Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1889-02-21
A DREAM OF THE EAST.
The Entertainments Given by q Fire wor
SHIPPER of India.

The Entertainments Given by q Fire Wor
SHIPPER of India
Perhaps no race of people is less known
or more interesting to the student ant
traveller than the Parsees or Fire Wor
shippers of India. They are delightful
hosts, and as it was my good fortune tc
form the acquaintance of Sir FRANCES
Demshaw Petit, who was knighted for 8
gift of $500, 600 to an educational insti
tuition, will endeavor to describe an
entertainment attended at his palace.
Sir Framgee lived in patriarchal mag.
nificence, and when his whole family
is seated at table they number fifty.
five. We were received in the grand
drawing room, as large as fair sized
church. and presented TO the ladies. We
found them pretty. intelligent and viva
eiouS. and it is no exaggeration to say
that they compared quite favorably with
their American sisters.
The ladies were attired in graceful ma.
tive costumes. The dress consisted of a
waist, such as is worn by Europeans,
with long scarf of embroidered silk OF
Grape, called q sarre, wrapped several
times about the waist and falling in
broad folds about the limbs in lieu of q
skirt. One end of the sarre was brought
over the head and dropped gracefully in
front, constituting a very effective head
dress.
Their jewels were magnificent. Nc
crowned head of Europe possesses their
equal. and such AN array of Diamonds,
pearls, sapphires and emeraIds can
scarcely be imagined. One of the guests
wore eight strings OF pearls, which far
exceIled the celebrated necklace of Queen
Marguerite of Italy.
The state costume of the men is white,
but on ordinary occasions they appear
:ittired in the conventional European
evening dress. One peculiarly of their
costume is not however. to be met in d
London drawing room. They never I'M
cover their heads. and high. conical
Persian hat-or at meals Il skull cap
always completes their dress.
On the occasion | am describing an
orchestra played selections from Italian
operas, and after conversing q while
upon topics of universal interest, Ctr
host made a sign to the servants. who
brought in baskets filed with large bou,
Guets of eastern flowers.
Each lady selected one. sprinllcd it
with rose water from tall silver vase,
presented it to the gentleman who was
to escort her to dinner. and then, takin.
his arm, showed the way to where u
table was spread. overlooking the sea.
There we were RECALLED with tea, cof-
fee. cakes. fruits, and twenty-five kinds
of delicious native sweets. which had
been collected in homer of orr coming
1t was an event not to he forgotten.
The waving palms and tropical flowers,
the splash of the waves, mingIing with
the soft strains of music. beautiful
women with flashing jewels and graceful
dress. were ty pical of the languid, dreamy
east. and carried o8e unconsciously back
to the days OF Haroun 81 l,aschid.
When tea was over we were taken for
a delightful drive III handsome European
tl:rnouts and thea to dine at another
.Parsee house. The ceremony Was long
AMI stately. all the dishes were native,
but the wines were European, and this
dinner. with that exception, was repre-
sentative of native manners before they
had receivted the European touch.
The ladies whom we escorted gave us
bouquets. as in the afternoon. and the
host hung c.:aplets of white jasmines
about our neck4 and wrists.
The menu cards bore Eilded crests and
they gave us honbous wrapped III gold
leaf to carry away. 1t was dream of
che east, but the perfectly appointed
table. surrounded by Intelligent men and
graceful women. made it hard to believe
that the members of this refined society
Were the fire worshipers we had been
brought up to despise as heathen.-
America.