Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1880-06-03
Marriage In Egypt.

When an Egyptian wants a wife he is
not allowed to visit the harems of his
| friends to select one, for Mohammed for
bade men to see the face Of any woman
they could marry-that Is TO say. any be-
sides their mothers or sisters. A man is,
therefore, obliged to employ "khathen, ,"
or matchmaker, to find one for him, for
which service, of course, she expects
backsheesh is payment The
khathen, having found girl, recommends
her to the man as exceedingly beautiful
and emniently suitable 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
equivalent; and when duped, was obliged
to served second time to secure his prize.
Gen. XXix.) Fathers still refuse to give
younger daughter in marriage before, an
elder shall have been married. The
people OF Armenia, in Asiatic Turkey,
forbid a younger son to marry before an
elder, and this is likewise the law of the
Hindoos.
The price of wife varies from 5
shillngs to $1,000. The girl may not be
more than five or SIX years old, but, what
ever her age, two, thirds of the dowry is at
once paid TO her father III the presence of
witnesses. The father then or his repre-
sentive, says: 81 betrothe 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 orna-
ments 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 continue for years before
the man demands his WIFE, Thus, "Sam-
som went down and talked 10 the woman"
or espoused her. and "after time he re-
turned 10 take her." Girls are demanded
at the age of ten and between that and six
teen years, but after sixteen few men viii
seek them, and the dowry expected is then
propOrtionably low.
Girls in Egypt are often mothers at
thirteen and grandmothers at twenty six,
and III Persia they are said to be mothers
at eleven, grandmothers at twenty-four,
and past child-bearing at thirty. When a
man demands his betrotheda a day is fixed
for the nuptials, and for seven nights before
he is expected TO give feast, which, how
ever, 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 con-
summation. The conduct is intrusted to
the " friend of the bridegroom John iii,
29.) About the middle Of this day the
bridre arrives at the house and then returns to
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 sanset-the bridegroom, who
has not seen his fair one, goes TO the
mosque to pray, accompanied 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. lie then
throws off her veil and for the first time
sees her face. If satisfied, he informs the
women outside, who Immediately express
their Joy by screaming "zuggareet, which
Is echoed by the women in the house, and
then by those in the neighborhood.