The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1889-03-15
THE EiRE-woRsHlPPERs.
0escription of AN Entertainments Given h
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Pnrsee Noblenaan.
Perhaps no race of people is less
known or more interesting to thewtu-
dent and traveller than the Parsees or
Fire -Worsllipers of India. They are
delightful hosts. aud. as 1t was my
good fortune to form the acquaintance
Of Sir Framgee Deinshaw Petit who
was knighted for gift OF $780, 900 to
an educational institution, / win Ell.
deavor to describe an entertainment
attended Mt his palace. Sir Fraingee
lives in patriarchal magnilicence, and
when his whole family is seated at ta-
BILE they number fifty-tive. We were
received in the grand drawing-room.
as large as a fair-sized church. and
presented to the ladies. We found them
pretty, Intelligent and vivacious. and
it is no exaggeration to say that they
compared quite favorably with thei,
American sisters. The ladies were at
tired ii graceful native costumes. The
dress consisted of waist, such
- is worn by Europeans, with long
,carf of embroidered silk, or Grape.
called sarTe. wrapped several times
around the waist and falling in broad
folds about the limbs in lieu of skirt.
One end of the sarre was brought over
the head and dropped gracefully in
front constituting very effective
head dress. Their jewels were mag
niticent. No crowned head OF Europe
possesses their equal. and sueh an ar
ray of diamonds, pearls. sapphires
| and emeralds can scarcely be imag
ined- One of the guests wore eight
strings OF pearls, which far exceled the
celebrated necklace of Queen Mar
guerite of Italy. The state costume
Of the men is white, but on ordinary
occasions they appear attired in tho
conventional evening dress. One pc
euliarity of their costume is not how
ever, TO be met in London drawing
room. They never uncover their
heads, and high, conical Persian
hat. or, at meals, skull cap, always
completes their dress.
On the occasion am describing an
orchestra played selections from
italian operas, and. after conversing
awhile upon topics OF universal inter
est. our host made a sign to the serv-
ants. who brought In baskets filled
with large bouquets of Eastern flowers
Each lady selected one, sprinkled il
with rose-water from tall silver vase,
presented it to the gentleman who was
to escort her TO dinner, and then, talk
ing his arm. she led the way to where
table was spread, overlooking the
sea-
! 1,hara xra ,ra,.a ,-arrala5 ,r;th -.
coffee. cakes, fruits and twenty-five
kinds OF delicious native sweets, which
had been collected in honor of our
coming. 1t was an event not to be
forgotten The waving palms and
/ tropical flowers, the splash rof the
waves. mingling with the soft strains
of music. the beautiful women with
their flashing jewels and graceful
dress. were typical OF the languid,
dreamy East, and carried one uncon-
sciously back to the days of Haroun
/ al-Rashid.
When tea was over we were taken
for a delightful drive in handsome
European turnouts, and then to dine at
another Parsee house. The ceremony
was long and stately. all the dishes
We're native. but the wines were Euro
pean, and this dinner, with that excep-
tion, was representative of native
l manners before they had received the
ssssropean touch. The ladies whom we
,asc,,.4e7ss 7sss1xaye US bouquets, as in the
! aftsrnoon, and the host hung chaplets
of white jasaznines about our necks
and wrists. The menu cards bore
gilaed erests, and they gave us bon
6o,s -.-~aped in gold leaf to carry
away. 1t was dream of the East, but
e%.e perfectly appointed tSble, sur
rounded by intelligent men and grace.
full women, made it hard to believe
that the members of this refined so
ciety were the -Worshipers we had
been brought up to despise as heather.
Wv. b. Chatfield, in America