The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1896-04-08
ARMENIAN WOMEN.
Piety and Industry Their Principal
Characteristics.
:::.blical Traditina5 Followed In the home
Life Which Keeps Successive Cen
erations Under Oac Roof
Model Ifousekeepers.

The school OF the Armenian woman
is the home, and the first character
istic of the home, after its piety, is its
Industry. The households are large,
soas bringing home their wives and
granlsc.ls. theirs making up a family
often OF from forty to sixty persons.
In the interior villages among the
peasantry. tie number is often much
large: This condition is a relic Of
Biblical times. and is still necessary N
nanc parts O.. Armenia for mutual
protection aud economy Of living in a
country where lie is often dependent
upon resistance to baro:rouS tribes
and money and food products are sub
ject to the justice (?) OF Turkish taxa
ton.
With primitive utensils and incon-
venient methods Of iiTing it may be
seen that industr; IS necessity IN
such great Establishments, and abso-
lutte cleanliness goes with 1t. A
Ercnchwoman, Nine. Caantre, who
spcat months in Armenia with her
husband. al cculist. and had an un-
usual opportui ity to study the ways OF
the people, speaks emphatically OF
this element O: the Armenian home.
The Armenia women" says she,
are perfect housekee2ers. Their
houses are marveiously clean"
The servant problem DOES not exist
in Armenia All well-to-do households
employ servants who come from the
reaeaatry, and are trained in the
service OF family and become part
Of it. They know their place as IS
sail here and yield all respect to their
masters and nistresses; on the other
hand. their place is known and re-
spcctcd by every member OF the
family.
Tae Armenian women are expert
and s!i,ll.ul cooks. A prominent for
e;rncr who has travelled much through
the country has said: No one ha,
eaten good dinner who has no.
eaten one cooked by an Armenian.
The chief meal Of the day is eaten in
the evening alter the worl; Of the day
is done. at this are served rich cereals
and vegetables cooked with sur
passing dc-icacy and relish, and
fruits. preserved and in their sea-
son. of the most luscious and tempting
varieties. Meat is used, but not SO much
as here. Armenia is Il land Of fruit and
flowers. and the Armenian woman Is
deeply skilled il the art Of preserving
fruits and making confections from
flowers The time OF such compound
ing and preparation IS a sort o: holi-
day. The whole household gathers for
the ceremony: the fruit is prepared
and put into great caldrons over which
prcsides some experienced aunt or
other relative specially secured for the
occasion. The rest OF the women as
sist according to the degree OF their
expcrtncsS, down to the younger
daughters Of the home. who can only
earnestly watch and admire the skill
which it is their ambition to emulate
some dav At the critical moments of
the operation, when a drop more or
less Of lemon juice or an added degree
of heat TOO soon or too late may be
fatal. care and watchfulIcss are III
tensi6ed to the superlative degree.
Silence rcigas while tastes and tests
are taken, and the weight Of a nation
can hardly burden its bearer more
than the responsibility Of her on whom
rests the fa"l decisive step.
For the children it is a holiday pure
and sinDl". Fruits and sweets abound
and sauccrfuis OF the confections at
various stages Of the process are gen.
crously; dealt out.
These preserves are offered to all
WHO are guests Of the household
Cewcmonious visits would not be CON-
p!etc without them. Two f2e glass
bowls ere set out containing each .
choice variety cf the swcetmeats, with
N ample supply Of silrc: spoons and
al array OF crystal goblets G.led with
water \ spoonful Of the sweet is
taken By each guest and a sip Of wa
ter, then Turkish coffee is handed
round-N. y. Times