Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-10-26
WOsEN or VARIOUS LANDS.
ODD MARRIAGE CUSTOMS AND sINGU-
LAR FASHIONS IN DIVORCE.
Wives Who Are the Slaves of Their
Husbands and Who May Be Put
Away on Slight Protests.

The daily prayer of Socrates is said to
have been prayer of thanksgiving to the
gods that he was "born neither woman
nor slave" But he, like other ancient
philosophers, had no idea of woman's i'm
portance, writes v S. Mosby in the Wash
ington Post 1t is fact that obtains uni
versally that the more barbarous the ma
tion the less respect have the men for the
opposite sex. The staff of woman's stand
ing in the various countries reveals the
strangest freaks of the human fancy.
From Scripture it is evident that Jewish
men rallied at the frivolity of their wives
as much as our modern husbands, and
doubtless preached, as men do now, sub.
lime code they themselves ignored.
"Who can find a Firtuous woman?" ex-
claims Solomon. One would think this
remark, judging from the extent of his ha-
rem, q poor compliment to his own dis
cretion. But when he adds, "She rises
while it is yet night and giveth meat to
her household" the mystery is explained.
Some of his wives had evidently been try
ing to persuade him of the beneficial effect
of building the kitchen fire, or doffing his
kingly purple and attacking the wood-pile.
Then when We count in the tennis suits,
ice cream and matinee tickets for the
crowd we fail to wonder at his cynicism
Jewish women of the higher classes
were secluded from public life, and passed
I1s - ~, IL ,,,I 4 L.
At marriage the ceremonies lasted seven
days. Divorce was common and polygamy
a custom of the nation. An unfaithful
wife could only anticipate the fate of being
stoned to death. Such conditions were
equally unfavorable to woman's mental
and moral growth. Had Solomon applied
his wisdom to the Improvement of the OBJ
scure morality of men Of ancient days he
would have seen less in the other sex to
criticise. Still, man with a thousand
engagement rings to buy does have hard
time.
Although among the Bedouins wife is
considered as slave, singleness is looked
upon as disgrace. In Turkey women is
held in the most rigid seclusion. She
must always appear veiled, with lustrious
black eyes peering from behind the gauzy
tissues that enhance rather than conceal
the coquette's charms. With pigs and
dogs she is forbidden tc enter mosque,
and the Koran declares woman who is
3 unmarried to be in state of reprobatiOn
Considering the number of wives a man
may have there is little excuse for spin
sterhood in that country.
The harem, the Arabic for sanctuary, is
said to have originated from Irritation OF
Avesha, the favorite wife of Mahomet,
with one OF his officers. Seeing her guilty
of the impropriety of speaking to a man
who happened to be passing through the
garden, he Immediately shut up his wives
] in seraglios. These harems are beautiful
palaces, standing in gardens of exquisite
iovliness, adorned with statues, trees,
flowers and streams-a spot where nature
others efforts in adornment. But the
gates of this gilded prison are iron CRATES,
and soldiers guard every avenue.
To speak to one of the Sultan's wives
would be immediate death to the unlueky
offender. A married belle" in Turkey
would enjoy her Irritation by being sewed
up in sack and drowned in a passing
stream. This is evidently enough to cool
her coquettish propensities. Mohamme-
dams consider it an insult to inquire for
the health of their wives. Perhaps they
imagine the inquisitive strangers suspect
they have been havinga Spring cleaning"
on their premises by drowning off few
better halves.
The Persian method of disposing of
firtatious wives does not recommend itself
to the feminine public. The festive lady
is swathed up in her veil, taken to the top
of tower and thrown over. This may be
fun for the husbands, but is rather rough
on their wives. After the performance
there is not usually more than enough left
to make good sized funeral, but, as the
Persian women have little education, are
reared in seclusion and ignorance, knowing
nothing beyond the walls of their houses,
it is not to be supposed they are fond of
indulging in the luxury of American
girls-summer firtations.
With the Hindoos the women are shut
up in the Zananah. Though sometimes of
remarkable beauty in youth, their charms
are said to soon fade under the fervid sun
of tropical cline. Womanlike, they are
fond of adornment, and though the lover
classes assist their husbands in work, the
upper "caste" is said to be indolent and
luxurious. If man desires to divorce a
wife he has only to address her as
"mother." Such a simple and inexpensive
method should recommend itself TO the
Chicago public. Hindoo women are for
bidden to read or write. Indeed, those
who dare to indulge in such luxuries are
often accidentally" missing.
Ga the death of husband many wives
voluntarily become "suttees" s"-ofier them
selves as a ''burnt offering" on the dead
mans funera! pyre. Though this horrible
custom has been stopped by the English
Government, yet tor ages it was common
sight for several Of mans wives to spring
into the flames and there perish, the hid
eous clamor of drum and cymbal drowning
the victims agonizing shrieks. "The
deep damnation of their taking of" was
not so hard on these poor women as the
deprivation of the pleasures Of fascinating
widowhood The origin of this inhuman
sacrifice is said to be that their sacred
book promises eternal life to her who dies
with her husband.
The women Of ancient Rome were treated
with the greatest respect. Every one was
ordered to give place to them on the street,
and special feast in their honor was in
stituted, under the name of Matronalia,
during which time they received presents
from their husbands. Still, they were not
allowed to inherit property, and could be
divorced by their husbands for counter
feiting their keys, and for wine-drinking.
However, in the latter days OF the En-
pire the women took advantage Of the
facility Of divorce-one woman is said to
have buried twenty-five husbands. The
cause of their "shufiling off this mortal
coil" in such numbers was never explained,
but probably she had been taking lessons
in new cookery school, Seneca says the
women of that day counted their days not
by years. but by the number of husbands
and it must have been pretty hard work,
at such rate, for the noble laches to keep
tally of them unless they employed q
4'bell punch"
By the Chinese wife is never seen by
her future master, and she misses all the
i'sweet nothings" that carry so many tc
the hymenial altar in these later days
Some relative bargains for the girl, the
stipulated price is paid, and she is after
ward submissive slave. Her only edu
cation is the ceremonial of manners and
her life behind the four walls of her apart
ments. She cannot eat with her husband
or leave her room without his permission