New-York tribune., 1908-06-12
WHERE THE HUSBANDS SHOP.
Mrs McNaughton, from Asia Minor, Tells
of Oriental Ways.

I'm the interior of Asia Minor women do not even
buy their own clothes. Their husbands make all
the purchases for them. Mothers of families have
told me that they had never in their lives pur-
chased single article of wear for themselves or
their children, and il they wanted so much as
a spool of thread they had to wait till their nus
bands got around to buy IT."
So spoke Mrs r. G. McNaughton at the Alliance
House. No. go West 44th street. on her return 10
the United States for the second time In twenty
three years Mrs. McNaughton's entire married life
has been spent in Smyrna, where she and her nus
band have charge of a school under the American
Board of Foreign Missions, and she has brought
UP daughters in that Oriental city,
smyrna has every appearances of European
city when one first enters it, said she. The Eu-
ropean quarters are on the shore, and many mer-
chants of wealth live there. Back in the Turkish
quarters there is the bazaar and the city takes on
the appearance OF an Oriental town. Still. life is a
good deal more cosmopolitan than in the interior
cities where one can scarcely tell the Turkish and
Armenian apart and where the TURKISH
influence is strong socially that the Cnr1stlan
women. like the Moslem. do no shopping or mar
keting for the family. The population OF smyrna
is very largely Christian. Greeks and Arinenians-
But very few of any race can read or Wrlte
The early marriage of the women is the strongest
influence against their acquiring education even
when they go to school. An Armenian girl who IS
unmarried at the of sixteen years is no longer
lnarriageabe under ordinary circumstances She
may marry q widower a man who has oefecl
Of some kind so that he cannot expect a good
otherwise
wives but very few Of them have more than one
for the simple reason that they cannot support
more. A Turk may divorce his wife for any fea-
son at all-if she doesn't cook to suit him. II MS
buttons aren't sewed right. He simply says
IN divorce you and she is divorced ana YET
there is an economic check that. too, for If a
man divorces mis- wife he has to pay back her
doWry and that is often inconvenient that IL
forms protection for her If a Turk wants 10
take back wife whom he has divorced she mas
ad m
man then divorces her. after which the first nus
band may marry her again.
In the girls department OF this school there are
$50 pupils forty Of them boarders The classes run
from the kindergarten through the high school
course The pupils are from the well-to-do classes,
as the fees amount 10 $40 year. They are all
Greek Armenian girls. with occasionally
Turkish girl. The Turks forbidden to send
their children TO Christian schools. but they slip
in occasionally and stay until the government be
gins TO agitate the subject. when they remain
away for a few months until the matter Is forgot
ten and then go back for while
housekeeping? Well the chief difference Is
that we suffer in winter from cold in the house. as
there is no way Of heating the houses In summer
ice is an expensive luxury. Although 1t is manu-
>actured there, 1t is not much used. and therefore
We eat only meat that has been killed the night
before We get excellent lamb and mutton, hut
the beef is very poor. We have glorious fruit and
vegetables extremely cheap-grapes. two cents a
pound pay 81 20 d month. q Turkish pound for
a general servant A great many Things. ike all
kinds Of dress goods. get better and
cheaper there than in America, but some things
American missionaries have sent from America
Perhaps the two things which they order out most
often are shoes and butter, neither of which can
he got there to suit American tastes"
Mrs McNaughton has brought over some OF the
lace edgings and handkerchiefs made by the
women. which contain very fine and beautiful work.
Thousands of these handkerchiefs are sent out
annually now to Germany and England by women
working under the instruction of the German.
Swiss and American missionaries said she. The
linen is imported from Ireland. and then this fine
handwork put on it. After the massacres of the
Armenians twelve years ago thousands of women
were left with no support, and in great poverty
and distress The missionaries started these hand
industries 10 help them.