Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1892-01-08
THE ARABS.
CURIOUS CUSTOMS OF THE SONS
OF THE DESERT.
The Women Have O rhankless Lot
Arab Houses Are of Ono Room
-Cnriosity and Suspicion
Are Universal.

love oil flowers is quito foreign. About
the doorways of "gourbis" or on tho
roofs OF better-class dwellings, mint for
tea, oranges for eating, and little cori-
ander and parsley with which to flavor
their soup may be seen in cultivation.
This completes their ideal of q garden.
1t is a pleasant novelty to meet au Arab
with sprig of jasmine or violet in her
hair in the spring-timc. An essential
quality OF flower is sweetness, il it is to
interest them. Tho growth of any
thing just to admire is entirely beyond
their estimate of things. When tho
Europeans introduce flowers for this pur-
pose tho Arabs arc always surprised and
require training in order to appreciate
tho charms of beauty.
In all tho North African regions tho
women have thankless lot. They arc
either shut up in what may be termed
prison houses, or made to labor in tho
most degrading fashion. From earliest
childhood hundreds of women in Tuu-
isian villages mover leave their cherries,
whitewashed homes, not even to go to n
public bath, which their moro favored
sex have tho privilege of using. Neccs-
sarlly these poor creatures arc of sad
and forlorn type and so enslaved to ira
ditions that if Europeon ventures to
enter their domicile they promptly close
the door behind him to avoid the risk of
man happening to pass at tho time, an
incident which would bring disgrace on
the female inmates. From member of
the family visitor is tho subject of all
kinds of Interrogation.
A contrast to this imprisonment is
seen among the women of tho tribes in
Algeria. Their existence is toilsomc,
although they are permitted outside tho
tents. They gather wood, draw the
water for the household, they arc the
potters, take charge of the hocks, mud
regularly milk the cows and goats. These
,burden-bearcrs weave tho mems haiks,
and, us skilfully, the mats and baskets
which are offered for snlc. Their houses
scarcely deserve the name. Described
in sentence, they consist of large
room, seldom more than one, which is
scantily furnished and utterly lacking in
cleanliness. The Arabs, from sense of
fear, common in every part of North
Africa, all sleep together, and with them,
as rule, calves, goats and camcs. In
the remote, barely civilized districts, the
women put off the face veil. Tho Kabyle
women, whose race in thousands occupy
large province of Algeria, sllirting tho
blue waters of the Mediterranean, are
moro kindly treated than any other class
of fomales in North Africa. Unlike the
nomadic Arabs, the Kabylcs arc settled,
home-loving people. Thcir ordcrliness
and taste, in spite of their darkened
lives, IRE noticed in the wcll-tilcd firms
and fruitful market gardens. The women
arc not vei.ed after the custom of their
Arab neighbors. One of the interesting
adornments of woman in Kabylia is n
brooch attached to her forehead, which
denotes that she has had the distin-
guishcd honor of having son. II this
favor is repeated she adds to tho num-
Der of her ornaments in true native
fashion.
Curiosity and n less pleasing character
istic, suspicion, arc universal. When n
stranger is invited into an Arab tent and
has put off his shoes before stepping on
the mat, the cagcrncss to know all about
the newcomer is astonishing. OF this the
ladies of the North Africa Mission give
some laughable stories. In certain parts
where foreign lady may not have pre-
viously been seen her dress is the object
of minute and incessant examination.
The quantity of flannel worn takes them
by surprise. Hats, too, are respectfully
Inspected and the under-garments Sou
tinized by the native women, who wear
little besides two or three cotton folds.
When this inquiry is finished the ques-
tionlng proceeds to the lifc-history of
the temporary guest. AS with Fasteners
everywhere the Arabs are painfully sus-
picious. Deceiving and deceived they
are 10th to commit themselves to fresh
face. Much effort is required to per-
suade them of genuine friendliness, but
as soon as confidence is secured their
kindness in the country territories is
praiseworthy feature.
Pathetic to the last degree is the
death scene among these children of the
desert. When the dread hour approaches
the suffering member usually rests on
mattress in the middle OF the floor. In
slide friends and relatives to watch, un-
til the apartment is crowded. Their ap-
pearance is very strange and uncivilized.
Their hair jet blac.-, their faces painted,
and their clothing, made up Of loose,
dark blue garments,is thrown up on tho
shoulder or across the chest, fastened by
n huge pin adorned with aNqrgc silver
ring. There they remain hour after
hour and only turn away when life has
fled. In their customs the Bcdouins
differ little from the stationary Arabs.
They are Mohammedans, dcnscly kgno-
rant and supcrstitious in the exttcme,
though more open to Europeans. }-Ne,o
York Observer