Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-06-16
Modern Methods Enter Persia;
TIE Land of Yesterday Nete e Women Nau Have Rights But Are
Quite as Ignorant Them as the Woman Without the Ballot

Der OF mlddle-aged women at q dinner
party.
I'm my harem." said he, "the women
are all young"
There is no phase OF Persian life about
which so much romance and mystery cling
as about the manners and condition OF
the Persian women. The limitations OF
their lives and their own fatalistic sereni-
ty make them objects o. interests. Some
when 1t is known that they are not I'll
used, that they are not unwilling prison.
ers and that they do not resent the con-
straint of the harem nor regard them
selves as victims Of misfortune. Indeed.
the Persian women is a happy woman.
She Is content and placid and untrou-
bled by either nerves or fads.
We should not, perhaps, be ready to
! accept in every particular distinguished
Frenchman's explanation Of the beauty OF
women. especially in reference to the alb
! senee Of out-of-door exercise. He says:
1.-THE regular life which the women Of
Persia lead Is the potent cause Of their
/ beauty. They neither gamble nor sit up
late. They drink no wine and they rarely
expose themselves to the atmosphere.
1t must be acknowledged that their life
is more conducive to health than to
pleasure. 1t is calm, nntroubled life.
| Everything in It is connected with sub
ordination and duty and significant OF
/ dependence"
The dress of Persian ladies' is more
snowy than tasteful. and would not to
western ideas suggest modesty. In the
| case Of the rich the char-kadd or head
| dress is very pretty and costly. Cashmere
shawls and embroidered gauze bespangled
| with gold coins are used for this purpose.
| while the ends of the char-kadd. droop
| gracefully upon the shoulders and Jika
/ or bejeweled feather ornament Is worn
rnfw.
| Jaunty effect.
Ornaments Of jewelry are much affected.
| Scent sachets are suspended from the
/ neck by gold chains and the arms are
covered often from the wrist to above
| the elbow with bangles which vie in
quantity and quality with the coin ban
| giles sometimes worn by ladies Of fashion
| in Europe.
PiIgrimages are the fashion in Persia
and some Of the tender plants from the
harem often go out on religious exour-
| sions in order to save. their souls. The
costumes worn on these pigrimages are
beautiful and picturesque. They are not
/ worn in the harem, but are costly. indeed.
| The face wells are thick and heavily orna-
/ mented, and embroidery, bangles ana
beads form a great part Of the Ornamental
ton. The street costumes are made on
the same order and are most beautiful
| although they are seldom seen by the
great common people, as the beauties or
the harem and the many wives OF the
rich men are shielded from the gaze or
the curious.
The Persians are a gifted and charm
/ ing people, of high grade Of intelligence,
although their character is marred by
| strong shadows. Between the upper and
| lower classes there is a great gulf-a gulf
as great and impossible as that which
| divided Dives from Lazarus. The up
pers" treat the lowers as If they were
| dirt; the lowers bow to the "uppers"
/ as If they were gods.
I The Persian women may have rights,
but they have yet TO be discovered. The
| marriage bond is not allowed to become
/ tiresome to man, who very easily gets
rid of a wife he no longer wants by send
/ ing her back to her father. The shah
/ has the most delightful way of freeing
himself of those who are no longer pleas
/ ing to him, and at the same time Of graft
/ flying his spite-he gives them to his min
| listers.
The relations between the Persian mon
arch and his people are less those of
ruler to his subjects than Of a father to
| his children-a father whose children have
| the right to support him. If the shah
| learns that one of his beloved subjects
/ is getting wealthy or weather. he visits
/ him. This visit is rendered all the more
| serious an honor, as his majesty never
travels in his own country with a retinue
| of less than several hundreds, all Of whom
| have to be fed and who expect land OBJ
| tain presents from their unwilling host.
The only way to get rid Of them is to
pay them to go away.
One of the sights of Teheran is the
| appearance of the shah and the ladies Of
| Zenana. Relocated outrunners with silver
headed canes and headgear like the comb
of a rooster, spearmen from the loyal
nomadic tribes and the executioner. with
his mule bearing his weapons. These
form the advance guard and surround the
shah. The ladies-each of whom is borne
in litter swung between two mules or
hOrses-are much more thickly surrounds
ed, and 1 was warned not to try to see
them, as 1t might result in an application
of the bastinadoe