Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1886-08-20
Marriage in Persia.
ST JtIIir. GaZrfta

Marriage in Persia.
st J1me- Gaz-tte.
I'm Persia a girl marries to fill the place
of her husbands confdant and friend; 10
rule his household and above all things
to be a mother of children. The marri-
ages of the rich are generally dedicated
policy, while those of the middle and
lower classes are often arranged by the
parents. Love matches are the excep-
ton. Persians as rule try to arrange
what they consider suitable matches for
their children. Polygamy is the excep-
tion and no. the rule, and where there are
two or more wives there are also two or
more establishments. Neither lodgings,
money. servants, clothes, nor jewelry are
held in common, and the only source of
contention is the society of the husband.
But the wives, instead of being Jealous
rivals, are usually the best of friends.
While it is quite true that theoretically
a man can be rid of his wife by saying
before witnesses, Thou art divorced y
yet practically to obtain a divorce in
ope. In Persia the poorest of women do
not marry without a settlement, which has
to be made good in case of divorce, and
at her marriage her relatives exact from
the husband an acknowledgment of a far
larger portion than is actually paid to
him. 1t is the liability to pay this, the
''mehr," that the restrains the husband
from divorce save on the strongest
grounds. In cases where mutual distaste
is very strong, and divorce desired by
both parties, the matter is simply arrang
ed by the wife agreeing not to exact the
whole q nf her Satilnp1
There is another safeguard against frivo-
lous divorce; divorced man or woman
does not find it easy to make a respect
able marriage.
The marriage of the first cousins is the
favorite union. The reason is that the
cousins have been acquaintances and
friends from childhood, while to all the
rest of the world, save her brothers and
sisters, the young girl yelled mystery;
so that, unless there is mutual disin-
clination, or too great a disparity of age,
the Persian youth looks naturally to the
daughter of my uncle" as his future
wife. Often the cousins are betrothed
from childhood. As a rule, classes do
not mingle in marriage. The sons of
merchants wed merchants daughters,
the young tradesman mates with his like,
and so with the members of the servant
and soldier classes. But in Persia, as
everywhere else, extraordinary personal
attractions soon become known and have
their advantage. The beauty of the mid
die or lower classes need not aspire in
vain. The mother of the kings eldest
and favorite son, the most powerful man
in Persia, was the daughter of a miller,
who caught the kings eye while washing
clothes at the brookside. Many poor
and handsome girl is welded without
portion for her beauty's sake.
The young wife does not immed-
lately assume the responsibilities of her
position. Carefully tended as a bride
for the first year of her welded life she
willingly remains under the tutelage of
her mother -in-law, if she has one, or if
she be the daughter of widow her moth
er usually accompanies her to her new
establishment. Mothers-in-law have a
better time in Persia than
in some other countries. There
they are regarded as the natural guard
ians of the inexperienced bride and the
proper care-takers of the young mother
and her infant offspring. From the
mother-in-law are learned the arts of
housekeeping. Under her eyes all pur-
male peddler, for visit to the bazar by a
young wife before she has blessed her
husband with children would be consider
ed scandal among the upper, middle, or
tradesman class. Only among the very
poor or the villagers does the young wife,
save on ceremonial occasions. leave the
shadow of her husbands roof-tree during
the first year of her marriage
Rut the first wear of wifehpod hos posS
ed away, and relatives and friends have
been summoned to celebrate the happy
birth of son or daughter If the for
mer, then indeed is the position of the
wife happy one. She receives the CON
gratulations of her friends and acquaint-
ances and holds high festival. Her hus-
band digDIties her by the title of Moth
er of Hassan," or whatever the sons name
may be, and from that day her own name
is no longer used. If she is only blessed
with daughter, still she is not cursed
with sterility, that terror of the Oriental
woman: and she may hope that heaven
may yet bless her with SON
Consulted in all matters, the Persian
wife is her husbands trusted confdante
and councillor. But she is veiled the
poor thing, closely veiledi" exclaimed the
pitying Englishwoman. Yes. she is veil
ed. And loath would she be to part with
what she looks on as a distinction and a
privilege. To her the veil is the badge
of modesty and the token of respecta-
bility.
And has she any accomplishments, any
education; or is she merely the mother of
the children! These questions are easily
answered. Many of the Persian middle
class women are highly educated accord
ing to oriental ideas. They read and of
ten write poetry; they sing and play as a
rnle well, and are mistresses of all the
arts of plain and fancy needlework; cook
ing is second nature to them; pastry
making and confectionery are among
their pleasures. The accomplishments OF
the poor ones are naturally of more use
full kind. They are good cooks and bread
bakers; they make the clothes of the en-.
tire household; they often are able to add
largely to the daily income by their
knowledge of some business or trade, and
| none OF them is idle.