The Grenada gazette., 1888-03-10

rugs eating sweetmeats, slipping cof-
fec or smoking cigarettes. chatting
with their neighborS
The very poor have rarely many
household duties to perform. Their
children are not allowed to occupy
much of their time. but are sent to the
mosque school or turned into the
street to amuse themselves with other
children of their class. The actual
needs Of the family are easily supplied,
for loaf or two Of the black bread of
the country. the price Of which is reg.
ulated by government, aud is very
cheap. and a few pounds of grapes or
olives. also very cheap are for them
quite sufficient daily bread" and two
or three simply-fashioned garments
constitute the needful raimenI. There
is no setting to rights Of rooms.
other than the rolling up and slowing
away in closets of the pallets on which
they have slept Therefore. the mis-
tress OF house is soon at liberty to
curl up in corner of her divan with
her needlework and beloved cigarette
if the weather is inclement, or il the
day is fine, can Join some group on
grassy hillside, and spend the entire
day in the most frivolous gossip. with
their children playing about them in
all the freedom of unrestrained child
hood.
1t is counted in Turkey deep dis
grace for woman to remain unmar-
ried. Both sexes marry young, the
girl oftel at twelve or thirteen, the
boy at sixteen or eighten. A girl must
secure husband, no matter what the
sacrifice.
1t is not an uncommon thing to see
smart young woman married TO a
superannuated old man and obliged to
carry on her young shoulders the bur-
den of providing for the whole house
hold. One such know we'll, who, in
addition TO taking in washing to pro-
vide food and raiment, performs vari-
Gus duties her husband as Imam (or
minister OF public Worship is now ut
terly disqualified for by the intirmities
of age. The office of Imam in \ small
village embodies that of judge as
we'll, for Mohammedan law and re-
ligion are SO closely connected that
the expounder of each can b. united
in one person, thus forming one body
in the hierarchy. The Imam Of viii
lage may thus be properly considered
the president of the village. The wife
of the Imam of whom ! speak now en-
bodies in her fat little person all the
dignities of his office. No Mohamme-
dan house can be entered by the police
unless the Imam Of the parish takes
the lead and is the first to knock at the
door and cross the Threshold. He
must also settle all disputes, grant all
licenses, collect rents etc. All of
which and mGch more is well per-
formed b. this competent little wife.
Although do not think she can take
his place in performing the ceremony
Of marriage she must often assist at
washing and burying the dead 1t is
easy TO see how she mas become quite
All autJcrat Ia hr village vi five hun.
dred or eight hundred houses
A more quiet and law-abiding COM
munity Of their rank and condition it
would be hard TO find in any land.
Only once did witness any thing of
disorderly nature during the summer
spent in The village, and ths. was
settled by this energetic woman in Il
summary but unique manner. When
passing the little mosque one morning
we were arrested by the sound of
angry voices. On turning a corner
we found two stalwart Turks. in the
dress Of common laborers, engaged
in a fiery dispute, while the 1mam's
wife stood in her open doorway try
ing with mild reasoning to quell the
storm-all to no purpose. it seemed.
for while she sopped S to make her
"salams" (polite greetings) to us one
Of the angry men. who was armed
with an immense cudgel, began
pounding the other over head and
shoulders SO Justify that the stick
broke. Immediately the intrepid lit
tie woman caught up the broken
weapon and. welding it right aud
left, with lond words Of command
bade them begone. They dropped
their heads and slunk away like two
whipped sch ool. boys. as there is little
use in looking for any appeal from
her decisions. This prompt but
primitive way of settling quarrel Sc:
me to thinking it might be we'll for
the good name of this vast empi re il
it, rulers would take some lessons
from so humble a source. especially !
in dealing with the numerous bands of
brigands that are. even in this, our
day, terror in the land.
II seems evident that Turkey took a
viper to her breast when she gave the
Circassian refugees foothold here,
for these people furnish mach of the
stuff from which the most daring II
brigands are made. and who can
measure the 'power behind the
throne" these outlaws command. when
it is 50 well known that many a fair
Circassian slave has love whose
strength can not be estim ated. Colonel