Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-08-10
HOME LIFE IN PERSIA.
VIE and COncubines i'm Superb
bundance and Divorces Conse-
quentIy Observation-Disclosures
Made at Ten.


Every house holder in Teheran has
his courtyard and tank of water, no mat
ter how poor he is" Ex-Minister Benja
min tells a New York San reporter
Frequently there are three or four court
yards and there is one called the andaroon
into which no man ever enters except the
master and his eunuchs. 1t is reserved
for his wives and concubines. Awealthy
Persian can have four wives and several
concubines. These women drive out in
carriages and visit one another, and are
watched with the greatest care. The
wives of poorer men 60 about on foot,
but all alike are covered with dark blue
mantle, which falls to the feet, conceal
ing the form. Over the face is a white
veil with apetures for the eyes.
''The rooms have large windows set in
richly decorated sashes and opening on
the courtyards, and frequently these win
dows are studded with colored glass, CIV
ing cathedral effect to the high-ceilinged
rooms All the rooms have dirt floors,
but they are hardly noticed, for they are
covered with mating and rich rugs. In
one part of the room there is mattress
covered with rugs, and on this the Per-
sian sits during the day and sleeps at
night. Some of the rooms have tanks in
their centre, giving them an air of luxury.
l often wonder why water is not used
more in this way in other countries. 1t
does not create dampness, as the climate
in Persia is very dry. There is separate
room for the bath, and its appointments
are often luxurious. Christians are
obliged to have separate baths from the
Mahometans. J."
"What are the daily habits of Per-
sians?'
every one from the king down rises at
o'clock in the morning. Then they
partake of a cup Of tea and some bread.
Tea is very important article of diet in
Persia, and the tea is nearly always busy.
No milk is used, but they sweeten the tea
almost to the consistency of syrup. Tea
over, the merchant goes to his shop in
the bazaar. This bazaar consists of a
hundred narrow streets rooted over with
brick arches, which are pierced here and
there to admit light and air. The mer-
chant sits in booth in front of his store
and awaits custom. He charges a much
higher price than he expects to get, after
the usual oriental style. At noon he
makes a substantial breakfast in the ba
Zaar, and then, as the middle of the day
is very hot, he takes a nap. About 4
o'clock he goes home and takes ride, re-
turns to dinner and then at about Z
o'clock enters his andaroon. When once
there he is inaccessible except on the
most urgent business. 1t is sufficient
excuse for not receiving a caller to say
that man is in his andaroon. He takes
another hearty meal there at 8 O'Clock
and soon afterward retires to bed.
"Do the wives all occupy one room?"
"That depends on the wealth OF the
man. They generally have separate
rooms, and by law he is compelled to
spend certain amount of time with each
wife. Of course, she can sometimes be
bribed to sacrifice her rights in favor of
another wife. A Persian is rarely seen
walking with his wives, except on the
great holiday of the new year, called no
ROOF. 1t is then the custom of every
Persian to go about with his wives,
and the gardens of the rich are on that
day thrown open to the public"
"How do the unmarried women live ?"
"There are no unmarried women, eX-
cept dissolute women. Every girl is
betrothed before she is 10 years of age. A
love match is something almost out of the
question. Marriages are arranged by
third persons, although sometimes the
young man may see the bride before the
wedding, but this is rare. He first sees
her face after the ceremony, and if he
doesn't like her he can reject her. Girls
go unveiled until about 10 years of age.
They receive no education except in
needlework and embroidery. They know
nothing except of what is going on i'm
around them, but Mrs. Benja-
min, who has had unusually favorable
of meeting them, says they
are clever and piquant. Like the Persian
men, they are generally handsome. |
have been able to observe this for myself
when wells fell off in the street, and by
seeing the peasant women, who wear no
wells. Ny wife tells me that their figures
are very good. The children are hand
some, with warm brown skins and dark
hair"
care the Persians attached to their
wives?"
"No; divorces are exceedingly COM
mon. 1t is very easy to be divorced. 1t
is only necessary to write out paper
stating the reason and the thing Is done,
or 10 say 10 JIl6 WOIndU IIlT6c buCCOoolFO
times, 4 divorce you,' but the husband
must have pretext for his action, how
ever flimsy. A man sometime divorces
all four wives and begins over again. The
women have rarely any difficulty in
securing new husbands. 1t is no disgrace
to be divorced. There is an extraordinary
law about marriage outside of the ordinary
ceremony, which permits a man and
woman to marry far any specified length
of time, from five minutes up to sixty
years. The couple go before a priest and
state the time settled on: and the man
then pays an agreed sum Of money to the
woman. If he leaves her at the end OF
the fixed time she cannot marry again Tor
a year, and any child born is the legitl-
mate offspring of the man, and he cares
for it. Many women of rank prefer this
kind of marriage, making the term fifty
or sixty years long, as by doing so they
secure their iointure beforehand, and the
husband cannot divorce them until the
time is expired. There are some highly
educated and intelligent women in Persia,
but they are very rare. In taking
evidence, the testimony of one man equals
that of two women.