Mountain Home bulletin. (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1888-1889, 1889-03-23
THE F,RE-woRsA,PPERX.


Description Of an Entertainment Given BY
Parsee NObleman.
Perhaps no race OF people Is less
known or more interesting to thewtu-
dent and traveller than the Parsees or
Fire-Worshipers OF India. They are
delightful hosts. and, as it was my
good fortune to form the acquaintance
OF Sir Framgee De,nshaw Petit. who
was knighted for gift OF 100000 to
an educational institution, l will en-
deavor to describe an entertainment
attended at his palace. Sir Framgee
lives in patriarchal magnificence, and
when his whole family is seated at Ia
BILE they number fifty-five. 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
1t is no exaggeration to say that they
compared quite favorably with theit
American sisters. The ladies were at
tired in graceful native costumes. The
dress consisted of a waist, such
as is worn by Europeans, with long
scarf of embroidered silk, or Grape,
called a sarre, 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 q very effective
head dress. Their jewels were mag
nificent. No crowned head of Europe
possesses their equal, and such 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 the
conventional evening dress. One pc
culiarity OF their costume IL not, how
ever, to be met in a London drawing
room. They never uncover thei
heads. and a high, conical Persial
hat. or, at meals, skull cap, Away
completes their dress.
On the occasion am describing al
orchestra played selections fron
AethhAeAA OpClooS anu tblVCA SohNoi
awhile upon topics. ~ universal inter
est, our host made sign to the ser,
ants, who brought III baskets file
with large bouquets OF Eastern flowers
Each lady selected one, sprinkled
with rose water from tall silver vase
presented it to the gentleman who wa
to escort her to dinner. and then. TAX
sn.r hiS -. 1.>J Il
u table was spread, overlooking til
sea.
There we were RECALLED with tie,
coffee. cakes, fruits and twenty-tw
kinds of delicious native sweets, whic
had been collected in honor of OF
coming. 1t was an event not to |
forgotten. The waving palms an
tropical flowers. the splash oof IL
waves, mingling with the soft strait
OF music, the beautiful women vii
their flashing jewels and gracef
dress, were typical of the langui
dreamy East, and carried one uncol
sciously back to the days of Harou
al-Rashid.
When tea was over we were take
European turnouts, and then to dine
another Parsee house. The ceremor
was long and stately. all the dish
were native. but the wines were Eur
pean, and this dinner. with that exec
ton, was representative OF natl
manners before they had received Il
European touch. The ladies whom v
escorted gave us bouquets, as in Il
afternoon, and the host hung chaple
Of white jasamines about our nee
and wrists. The menu cards DO
gilded crests, and they gave us DO
bons wrapped in gold leaf to car
away. 1t was a dream OF the East,
the perfectly appointed table. 81
rounded by intelligent men and grae
full women, made it hard to belle
that the members of this refined S
ciety were the Fire-W orshipers we h
been brought up to despise as heathe
w. b. Chatheld, in America
An Ample Apology.