The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-05-16

q
wandered necessarily round the room.
notingnoveities, and between times he
asked eternalquestions as TO the habits
Of the English monkeys"-his fellow
guests.
So that Allah Nesrit is z most interest
ing little person to invite TO dinner,
After the period OF widowhood prescrib-
ed by the Musulman faith. conveniently
Emitedto four months and ten days had
expired, several Persian noblemen made
Beeoee offers Of marriage, for II is now
regarded somewhat as a mark OF fashion
TO marry an English wife.
But my experiences Of Persian har-
EN- were 50 unhappy as 10 remove every
wish TO p-o,ong them she says "Ev-
e-ybody is astonished that my child and
left Persia alive, for il Is a country OF
intrigue, plot and sudden death But Sir
Mortimer Durand, whose kindness / can
never forget, sent daily from the legation
tony house. and 1 was constantly r.
minded by surrounders that I was an
English citizen Notwithstanding this.
three attempts were made after my nus
bands death to poison our food, and but
for the protection % The British minister
we should certainly not be in England
today"
Asked as 70 her daily life, Baebee said:
Although much was terribly unhappy.
there were some pleasures. Ny husband
built me pretty English cooking house
and We sent home for seeds and plants.
ard grew English flowers most success
fully. The climate is lovely. and I fire.
ouently rode out on horseback, closely
yelled.
The deneanor Of Persian men toward
worner is very insulting. and though in
our walks abroad We were preceded BY
soldier and guarded by four black serv-
ants. We had very unpleasant expert
ences. So We preferred 70 drive OF go on
horseback. Sometimes we veatured 10 60
on expeditions 10 shops and other public
places prescribed by Persian etiquette.
audon such occasions disguised our
selves in servants clothes and saw the
sights Of the town without detection.
Persian women she added mischievous
II, manage TO get some amusement
from the outer world without the per
tied the public baths and mixed with
many Interesting and forbidden phases Of
life
Are Persian women very beautiful"
f'Tae veil gives an impression Of su-
prene loneliness. IN reality the faces are
most Disappointing, and figures square
and ungracetuL The ideal OF beauty IN
Persia is 70 have dark eyes-blue or gray
eyes are rarely seen-and back eyebrows
painted 50 as - meet across the forehead.
II the hair is naturally light. etiquette de-
mands that il shall be dyed black, this
being done az the baths. A bath in Per
STA last from early morning ill late at
night, the hair alone being washed seven
times with soap and water. Fair-haired
stained black. Persia is the ard OF paint
powder and dyes and magnificent dress
a favorite dress trimming consists Of a
bordering many inches deep OF real
pearls. and the cushions on which We
loungd were heavily beaded and adorn-
ed with pearls Of price. Wher. I went 10
Persia my gowns attracted attention, the
ladies particularly being amused az the
number OF seams in my bodices.
" Look they said, 'Beebee had so little
stuff she was obliged 10 patch and join
her dress
But they soon understood that these
seams caused the gown 70 IL and show
off the figure, and the shah's sister was
SO pleased with the innovation vllat she
Introduced the many scanned bodice al
court, so that can claim the distinction
Of setting the style 10 fashionable Per-
e:a.
The Persian does not take kindly 10
artificial waists. I remember trying TO
initiate a stout woman into corsets- Be-
fore had properly drawn the cords she
gasped. turned black in the face and beg
ged release from torture.
Asked az 70 the education % Persian
women. Beebee said:
Many princesses can neither read nor
write. and find life terribly dull They
sat for hours listening 70 my description
Of the freedom ard happy lives OF Eng
lish women. And many OF them long for
liberty and education Their dances. con-
and they badly need the discipline OF
schools When told OF the respect ac-
corded by Elglisanen 70 their wives. |
they sighed and said, An. how nice 20
marry an Engiishnan.' for these poor |
aides receive very cruel treatment from !
angry husbands. who punish them BY |
twisting their long hair 60 tightly round |
their arms that the women scream with |
pain. For trifiirg offenses they ara oeat- !
sl.
II is prerasotive u The shah that |
every woman in the kingdom must IN |
veil before him. and any woman ne takes |
a fancy 70 forthwith belongs TO him |
be she the wife Of The mos; powerful 10 |
bleman in the country. I knew every ore |
OF the shah's one hundred and sixty !
wives, as I constantly visited his aars-n. |
Persian women dress their hair in |
dozens % tiny plaits, and On very grand |
occasions these are un2laiied and the
hair combeito sand out n a hiieous |
thick friz around the head. Ny sister
and I delighted tie siahs' sister and /
several p-incesses by teaching their black
maids u dress their hair in English fash
Tor. Nearly all the servants are Arabian
slaves. but * becoming very difficult
70 buy them Ny boys nurse vas an
Arab whom We bought for 400 francs.
and We had absolute control over her.
1t IL common enough : have slaves
oehsa5ei for t-iffl.ng offences. ard mos,
people make their Children behave nicely
BY whipping the nurses 20 u,sio,ags %
he children. Consequently tie au-ses
.nculcats good manners and focce the
children 70 bow the regulation three |
times whenever they see taeir mothers.
Persian mothers of the batter class
AXE ve-y little interest II their children.