The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-11-19
EASTERN HOME LIFE.
MRS. pAnxER ON TINE CONDITION. or
MoHAMxEDhS WOMEN.
u,eh Interesting Information Regarding
tho Arab from the Weii-hnown
Oriental Traveller.

,.oe interviewed by Sunday Mercury
,o,o,tcr recently, and made a deeply In
,eree,lng statement regarding the hom'
lie Of the Mohammedsn women In lnois
,,a Alters. she has Travelled extensively
IN those countries. and being possesSe-
Of keen power Of perception, an inpos'"H
and attractive presence, and persistent
a.s,,o 10 learn :he truth concerning every
thing. she acquired a vast fund OF lhior-
nation regarding the home NE Va ''s
people. which f. much more accurate anu
'oi,,hie tbau that usually obtained by
travellers She speaks with emphasis a''u
,,icor and with nTmness Of CONVICTION
fbat irnpreseos one with the beileI lhat
she ia sure OF her facts. she sald'
$40 hear some OF our good, enlGhteu
Christian people talk Of the Afap, o.I0
would think he WAS an ignorant ~ -
ife,npt tramp. Now, the ARAB was one vi
,ke couseryers OF learning. when most
,surcneans were ba-barians running wiz
noatr when all ChristeadOm was IN IN
telIectual darkness, arts. science anu
letters nourishcd IN the Arabian schoois.
Their civilization is superior 10 ours ~
e. tr,,e refinement while ours is largely
composed Of corsets, catechis'ns ana rum
barrels, with pre~eilPteu i'o"' 49,
heavenly pastures"
",rbe true position OF the women there
eeoros 10 be the least understood and Is
most interesting TO the sex here the re-
porter suggested. ,
'',yoman's position" replied Nadame
Parker, under Oriental rule IS, l Know
one Of the stock subjects for ChiisIans
10 talk about; and there has been lots OF
display OF ignorant impudence in sending
out missionaries to ameliorate the condl-
lion of these slaves. These people can
know nothing. for they never get he OPP
portunity 10 know the real truth regard
ing harem life. The missionary never gets
inside the doors. and the missionary's
wife, 81 she gets in, Is rgarded as reli-
rious enemy, and though politely re-
ceived. she never becomes intimate with
the inner family life. Neither she nor
her husband speaks the native language
and their dress and maner afford far more
amusement to the natives than their
preaching creates interest.
Take Algiers: All the native women
are as free TO walk the streets and ride I'm
public conveyances as are Europeans or
Americans. no native lady, however, ever |
goes out at night. and never alone The |
gentlemen who follow the supposed Arab |
lady at night all ten the same story. |
When she unveils and speaks it is not in |
Arabic j do not mean that there are no |
fast NOmen who are natives, but tney are |
all in houses. from La Belle Fatima' TO a
lover class; but the inmates are composed |
Of the dancing-girls. and the houses are /
frequented chiefly, if not altogether by
Europeans.
LA Belle Fatima' receives only dur
ing the day. and ladies as well as gentle
men callers pay her gorgeous attendant |
ten francs for q cup of coffee and a chat. |
She is the queen of the public dance called |
La Dance du Nentre.' No native chief |
or chieftain is ever TO be seen at the
theatre when La Dance du NentTe IS OF !
the boards. 1t is patronized exclusively |
by the products of our civilization.
In India the harem ladies have not so |
much freedom as in Algiers. They go to |
their native theatres IN carriages curtained |
from the vulgar gaze, and their boxes /
there are facsimile Of the ladies' galleries |
in the London House Of Commons. with a |
perforated screen, enabling the inmates 20 |
zee out but no outsider 10 see more than |
Just the woman's form and the CLINT OF |
bright eyes, diamnds and rubies. Through |
Influential natives, i had the most cordial |
reception IN the harems Of Calcutta. + |
went 10 the country with the usual ignO- |
rant prejudice against 'heathenism,' and |
fully imbued with the terrible position or |
the women In the Zenanas which the |
ordinary traveller recounts, but i abandon
ed my ignorance for the truth. The |
Zenana ladies are perfectly happy and |
contented, the rule being one or two
wives. The old idea OF the lord Of the
harem being STEPPED I'm sen5uality by the
numerous sirens ne housed was suddenly |
swept away. In the first palace which
received me there were separate apart
ments and suites for domestic Salaam-
iHg Servants, the white-haired 90 grand
mother and the numerous grand children
were playing in the corridors which sur
rounded the grand hall open 20 the SKY, |
and where tropical trees. flowers etc were |
played on by innumerable fountains. And
here all the fOrlOrn and destitute kindred
OF The chief are kept IuXuriously, 10 the |
ihlrty-iirst cousin. This is Mohammedan !
law. Alas, for the notht RS. in-law anu |
the poor relations OF our so-calied civill-
zation' SO it is that under Mohammedan
law there is no prostitution 0emale) be-
cause the financial necessity exists not
All 'he physical wants of women are |
provided FOR. great cry has been made
about marrying children I'm India. This
subject IS not understood in Europe or
america, and the missionary, If ne knows,
does not tell the real meaning OF II, be-
cause, no doubt. IL he did so he would be
cutting away one OF the chief excuses for
his own existence. Parents IN India Mo-
hammedan chiefs and others, recognize |
love 10 be as needful as food. and as eli
mate and habit produce early puberty, |
these 'heathens' are not ashamed TO look |
nature In the face. recognize her laws,
ana. In obedience to them, look out for
suitable partners for their sons and |
daughters in what, in this coutry, would
be childhood AS for the plurality OF
wives. they are all legal. have home. food. |
love. and the mans name, care and pro
lection"
what are the marriage laws there
I'm these so-called heather lands men |
buy their wives under Christian cvilza-
tion women purchase their husbands. Inc
dot is becoming as much a necessity in
England as in France, and the habit IS
spreading IA America. II divorce be in
vokcd. the beathen husband loses the
money he paid. Protection 10 woman is
a recognized principle that undernes all !
law among the Moslems. TIE money |
which tine husband pays is the Wifes
sole benefit 20 do with as she Wills. If
a husband divorces she has The money
10 live on. The re- lions Of husbands !
ana wives among those people IS much
more refined and gentle than among !
Christians IN the Eastern harcms II a
wife or wives desire privacy they have !
only 20 place their shoes outside the
curtain. which forms door. and not
'hea len' o. savage husband would dare
10 enter Divorces an England and other
Christian lands fih the papers with their
revolving details. The Arab wife In such
a case has only 10 turn her slippers up-
size Gown at the court door There are
no revolving details brought ont in open
court ana spread over the land in news
papers Their law OF divorce is as simple
as mat OF their marriages. and the a.