Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1888-05-31
INALcIsRs.
The Regulation Arab House.-ItA Women
and How They Dress.


! The Regulation" Arab house Is al
ways commenced in the same way:
whatever the shape Of the lot Of ground
is, there must be a square court, some-
times with fountain in the center, and
a colonnade surrounding the court; in
the smallest column, with ornament
ed balustrade between, at each corner
supports on horseshoe arches the up
per story, with q repetition ofthe same
number of columns and arches sup
porting the roof then rooms of every
conceivable shape, to suit the convent
ence of the owner and to make the best of
every inch of the lot, are built around
the court, and door and windows,
! with iron gratings, opening into il; the
outer wall forming kind of fortress,
with few and very small windows.
The Arabs rs well as the English can
say that "a mans house is his castle.n
In the large country houses the same
rule is observed on n larger scale, and
with more columns, with q very ex-
tensive outer court enclosed by q long
colonnade and wall. Baia's house
was Of the most modest order, a mere
nutshell: court seven feet by four
was converted once week into an ex-
tensiye laundry, where Fatma. jovial
and good-natured negress. was in her
element. Under the stairway, Just
wide enough for one, was well. next
to which was tiny room, which re-
ceived light only from the court The
lame and lonely woman who occupied
it did all her cooking ut the door, and
when she was fortunate enough to
afford to fry anything like q mutton
chop was obliged to leave my easel
for the time being.
Once week everything is turned
out, on the acknowledged system, for
house-cleaning; buckets of water
deluged the tiled floors Of the court and
under the little colonnade, while amop
was used for the bedrooms, which
were also tiled Wood is seldom en-
ployed in the construction of floors, us
tiles are cooler in summer, and do not
warp, are more ornamental, and
cheaper. Her old mother abomina4ed
shoes, and to see her assist in the gem
eral washing up on cold and rainy
days, going bare-footed about the
house on the cherries tiles, sent a chill
and return my sympathy, she expressed
her discomfort ut seeing me ut work in
big overcoat and thick-soled boots.
When ! went to see our friend Bel
kassen at home with his family the rain
was pouring into the open court Of his
dwelling, and his five children were
standing about on their bare feet like
forlorn and wet chickens; the mother
with babe in her arms, was afflicted,
like all her little brood, with sore
eyes.
1t is a strange fact that many natives
of hot countries wear almost the same
clothing winter and summer, and do
not seem to suffer from cold when the
thermometer stands ut few degrees, in
the severest weather, above freezing
point. Arab women are always Curl
Gus to see how European ladies are
dressed, and examine attentively their
clothes and jewelry. If the Europeans
show the same interest, and inquire in
to the dressing of the natives, they
often find to their surprise, on cold,
days, on lifting the haik of a Moorish
woman, nothing but a gauze chemise
and thin cotton bodice covering the
breasts and a very small part OF the
back, and from the waist to the feet
cotton pantaloons. ample it is true, but
not warm. The haiks are often made
of hand-woven wool, very thick and
warm, others of silk, while the poorer
classes wear n few yards Of thin white
cotton stuff. The large haiks are
about eighteen feet long by FIVE feet
wide. With one of these, with their
veil TO the eyes and falling about four
teen inches, and with pantaloons made
up of seventeen yards Of white cotton
tied at the waist and ankles, the reader
will have but little difficulty in under
standing how they can conceal their
figures and keep themselves warm.
But such ample drapery is comparative
luxury, and enjoyed by the wealthy
only. On the other hand, one pitics |
them in hot weather for being obliged !
to wear the veil and follow the fashion |
among the ladies of their standing Of |
burdening their frames with such n
weight Of apparel.
With all this drapery the womcn's |
husbands and acquaintance readily |
recognize them by their bearing and |
gait; but one can form no idea, or a
very inaccurate one. Of woman from
what the exterior forms suggest. f.. |
a. BrrdgmdR, ia Harper's Magazine.