The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-11-03
FILTRATION IN PERSIA.
s~ecIusIOn or the Women Divorces Easily
Obtained.
From the London Globe.

rom me AOWuOH UtOOts
With the Persian one cannot discuss his
wompnfolk. To ask a Persian about his
wife is a grave breach Of etiquette. The most
YOU can do in to ask about the mother OF his
SON" II he has only daughters he does not
mention them: they are a misfortune to be
suffered in silence.
While the sexes remain separated as at
present there can be little real advance. The
man does not see his wife until after the mar
rage the woman still lives the
secluded, supplying life OF the harem. she
grows I'D like a wild flower; nothing which
Europeans generally keep out OF their chill
dren's 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 is drowned in the lowest superstitiOns.
and "a 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 SO stupid"
She il kept secluded that she may remain
faithful, and the Inevitable result Is that
intrigue forms half the life OF Persia. NJ. de
LOrey relates an adventure that ne had with
A well guarded lady OF high rank in a jewellers
shop. lie attracted her att entiOD. she low
cred her veil, he gazed-one hazards the
guess-adoringly, she dropped her jasmine.
he picked il up. The next day they met
again in the same shop. We could have
wished for the conclusion Of that story. but
the author tantalizes us by breaking OF In
The middle. II it had no cOnclusiOn-th h sad
state OF too many love affairs-we could al
most have forgiven him had he done what
A Persian assuredly would have done and
invented the rest.
IL will come a. a surprise TO many that
divorce Is IA easy in the unchanging East a.
in the strenuous West. 1T depends entirely
on he will Of the husband. who under the
pretext that his wife is bad tempered, barren.
extravagant, excessively lean. invalid or
blind can repudiate her. Adultery does not
enter this category. because death settles
that. The only drawback for the husband
il that he must pay the dOwry II the action
IL his. For this reason husbands are TO be
found who in order to avoid this nuisance
i'll treat and beat their wives till they them
selves 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 DIM
culties with servants. even In Teheran. The
aathor dismissed one Of his servants who, as
he had been a tailor. was incompetent to do
Anything but sew on buttons. The man pro-
tested: What will become Of me now that I
have been eating your salt for such a long
time and am driven out into the ~streetsP"
lie was reminded that he had only been
employed for a fortnight; he answered that
he felt It had been for years. lie was told that
he was no good: but his volubility only
increased. How can l 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 beioved's
hand into mine. I said to II. Art thou musk
or ambergris that l I'M drunk with thy per-
fume. which catches at the hearth It an
swered: 4 was but a worthless piece Of clay.
but I was in the company OF the rose for a
moment. This cOmpaniOnship transformed
me. or else I should still be the same piece Of
clay that I was"
One can pity the state Of an English mis-
tress confronted with such an argument.
| The author kept his servant smother week
| and he remarks disoonsoIately that In that
| time he discovered that n the tailor was Q
| post he was also o thtef.