Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-07-26
BURMESE WOMEN.
THEY HOLD THE PURSES AND
MANAGE THEIR. HUSBANDS.
Burmese Bellies and Their Bic Cigars
-Thei, large Earrings and
Bright Costumes - y
Burmese Bazaar.

hStl' iiiii cNtcTt;tiu his guests. lbc
COrcan madame lies no right To 90 on
the streets except after dark, and the
small-footcd Chinese girl IS the slave OF
her mctlIcr-iu-law. She has no rights
that her husband is bound TO respect. and
he can sell her when he is tired of her
The Siame>a girl, though Il step higher in
the order of human rights. has to sup
port the family, and she is. according to
the law, the property of the King. The
Malay women is secluded in the harcm OF
her husband. and the millions Of women
of India. Egypt aud Turkey are ncvcr
seen iinon the streets. the l}ur;ncSc ::iris
are the brightest characters of the coun-
try. and their gay silks, bright eyes and
graceful figures ill every place with
rolor and beauty. They mix with the
mea and they nave equal right in
property and social standing "ith their
husbands.
During the first years OF the marriage
the man must live with aud help support
his mothcrin-law and he is by no means
the master Of the house. Tine woman
holds the purse. She is The business
man of the family, and thoua, at times
it is said that wiic-bca,ing takes place il
Rui'mah, such instances are few and FAR
between.
The business Of Burmai is managed by
the women us much as is the business Of
France. This city of Rangoon has about
llo, 600 people, and it is the centre o.
trade Of Lower Burmah Much OF the
native business is done in immense b:.zaars
covering many acres. These baxa,.rs are
rooted with heavy wood or iron 10 keep
out the SIM, and some of them cover
several blocks. Their interiors are d-
vidcd up into streets, which cut one an
other ut right angles. These streets are
walled with cases of goods of nil kinds.
which rise from the back of u ledge five
feet wide and as high as Il chair seat.
Upon these hedges the haZaar's sellers sit
with their goods piled around and bchlnd
them, and III these b;.z;i;,rs the Burmese
women compete with merchants FROM all
over tic East They are as sharp ut
DaT.snin rs the Farscc merchants and the
turbancd Mahomctsas who have stalls adj
iaccnt TO them, and tie Burmese manu-
'actnrcs OF I'LL kinds are sold by them.
Without education in arithmetic and with
on. knowing how 10 read and write, they
can count profit and loss like SO many
lightning calculators. bought some
silk Of one of them to-Iay. The price
first asked was three uimuS what finally
gave, and the girl WHO sold nc made,
dono. not, - per cent profit
Sac was Il typical Burmese beauty, ard
She sat with icr limbs crossed hat on the
stray U;.: q: her booth. with shelves Of
silks behind her and with gay-colored
cloths "n the iloor nl around her In her
mouth WAS :; Burmese cigar al least q foot
long and Il full inch in thickness. She
goods, but upon my refusing She handed
the cigar over 20 her sister and attended
to business. Pulling down one piece Of
bright silk after another. She spread Them
oai on the mat before ne and cl.aitcd and
laughed while she sold. Girls mature
here at thirteen and fourteen. and ;his
bazaar daisy was perhaps sixteen years
old
The Burmese women are clad in two
garments. One of these is jacket of silk
or cotton which reaches 10 the hips, and
the other is the tamchn. This is IL wide
strip of bright silk about five feet square.
the limbs and fastened with Il twist ot ;bo
front. 1t has the elect of tight Amcr-
can pull-back without the hustle nut on
without undcrskirts. The Weather ladies
wear their dresses so long that they trail
upon the ground. The colors are ;hos.
of the rainbow. aud the mos, delicate If
yellows, of pinks and OF blues are used.
My fair merchant wore Il skirt OF bri..ht
green and gold, and her silk vest was a
rich cream yellow. She had several
strands of pearls about her olivc-b,ovn
neck and her ears had great buttons in
them of clusters of diamonds. each rs
large as cuff buttons. She had bracelets
on her arms and there VAS gold ring ON
one OF her toes. and in her hair was :,
bunch of bright artificial flowers. She
was, I Judge, five feet hirh. Her eyes
were large, soft and brown. and .,,ovc
these were dainty archcd: bnt not heavy
brows She had II wealth of rich. plossy
black hair rolled up in :, nyramjdal crown
49,, Il, ,.o,.,. -.