River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1885-12-31
Persian Women at Home.

The frou-frou of silk is heard.
Three ladies enter the room. Their
feet and legs are bare to the knee, for
| they have cast off their shoes at the
door, but all the rest of them is
shrouded in large sheet of dark blue
silk, the outer veil of the Persian lady.
Gracefully they sink down into heaps
in a semicircle opposite us. "Salaam.
sahib! You are welcome. Tea, tea
for the sahib!' | responded in the Gus
tomary way and inquired after the
health of my yelled hostesses. Ono
only replies in a confident tonc--she is
evidently of middle age and self-pos-
sessed. The other two blue heaps
shake with inward mirth, but are 81
lent. lit cannot be, it is too hot!''
the lady continues, as she cast off her
dark-buo envelope-an example inn
mediately followed by her companions.
Hearts Delight hastily folds up the
three wells, and plump, middle-aged
lady. very comely, and her two inno-
cent-looking daughters, handsome
young women, fair as any English
girl, with round, chubby faces and
magnificent eyes, are disclosed to view
in all the splendor of the Persian
lady's indoor dress. The costume of
all is the same, varying only in colors,
and these are of the gayeSt. Short
and voluminous skirts of silk, much
bouffe. reaching to the knee; shirts
(the Persian word, like the French
chemise, is applied to the garment of
both seXes) of transparent silk gauze;
tiny zouaye jackets of gayly-embroid-
cred velvet, just covering the shoulders
and the top of the back (of these the
sleeves are unbuttoned from the elbow,
hanging down and showing the gay
Innings of pale-colored but brilliant
silk); the top of the head and the ears
are hidden by gorgeous silk kerchicfs,
embroidered in gold, and there is no
more clothing to describe, unless the
numerous bracelets of the bangle
form, of gold and of glass, which
iangle as the ladies move their arms,
may be called clothes.
The ladies chat; the younger ones
only to each other in an undertone, for
maiden modesty prevents their address
sing the doctor; but they giggle and
litter a good deal, and are duly re-
proved for it by the elder lady. Tea in
delicate old china cups is served; we
all smoke hubble bubbles, and four of
them are brought by Hearts Delight
and three other black female slaves.
Presently hear tittering behind me,
turn, and instantly there is dead ST.
lence as a bright curtain of shot-silk
quickly falls, but not before have OBJ
served an amused bevy of gayly-
dressed women and children. 'Ex-
cuse them, Dr. Sahib; they are so dull,
so dull.
Conversation turns upon the curious
custom of Europeans. l am asked if
am married. l have to admit that l
am not, and am duly pitied. But
then. After all, you are right.
Where there is woman there is dis
cord" says my hostess. More tea,
more pipes. Sweet-cakes, confection-
cry, and conserves are handed; iced
sherbet, in Bohemian glass tumblers,
gilt and of gaudy colors, is served.
insinuate something to the effect that
this is a professional visit; my hostess
smiles. / repeat the remark, and then
the lady. rising 10 bid farewell, re-
plies 1--WE were dull; we were bored;
You have desennuye us. Wallahn'-
with little laugh-"I have forgotten
why we sent for you. Your footsteps.
however, have been fortunate, for our
hearts are no longer sad. !"
So here was an end of my visit. We
shook hands heartily, and the lady
gave me huge bouquet of narcissus
as | left-.St. James Gazette.