St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-07-11
Dom, after exchanging cordial greetings

| As, with the exception of the Japanese, the
Druses, are the politest and most courteous
people / have ever met, great part Of our
time is taken up with salutations and com
pliments. First we press our hands to our
hearts and lips and foreheads with great
effusion. No sooner had we seated than we
repeat this process as if we had not done it
just before. Then, in fowery language, we
ask each other repeatedly after our respective
healths, and are profuse in our thanks to
God that we are well, that they are well, that
our families are well, and that we are per-
mitted TO enjoy the great privilege of meet
ing one another Then coffee is brought in,
and after drinking it we go through the same
process of saluting each other all around.
Then request permission to light cigar
ettee, which1s necessary, as the Druses never
indulge in tobacco; indeed, the more rigid
eschew coffee.
As l look around at the twenty or thirty
sheiks, solemnly seated with their backs to
| the wall, ] am much struck with the dignity
Of their bearing, the intelligence of their
countenances, and their superior physique
generally. AS rule, there is a religious
and secular sheik to each village, so that
about half of my entertainers exercise
spiritual functions and half temporal. There
was nothing, however, in their dress to dis
tinguish them. They all were white turbans,
black or striped abbas, or wide-slceved cloaks
reaching to the knee, beneath which was the
usual flowing garment of the Oriental, and
their feet were bare. Many of the Druses,
! both men and women, have brown hair and
blue eyes, and compilations as light as our
own, and some of both sexes are singualarly
| handsome.
| As all the shieks had not yet assembled,
we had not been long in conclave, indeed,
had hardly exhausted our stock of compli-
ments, before the singing of men and the
firing OF guns announced distinguished ar
rival. Then we all went out to meet him,
and / was interested in the method of greet
ing. | soon perceived that the forms of eti-
quette are most rigidly adhered to among
them. When two of equal rank meet they
clasp hands, and there appears slight strug
gle-as they both bow their heads and lift
their clasped hands towards their lips-as to
who shall kiss the back of the others hand
first. This involves curious twisting move
meut Of the hands and heads which pro-
duces somewhat comic effect. Let any of
my readers make the experiment, and,
| grasping each others hands, try and kiss the
respective backs of each without unclaspng
them, and the effort as to which shall succeed
first makes quite little game. My servant,
who is Moslem from Egypt, declared that
they each kissed their own hands, and the
and the argument waxed so hot between us
| that we had to refer the matter to a Druse
to know which was right, SO difficult was it
to perceive exactly what really happened.
If one felt himself inferior in rank to the
other, he always succeeded in kissing the
others hand first, and snatching his own
away before the other had time to kiss it.
| But if the difference in rank was still more
marked, the superior made no pretense of
wanting to kiss the interiors hand after his
had deem kissed.
Next came great struggle as to who
should take the lowest place. The place of
honor was particular corner, which, had l
been better versed in their etiquette, l should
have insisted on declining; but l innocentiy
accepted it, and then the invariable struggle
came as to who should be forced to sit next
to me. / observed that in most instances
the refusas were of that formal kind which
young ladies indulge in when they have
made up their minds to sing, but decline to
do so until after they have been sufficiently
pressed. | suppose there were envyings,
iealoLses, pride, and other base passions
among my hosts as among other men, but
if so they certainly concealed their failings
with marvellous skill. One could not but be
struck by the air of genuine harmony and
affectionate cordially which seemed to pre-
vail among them.
The respect they showed to the head sheik
of all and the warm terms in which they
spoke of him to me in private could not
have been but sincere, and indeed he SEEM
ed to deserve it. Though only young man
of about 35, he inherited his honors, coming
as he did of one OF the most honorable
Druse families; yet his distinguishing char
acteristic was Il marked humility and consid
Grafton for others. His wife was certainly
the most charming and ladylke person
have yet seen among Druse women. She
was not more than % or n, with fair COM
pleXion, magnificent eyes, and an elegant
figure; grace natural to her characteriZing
all her movements Indeed, had she been
dressed in the latest Partisan fashion,
she would have been a strikinglY at
tractive peraon in any society, nor
would 1t have been possible by her features
or complexion to distinguish her from any
pretty American woman. AS it was, her
dress was exceedingly becoming. On heg
head was long white veil, loose tunic-
shaped jacket, with full sleeves, covered an
embroidered sort of chemisette, and her
| SuOTt-IONluE SMITHS COuCtdltu lull
trousers, tight around the ankle. On her
wrists were pair of heavy gold Bracelets and
she was the only woman Of the party in
dulged in the luxury of shoes and stockings.
The shoes however, were always slipped off
before entering room.
The Druse women of Gallee do not, like
these of the Lebanon, cover their faces; and
indeed they are allowed a freedom which
contrasts strongly with the position of their
Moslem sisters. This wife of the head shek
enjoyed privilege denied to any OF the
other women who had accompanied their
lords to the shrine, for she frequently sat in
the mems council. taking part in the CONVEX
sation, though modestly and with great re-
serve. In talking to me, which she did
freely | found that she was bright and in
telligent aud full of inquiries as to the man
ners and customs OF the females of civiliza-
ton, in regard to whom she had an intense
curiosity. do not know, however, whether,
if it had been fully gratified it
would have tended very much to
her moral and intellectual improvement.
She had brought her baby with her, and was
generally surrounded By some of the more
prominent of the other ladies, who, however,
treated her with marked Difference.
watched her mode of greeting the different
ladies as they arrived even with more inter
est than tat had in the men. We read in
the bible OF people falling upon each others
neckS; this was exactly what the Druse wo-
men did, and very prcttily and gracefully
they did it, while they recognized the men
by distant, modest, and deferential ssluta-
ton. But as l spent two days in this most
interesting and original society, shall post
poue to my next letter the continuation of
my experience.
4 Pa,1Sien Bird Charmcr's Singular Po,c-
TPall Mall Gazette.
Paris has found new sensation in bird