The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-02-24

1t was small piece of shiny ebony,
shaped in the forms of first and sec
ond finger extended as If to bless, and
its special property was to keep off
the evil eye. We were sorry by ac-
cepting it to expose our friend to any
risk in depriving her of the benefit of
its protection, although glad to re-
ceive SO curious an example of SUI
perstition almost too absurd to believe
possible They are Il strange mixture
of credulity and devoutness, though
one would have both to understand
their language and live with them be-
fore being able to know how far these
superstitions emanate from their con-
victions, or arise simply from long
descended habits.
AS hour after hour Of the afternoon
passed in conversation, Sightseeing
and undisturbed starvation, our joy
may be imagined when shortly before
sundown we were requested to cOnde-
scend to wash our hands in prepara-
tion for the principal meal of the day.
We entered a room with taps round
the wall; this whole apartment was
the bath house. for the water fell from
the pipes straight to the floor, and the
fashionable harcm way of dressing for
dinner was to remove all clothes. and
sit, stand or lie under a spout of rum
ming water Ii was II lengthy business,
as, in addition to their own ablutions.
two or three dozen children had to he
caught and scrubbed, though this op-
GRAFTON after their capture was attend
ed with less difficulty than at first
would be supposed. for there is prac-
lically little trouble in dressing ard
undressing children that have nothing
on. These preparations concluded, we
followed our hostesses into room on
the opposite side of the court, with a
long, low table down the middle. We
seated ourselves round it on cushions,
and each took possession of the fiat
piece of scone which supplied the place
of a plate during the meal. those ar
ticles not being considered Il necessary
luxury. In the center of the table
stood Il large bowl full of white soup,
from which everybody ate, taking as
many spoonfuls as they chose from the
common tureen with the long
wooden ladies provided for each guest.
When this was removed IA large piece
and was speedily diminished under the
violent treatment it received from us
all, each one pulling lump of meat
from the joint with the fingers, and
eating ii off her own fiat scone. We
then had curry Of vegetables, fol-
lowed by the Zagazig pudding, fruit
and rice, called so from native of
that village having brought the re-
ccipt to the harem, Our meal was
concluded by coffee made in corner
Of the room over red-hot charcoal in
4 copper pot, and poured thick into
small glasses fitted in gold filigree
cups.
When we had washed our hands in
The basin handed round for that pur-
0ose, everybody went to bed. some II
the roof, others to the court. garden,
II house. 1t was very hot night with
glorious full moon, and We asked II
have our beds placed outside at
short distance from the harem build
'ngs. the stones of which seemed never
to cool day or night. There was such
q luXuriance of growth around the
very shadows were weighted with fruit,
md looked in their immovable black
ncss as If glued to the ground. I'M
oOuntable varieties of insect life moved
on the surface of the earth, fat beetles
plodded ponderously along. scorpion