The daily sentinel., 1905-06-08
LIFE In A HAREM
The Mohomedan Allow
ed Five Wives; Bril-
liant Lecture by Prof.
Watson Today.

Great interest is being manifested
in the splendid series of lectures be-
ing delivered this week by Prof. Geo.
w. Watson at the Baptist church. on
the manners and customs of the Holy
Land. large audience is out every
evening and all who have attended
have been perfectly delighted. A
more entertaining series of lectures
have never been delivered in the
city.
The Sentinel, believing that every
address is worthy of a good report.
and knowing that these reports have
been read and appreciated by scores
of our readers, secured a fun report
OF the lecture delivered this after
noon before the united Missionary
Societies of the city. The audience
was a large one.
This afternoon Professor Watson's
subject was the condition of Mohom-
medan women, and the need of work
among them. In part he said:
The law of Mohomet allowed
who would naturally reside in the
city would have the full complement
of wives. These he would keep shut
in their luxurious apartments. with
a strong, muscular woman to keep
them in order. The lives of these
women We're all idleness. They were
never allowed to have a voice in the
affairs of the household such work
being entrusted to a male servant.
When the women were taken out
carriage, or marched two and two
always in charge of the eunuch. They
We're never taught to, and never as
pired to, the place of being mans
counsellor and advisor. On the rich
mans entrance to this his harem, the
women We'd with each other to win
their husbands particular notice, and
consequently they were always full
of envy of the successful wife. The
poor man of the city would keep his
wives hard at work during the day
turning out beautiful work which he
would peddle. AS men had TO buy
their wives from the father of the
woman or girl, they always tried to
make the most of their investment.
The women were the slaves and
drudges of the men. The Arab sell
dom went beyond one wife, and it
was safe to say that two would suf-
flee to meet his ambitions. The Arab
woman was the tent-builder, cattle
feeder and waterer, and general lack
ey for the home. The village wife
would be allowed more freedom than
the other women. She had the priv
ilege of going to market alone. her
person being loaded like that of a
beast with fruit and vegetables. She
had to stand and sell in the market
place. and then had the liberty of
buying her own dress material, which
the other women had not. Mission
work among these people was SLOW,
and the women could not be induced
to believe it was right for them to
have the liberty enjoyed by western
women. The men were slow in al
lowing the missionaries Clady mis-
sionaries. of course) entrance to his
house. He certainly was conscious
of their power. Were his wives to
take up their natural God-given lib
erty. it would be bad for him be
cause he would have trouble. and the
wives would be instantly divorced,
and mysterious death, so frequent
in the east, would be quick on the
heels of the divorce.
Our missionaries were handicapped
because they could not preach the
gospel or suggest freedom. Their
work at the present was rather in
the educating of the wives in order
that a husband might recognise their
value and wisdom, and SO give them
a little freedom The emancipation
of the women of these lands must
come through the men.
The professors lecture gave his
audience a new and comprehensive
idea of the conditions of mission
work in that land.