The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-06-13
THE ARAB WOMAN.
Her Social Condition, Dress, Pastines and
Love For Jewelry.

Love For Jewelry.
The Arab woman, save in rare ana
pleasant exceptions is hardly what the
poets and painters have shown u.s. Ii
she be graceful or beautiful, 1t Is ex-
tremely difficult to discover 1t; and she
possesses neither Of these attractions
after she is twenty-five, for she is
"wife" at from twelve to fourteen years
of age, whatever that station or cond1-
ton means among the Arabs. All there
Is about this being to become ecstat.c
over is that subtle prompting of the
poetic fancy which ever, to the male
mind peculiarly, blooms like the rose in
any soil of apparent coy shness and
mystery in the gentler sex.
The Arab woman is simply vacuous,
insensate, voiceless and dreamless
human animal, sheeted like the dead in
the streets, and dead to the world when
within the four windowless walls where
the majestic being who owns her keeps
her penned
The dress of the Arab woman is all
concealing upon the street and all-re'
vealing in her home. The outer gar
ment is the haik, white, usual, y of wool,
sometimes of silk, often of cotton. It's
frequently twenty feet in length and
nearly two yards wide. Beneath this
are precisely four articles of apparel,
gauze chemise, an unstiffened corset or
bodice, frequently massively embroid-
cred and bejeweled, pantaloons reach
Ing to the feet and comprising countless
yards of material and the tantalizing
adjur tied tightly around the face and
falling about twelve inches below.
Most women not satisfied with this re-
tirement. or perhaps more strictly speak
ing, most women whose husbands are
not satisfied with this observation,
further hide the face by bringing the
haik down over one side of the fore
head, so that but one eye, dark eye
brow and tiny patch OF the forehead
are visible.
Their feet are usually encased in
brown or yellow slippers; danglets and
banglets of indescribi ble ewelry tinkle
and chime from wrists, ankles and con-
cealed portions of the figure; and in this
swathing of ghostly haik, with bumped
bodies and m ncing steps, those who are
allowed upon the street at all wriggle,
glide and scurry along like bevy of es
capped wraiths from among the silent
gray IS upon tie heights.
But this privilege of wandering about
Ike lot Of sheeted spooks is by no
means universal one. The young and
fair see the sunlight only through the
open courts of their dwellings Or from
the white terraces for a brief hour to-
ward sunset Only the aged and safe
are ever permitted to visit the mosques
with the exception that on Friday, in
company with servants or elders, little
excursions are allowed to the suburban
mara bouts or sacred temples, and the
khoubas at the cemeteries as at Belcour
where they are allowed the cheering
diversion of fl ing with water the little
cups resting at the heads of tombs; for
the birds drink from these and fly to
Heaven with greetings from the souls
ct rest Leneath.
Indoors the dress Of these women is
ethereal enough for the most fervid
artists fancy. They never see in their
homes any male but their husbands and
their children. The climate, like that
of Cuba in winter, and excessively hot
from Nav until October, has also much
to do with this. There are really but
two garments for every day home wear.
One is a gauze chemise, through which
the oive-hued form is clearly revealed
The other is the wide, ample trousers
terminating just below the knees, and
most as feecy and gauzy in effect
The lowlier women are bare legged.
bare footed and bare headed at home
Wives of the weather. Ara s will don
pink, yellow or b ne gauze silk hose and
dainty vel ow babouches or slippers.
Their hair will be coiled in mple
Grecian knot and fastened with some
huge jeweled ornament, and perhaps a
tiny skull cap. richly embroidered, will
rest coquettishiy on one side of the
| head.
But all are bedecked with iewelry
The poorer are fond of FURNISHED copper
bands about the arms, wrists and ankles
or bril- liant quartz and glass cubes and
crystals, strung on pack thread encirce
their necks The rich are abaze with
Jewels, primo paly pearls, emeralds and
sapphires, badly set, but always uine
and of great va ue. There IS legend
In Algiers that the hidden riches of the
Weather Arabs, principally compr sing
| Jewels exceeds the sum total in value O
all GO n. plate and jewels otherwise pos
sessed by al nationalit es in the white
city."-E. l.. Wakeman, in Cincinnati
Times.