Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-08-27
WHERE WOMEN SMOKE,
And So1 Dainty Little Cigarettes, but Giant
Cigars.

Cigars.
Lady Violet GrevilIe in the Nineteenth Century.
Burmah is the paradise of women. From
the wicked Queen of Theebaw, who muir
dered seventy relations in single day be-
cause they were in the way, to the pretty
girls who coqnettishly hold stalls in the
bazaar. in order to maintain their independ-
ence. Burmah is the land of women par ex-
cellence. Women and priests-who is it said
they were the two curses of humanity? Well,
there they are, and nobody seems much the
worse for them.
In the bazars arc women selling women 8
things. Little tiny clogs and slippers Of Gin
derella-like dimensions and daintiness Of the
colors Of the rainbow, gold-embroidered, sill
yer embroidered, pearl-embroidered, high
heeled, pointed-toed. OF Paris fashions you
see nothing out here, and yet what strange and
wondrous effects! All Burmah is q lesson in
color. feast for the artist eve. a mass of
barbaric splendOr, costly intricacy of carving,
dazzling yeliows, brilliant pink, rose madden,
cerulean blue, burnt umber-a palette full of
tints.
Verify paradise of open-air feasts, Of fun
and frolic. of dancing and singing children is
Burmah, the home of the brightest, merriest,
most good-tempered and good-hearted Of chill
dren. who lounge In the sun, profiting by a cli-
mate and soil that makes severe labor unneces-
sary. Flat faces have they: high cheek bones
narrow, long. intelligent eyes, hair plentiful
and shiny, plnited in long pigtail BY both
men and women. brushed up fashions b. on
the top of the head, and by the women deco-
rated with flowers.
The feminine dress Of all classes consists Of
q plain loose white jacket reaching to below the
waist, narrow sleeves fashionable again and a
tight petticoat Of silk clasped round their hips
with pin anil managed when they walk with
inimitnbIe grace. From the back depends
another piece, which trails little on the
ground and resembles scanty drawing
room train. These pieces Of silk are
OF the dnintiest and most artistic hues GEN
orally of pale peach, color shot with pink or
yellow pale gold. The yellow silk of Burmah
is strong, rich in color and very durable and
cheap Add to this IA scarf of silk of some con-
trasting color and you have the Burmese cos
tune complete, simple, pretty and nice to look
at.
Flowers seem to be their ideal and they them
selves are as like flowers as possible. Better
class houses have walls only sliding green
shutters, which when open, they are at
night, disclose vista of plants and flowers
such that you seem verify to live in garden.
Out of doors the vegetation is green, rank and
luxuriant. while a moist warmth, insidious and
deadly to the health Of the Europeans in the
long run. gently fans your checks. Courtesy, de-
generating among ROYALTY to savish groveling,
is the rule in Burmah. The king was formerly
approached by his courtiers only crawling on
the stomach, and servants wriggle and crawl
still
Rich people wear diamonds in their hair and
disposed all over their persons that they lit
orally blaze with jewels. The feminine court
costume very quaint one. II was in
the shape of pair Of stiff wings ending in a
kind of tail. SO that the lady could not
n ~ s.Ax- IL 4
crawl in tho royal presence, this did not mat
ter much. On the head WAS worn some kind
Of high headgear resembling helmet stuck
as full Of diamonds as Christmas pudding Of
plums. The wings seem to have been made
OF wire covered with gold foil, and the appear
ance of the court beauties must have been
quaint and ungainly to say the least OF 1t.
The Burmans almost realize the ideal OF the
Romans for they are always en- fete, perambu-
hting the streets adorned with flowers and
surrounded by twinkling lights and colored
lanterns. Then the pwes or dances &C.
cupy.a good deal Of time, girls are brought up
from their earliest infancy to exercise them
selves in all manner Of queer contortions Their
muscles are so plant they can bend themselves
into any position they please, can turn their
elbows inside out and look as il they had no
joints.
Even little children may be seen practicing
steps and attitudes to the calm approval Of
their mothers seated idly in the doorway. The
independence OF Burmese women is remarka-
BILE. They manage their own affairs, hold stalls
in the bazaar, with which no one interferes,
marry when they choose and divorce their hus-
bands as soon as they please. No jealous wells
cover their faces, no melancholy purdah seclu-
sion prevents them from mixing with the male
sex.
They fiirt, dance and laugh with as many
admirers a. they choose, and, last Of all, they
smoke-not dainty little cigarettes on tho sly,
taking Is Whit while they read naughty
French novel, as their European sisters do,
no, but cigars! Cigars longer than men use
in Europe; cigars o foot long and two inches
in circumference, their price about penny,
ladies, unemancipated creatures, though you
call yourselves civilized, what do You think Of
that?