Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-11-27
FILTRATION IN PERSIA.
Seclusion of the Women-Divorces
Easily Obtained.

From the London Globe.
With the Persian one cannot discuss HIS
wome nfolk. To ask a Persian about his
wife Is grave breach of etiquette. The
most YOU can do is to ask about the
mother of his son." II he has only daugh-
ters ne does not mention them: they are a
misfortune to be suffered in silence.
While the sexes remain separated nc AZ
present there can be little real advance.
The man does not see his wife until after
the marriage ceremony; the woman still
lives the secluded. stupefying life Of the
narem. She grows up like wild flower:
nothing which Europeans generally keen
out or their chiIdrens sight is concealed
from her: she is left to the dictates of
her instincts, which. as she sees very little
society but that of servants and slaves,
are not very elevating. Her religion ia
drowned in the lowest supe rstitions. and
as she is seldom taught to read and write
the only means she has of learning is
from tales which would hardly have any
meaning for US because they are 80
stupid"
She is kept secluded that she NAV re.
main faithful. and the Inevitable result is
that intrigue forms half the life of Persia
NJ de Lorey relates an adventure that
he had with well-guarded lady of high
rank In jewelers. shop. &, He attracted
gazed-one hazards the guess-adoringly,
she dropped her jasmine. he picked 1t up.
The next day they met again in the same
shop: We could have wished for the con-
ciusion of that story. but the author tam
taliZes us by breaking off in the middle
If it had no conclusion-the sad state of
too many love affairs-we could almost
have forgiven him had he done what a
Persian assuredly would have done and
Invented the rest
7 will
divorce Is as easy in the unchanging east
as in the strenuous west at depends
entirely on the will of the husband, who
under the Dretext that his wife Is bad
tempered, barren. extravagant, excessive
ly lean. invalid or blind can repudiate her.
Adultery does not enter this category, be-
cause death settles that. The only draw
back for the husband is that he must pay
the dowry II the action is his. For this
reason husbands are to be found who in
beat their wives till they themselves
move for divorce-since in that case there
is no necessity to pay anything"
In another way Persia reminds one
dimly of the west. for there are such
things as difficulties with servants, even,
of his servants who. as he had been a
tailor. was incompetent to do anything
but sew on buttons. The man protested:
What will become of me now that L have
OeSH edtlHS your salt LOT Sucn long
time and am driven out into the Streets"
He was reminded that he had only been
employed for a fortnight; he answered
that he felt 1t had been for years. He
was told that he was no good; but his
volubility only increased How can I be
no good after having stayed with you?
Can you forget what Sa'di said: A piece
of clay having fallen into the Hannah
from my beloved's hand into mine, said
to it. Art thou musk or ambergris that /
am drunk with thy perfume, which
catches at the hearth 1t answered: I
was but a worthless piece of clay, but
was in the company of the rose for a
moment This companionship transform
ed me. or else / should still be the same
piece of clay that / was"
One can pity the state of an English
mistress confronted with such an argu-
ment The author kept his servant another
week and he remarks disconsolately that
in that time he discovered that IL the
tailor was a poet he was also thief.