The Helena independent., 1890-03-30

attractions after sheis y, for she is r "wife"
at from twelve TO fourteen years of age,
whatever that station or condition means
among the Arabs. All there is about this
being 10 become ecstatic over, is that subtle
prompting of the poetic fancy which ever,
10 the male mind peculiarly blooms
like the rose in any soil Of apparent coyish-
ness and mystery in the gentler sex. The
Arab woman Is simply yacuOus, iusensate,
volcrlcss and dreanless human animal.
shcuicd like the dead, in the streets, and
dead 10 tho world when within the four
windowless walls where the majestic being
WHO owns her keeps her penncd. You can
make nothing more or less OF her. And
while upon the suhicct the thought iuvulun-
tarily comes that the relation of woman to
society ia this oriental existence affords u
curious ethical study. in its striking simih-
tudO 80 that tendency towards extremes,
which Is So marked a Rfcminlne characteristics
Of our own civilization. cur female agi-
tntoIs are in constant state of wonder
and resentment that oriental woman Is
satisfied with hor condition of noucntity.
Missionary zeal, which insists upon
the introduction hy hook or by
crool, of the element of disuilection and as
p,ratiun, is largely born of this sentiment.
However this nny be, oriental custom the
result of Muhdumedanism hHs forced the
eastern woman 10 The opposite eNtraordin
ary extreme of accepting her degraded"
| position with the same sonse of superior
satisfaction as that exhibited by the en-
| lightened and cultured woman. who, to fur
thtr establish her rights" endlessly rc-
scnts, opposes and asserts in deieuse of her
personal importance. however little the
same may hr questioned The dress of this
Arab woman is all cuucta aling upon the
street, ana all-rcrcaling IN her home. The
outer garment rs the hRik, white
usually of wool, sometimes of silk
often of cotton. II is frequently twen-
! ty foot lu length and nearly two Yards wide
| u meath iA.s are precisely fouF articles of
/ apparel. gNuzo chcmise an uustiifoncd
corset or bodice frequently uassiVoly cn-
| hroidcicd mud bcicwelrd, pnnialoons reach
inc Go the lvyt aud comprising countless
NuTl Is OF material, and The tautAll1ing adiar
tied tightly around the face and falling
about twelve inches below. Most women.
not satisfied with this rgiiromcut, or per.
haps more strictly speaking most women
whusO husbands are not satisfied
with thls ohscurltiun, further hide
tho fac0 hy bringing the hak down
over one side OF the forehead 50 TINT
hul one uye. dark eyebrow and a tiny
| patch ~ thc forehead ure visible. Their
| feet nrQ u,nllly cnca.cd IN brown or yell
, low s.ippC rs; dauglets and haugleis of indc-
| scllluhl, lcWcirY tnklo nnd chime from
/ Wrists, ankle and concealed portions of the
| figure. nud. va this swRt thing uf ghostly hRik,
| with bumped bodies and miucing stops
/ thusC WHO urc allowed on the streets 40 all,
| wrgg.-, glide ANA scurrS along, Ike bpyy
/ uf escaped wfaifhs trDfn among the as silent
| graves npuu tic lei shts but this privilege
| of waddliug about like % lot OF sheetcd
/ spuuAs Is hy uo means "a universal one.
| be Young and fair sue iho sunlight only
| ihruugh the opcn courts VI their dwellings,
or from thp white terraces for brief hour
ioWnld sunset Only tile aged aud safe are
,ger pernlit,d tu visit the mosques, with
| the exception hat on Frldnvs. Ia company
! with scrN ANTS or elders. little excursions are
| allowed 40 The suburban iutrlbouts, ur sa-
cred temples nnd The khDubss no the ccmC-
| terlcn. 8o go HplcuUr, where thuy are al
| lowed thc cheering diversion oi hlliug with
water the little cups resting 10 the heads OF
tolnOs fur thr birds drink from these and
i.y ip hehon with greetings from tho souls
ut rest htnutl
lu-doors the dress of those women is ethe-
real enough for the most ieryid artists
fancy. They never sec N their own homes
amy male hut their hush0nGs and children,
HE climate, llkv that ut Cuba IN winter.
and excessively hot from May until October,
has also much io do with this. There are
really hui two garments for everyday home
wear tine rs a gauzo cnemise through
which tie 0.lye-hucd form is wholly re-
veqled IN outline aud detail. The other Is
the wide, ample trOwsers, terminating Just