair
one, goes to the mosque to pray, accom-
panied by meshals," or torches and
lanterns, with music. Upon his return
he is introduced to his bride, with
whom, having given her attendant
present to retire, he is left alone He
then throws off her veil, and for the
first time sees her face. If satisfied,
he informs the women outside, who i'm
express their joy by scream
ing "Zaggareet, which is echoed by
the women in the house and then by
those in the neighborhood.