Omaha daily bee., 1906-06-24
Occupation. of the Egyptian Women.

Occupations of the Egyptian Women.
The lot of the Egyptian woman, says
the Fortnightly Review. has improved
vastly since those dark days Of super
stition when, in order TO propitiate Scraps,
the deity who presided over the waters
Of Father Nle she was liable to be given
as a sacrifice to the fiood-a custom which
was until quite recently commemorated at
the annual cutting of the Khaleeg at Cairo
by the erection of an earthen bride"
which was swallowed up by the rushing
water. Albeit the fellaha's lines have
never been cast in pleasant places, very
early in her existence does her round Of
drudgery begin, for while still a tiny child
she is allotted variety of tasks. In the
clover season one sees peasant baby girls
posted as sentinels over the horses and
cattle tethered in the wildly green berseem
fields: mere children placed in authority
near a harshly creaking waterwheel, follow
with toddling steps the wiry little donkey
or gaunt, ugly buffalo harnessed to a
wooden prop which is attached to the
cogged wheel of the sakeeyeh. The little
mites by voice and whip urge the weary
blIndfolded beasts to keep Jogging along
in the worn circular track. that the slowly
revolving earthenware pots cease not to
pour the fertilizing water into the trough.
The same little maiden, their hair gen.
orally plated, and the wisps and braids
decl1ed with coins, are often seen tend
ing small herds of goats. AT times too,
they are sent to forage for rare windfalls
OF firewood (rare, because in the delta
wood OF any sort is scarce) which, II they
find, they carry homeward across the helds
on their heads. the strings OF beads and
glass bracelets on their fat little necks
and arms glistenng in the bright sun
shine; while those who dwell in woodless
provinces are employed 10 collect man
ure, which, mixed with chopped straw,
Is pounded into round cakes and, when
dried IN the sun, forms the staple native
fuel called "gelleh." Active little maideus
carry diminutive hods or baskets Of NOR
tar or bricks when building operations are
in progress, or are set to destroy cater
pillars at seasons when these pests
threaten destruction TO the maize or other
crops.
Should their village be within easy dis
lance Of a railway. girls Of tender age
are sent to hawk goolahs Of cool water
hard boiled eggs OF fresh dates, figs or
oranges up and down the countryside sta
tions; and these bright. clamoring, smil-
ing, pearly teethed maidens. who often
innocently expose their shapely little limbs
when making a lap OF their one coiored
cotton garments wherein TO catch the coins
thrown TO them in payment OF their wares.
are pleasantly familiar little figures to
all travellers throughout the delta. The
bigger girls in time OF wheat harvest will
Join with the older women in field labor,
which is very tatiguing as in many dis
tricts not only do they pluck and bind
the corn, but afterward carry the sheaVes
TO the threshing place. Not infreduently
a bevy OF women labOrers who have the
leisure will proceed at harvest time from
village to village. and so add a faw more
shillngs 20 the modest family chest.
Few Egyptian village scenes appeal NOR,
foroibly 10 the cultivated taste or artist,
sense than that OF the village nader
fetching water from the river or the well
The 1.-THE. elastic. we'll developed hgur,
OF the peasant damsei seems singularly
noble in It's homely simplicity. draped ir
its loose, dark blue garment the beau
tifully moulded earthenware pitcher poised
gracefully upon the shapely head HeI
long veil Of coarse crepe n r. true. Is
probably half drawn 20 conceal her face
from prytng eyes. or, when she wears no
veil-and often, owing 10 the eKigencies
OF field labor, the burke (face veiD Is dis
pensed with-its ONCE IL performed by
gathering a fold OF her head covering
into a corner OF her mouth. Yet the very
poor are not always punetilous about
keeping their faces hidden from strangers.