The Iola register., 1901-08-09
MAIDENS OF MOROCCO.
interestinE Features OF Their Be-
trothRl and Wedding Ceremo-
nies ana Their Home Lives

Young girls have been said to be
more in harmony with nature in
Morocco than anywhere else in the
world. The country abounds in
color. There are miles of delicate
white broom, pale blue convolvulus,
purple thistles and bright poppies
bathed in sunshine and perfume, and
the Moorish girls are like bright
hued flowers in the midst of this
natural display. They have a stately
carriage and grace of movement, the
effect of which is heightened by the
soft folds of their muslin dresses. In
the open country, where they may be
seen with unveiled faces, they work
and chatter with the utmost light
heartedness.
Unfortunately the period of girl
hood is short-lived. The marriageable
age is IL years, and a father seldom
keeps his daughter after she has
reached IS. The age of the bride
groom does not matter, and a child
Of ~ frequently receives husband
OF GO. With the betrothal the care
less life of beauty is ended. When
girl becomes engaged it is her par
ents' duty to fatten her, and she is
put into training for this.
Every morning, says the London
Daily Telegraph, she takes the soft
part of her wheaton bread and rolls
it into long, round pieces about twice
the length OF her little finger and of
h.. r,,.N1, 80 H. n.
full meal she eats three or four of
these, gradually increasing the dose.
At first she is allowed to wash them
down with milk or green tea. Later
on liquids are forbidden. Most girls
manage in time to put away so or so
of these aids to obesity every day
BY the time the wedding day comes
around brides have wholly lost their
slimness, and after few years re-
semble huge sacks Of down.
Weddings always take place in the
evening. and the long procession is
an indispensable part of the cere-
mony. The woman is neatly envcloped
in gauze and muslin. and packed into
a trim little red box, just as If she
were an automatic doll or the newest
thing i'm hats, SO that she can no
more he seen than diamond
wrapped mp in wadding and shut in
basket. The box is fastened on
the back Of a mule or n horse, and
when these details are satisfactorily
settled the procession starts. Al her
kith and kin, as well as the relations
and friends OF her future lord, ride
in state or solemnly march on foot
TO the sounds of weird music. which
would madden a European. The in
struments are ear-Splttng. But the
loo-loo-loo and lce-lee-lee shrieked
ont with shrill voices by the women
10 wish the couple good luck are ter
rible. And If the family have prop
er sense of what they owe themselves
they are not satisfied even with this,
but invest in gunpowder and keep
firing all the way TO the bridegroom's
house.
There are no religious ceremonies
nj the nuptials OF the Moors. When
the motley crowd reaches the house
Of love they make ready for vocifer-
Orv amusement and "hiUh tea" at the
expense Of the happy bridegroom. If
no awkward hitch occurs, the mar
riage is duly registered, and the wom-
an is his lawful spouse until death
or divorce sewers them. Then the fes-
tivities move apnce, lasting half the
night, and are begun every day afresh
| for about week.
1t is a difficult matter for an out
slider to visit n harem. The wife may
! freely receive her women friends, and
while these are present her husband
may not enter the apartment. n red
slipper at the threshold is sign for
him to keep away.
A Moorish woman who has become
a Christian is reported as summing
up the disadvantages of her former
condition and the improvement
brought by her change of religion in
this wise: Here we are not our hus'
bands better halves, nor any half al
all--merely fractions who are neg
lected Whereas, when a Christian
I can have a husband all to myself
and many friends as we'll"