Omaha daily bee., 1895-10-12


the upper part OF the leg. but narrow down
considerably at the knees. where they termi-
nate over these unmentionables a long shirt
OF white silk or linen or wool. with long
sleeves, full from the elbow down, is worn.
When | saw them concluded that our mod
ern pun sleeves, II change was wanted,
might be reversed a In Morocco with good
grace and without anybody being the loser,
the same amount Of material, but not so
much room, being required.
WORE VESTS GALORE.
Then follow succession OF vests. three,
-FOUR or more. all made Of heavy silk lined
and embroidered, and finally a number Of
loose garments in the fashion Of very superior
wrappers with wide flowing sleeves Most OF
the slgnoras had on a wrapper of gold bro
cade OF heavy silk and over that one of gauze
or China silk. A girdle over a foot broad
and very stiff finishes the toilet. In place
or IL many women wear a sash and bind 1t
three or four times around the body just
below the bosom.
The legs and feet are uncovered. and an
Arab woman would never hesitate to ex-
pose her legs to the gaze Of hundreds of
strange men as long as her face was veiled.
When the signora leaves the house she puts
on clumsy pair of shoes, bernouse and
hood. The bernouse Is a garment worn
alike by men and women, and is made Of
white linen, wool or silk The hood is drawn
over the forehead, and mouth and nose are
covered with silk handkerchief, so that
only the eyes remain visible.
All Arab women, the poorest ard the rich
est, are passionately fond Of jewelry. Gold.
silver, precious stones, glass balls. figures
OF sandal wood. they employ indiscrminately.
rich woman will wear bracelets as
broad as your hand, and at the side of
strings OF real pearls and rich briliants the
very snldest Of trash that may be given away
with pound of tea Rings are used in pro-
fusion around the ankles, the upper and the
lower arms, hands and toes. On their head
the ladies' wear a small cap Of gold lace, to
which tasses of real pearl are attached in
front that hang down upon the forehead At
the other end is bow of many colored
ribbons, the ends of which hang
down the back with the many braids
and curls. If the Arab woman wants for
anything 1t is for blonde hair. My Euro
pean toggery had interested my hostesses
very much for time, but they never got
through talking of my light tresses long
as l stayed at the harem. At first they
doubted their genuineness, speculating
whether they were made of fax or silk. as
Is the custom here. When convinced they
were real, they requested me in all sorts
or language to let them know the dye
used with such extraordinary success. That
blonde was natural with our race they would
no. hear OF, because it was against all tradi-
tion.
PICTURES OF GOOD HEALTH.
The Morocco dame is a very healthy speci-
she knows nothing Of corsets or narrow
glrdles, and the weight of her clothes rests
entirely upon her shoulders. As a conse-
qLence, the various organs in her chest are
all In their proper places, and the perform
ahce OF their several functions is never in
terfered with by want Of room. Illness in
the harem, therefore, means a broken leg
or ankle, cholera or worse-our modern fe.
male diseases are entirely unknown among
them' But, | hear 1t argued by many fair
ana fashionable sisters, the Arab woman
mas no Individuality; she is her master's
plaything-a mere automaton. From my own
observation l am able to- deny these allega-
tiohs, which seem to be accepted as truth
all over the Christian world
inc Morocco woman Is her own mistress
III her household. She may decide about the
education of all her children, and remains
mistress Of her marriage portion all through
lie. III her husband neglects her. beats her
or refuses to suitably provide for her wants
she may sue for divorce and obtain a decree
which allows her to marry again.
She is not wooed and won for her money: {:
her husband has to part with great deal
or money In favor Of her parents before he
can possess her. II she decides to be di-
vorcsd he must not only refund her dot, but
also permit her to take along the presents in
money, Jewels, etc, that he has made her
The ordinary courts of justice have no
power over the Arab woman. She Is
never sent to prison, never submits to
corporal punishment; even when she be-
comes murderess the family council or her
husband decides about her fate.
PUNISH SOCIAL OBLIQUITY.
The husband, on the other hand. has the
right to sell the unfaithful wife, and IL he
Kills her upon finding her in the arms of
another he will be no more punished than
a frenchman under the same circumstances
III he commits adultery the wife may bring
MN into court, where he is severely dealt
with, risking long Imprisonment and basti-
made, an Eastern mode of punishment by
beating the offender on the soles Of his feet
The women marry in their twelfth thir-
teenth or fourteenth year; the men shortly
after their fifteenth or sixteenth birthday
An ARAB may have as many wives and fe
male slaves as he can afford to keep: he
has no right to be Jealous. neither have
the women, but If the lord of the harem
should go astray all his wives and female
slaves combine to make his life a burden to
him forever after.
The Arab woman retains her beauty much
longer than women of the Caucasian races
mentioned In another part of this letter
that the kadi's wives were remarkably pale
Their paleness. however, Is neither the con,
sequence of ill-health nor OF cosmetics They
have a system and a habit to keep their faces
always in the shade, so that never a ray of
the sun strikes them. Women at so in this
country may easily pass for 30 years. | inst
in the kadi's harem that gentleman's mother
whom | took for one of his wives She had
passed the fifth decade of her life and had
borne and nursed eleven children still she
did not look over 80 odd.
or course, rich mems wives do not work
In this country, or no more than their sis
ters in Europe and America. When work is
required of them they show themselves
equal to the task. l was pleasantly sur
prised at my first visit to an Arabs house
so thoroughly clean and orderly it pre-
sented itself. Kitchen and sleeping apart
ments were well aired, and the white curtains
at the beds looked indeed as IL they had just
left the store. The wife or wives must cook
and scour, must make candles, soap and the
clothing for the whole family They must
not only make up the garments, but also
weave or spin the material. When they have
time they devote themselves besides to the
weaving of carpets and tapestry, in which
they are experts. The signoras work side by
side with the slaves; difference Of rank among
the middle classes is unknown; the only right
denied to the slaves Is to sit on silk cushions
gether with those Of the legitimate wives and
are considered Of equal birth.
In Trance Seven Days.
A strange story comes from Bravo, Allie
gan county, Michigan. A week ago Friday a
Mr. Condor of Bravo went to work on the
state road ditch between that place and Fenn-
vile. After working all day he started
hERN nsW.ar