The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1908-05-09
The Mysterious Women of Egypt.
By Harriet Quimby

No one feature of Egypt attracts the
attention of the average tourist more
than do it's women. Not because Of
their beauty, for SO closely are they
yelled that it is impossible for any one
unless it be woman who makes espec-
ial effort in that direction, to know
whether they are good to look at or
not. The attention they attract SO sue
cessfully is due to the eternal mystery
which surrounds them. No member OF
the human family can truthfully deny
the peculiar fascination which anything
mysterious yields. Mystery, together
with a veil which conceals every feat
ure, compels one and all unconscious
~ to accredit an Egyptian lady with
dazzling beauty and Unreasonable
charm. In the light Of this univer-
sal disposition of mankind to consider
the yelled daughters of the Nile fail to
look upon, the few who have seen
them. minus veil and mystery. COM
mend them at once for keeping COW
cred. Egyptian women are anything
but beautiful, unless one judges entire
~ from the eyes up; but even the most
prejudiced are forced to admit the
charm Of this one feature.
Egyptian eyes, masculine or femin-
Inc, are beautiful-beautiful in varied
way, including everything except great
intelligence-andt their charm is con-
siderably heightened by the conceal
ment Of the other features. Wicked
they all are, languid. derisive. cunning
on occasions, sensual always, alluring.
and shaded with long, silken, beautiful
lashes. The fascinating senorita Of
Spain cannot compare with even the
peasant woman Of Egypt in this par
lcular phase Of beauty. The number
less emotions which fash in the face of
the European woman are concentrated
in the eyes of her Egyptian sister.
which are further enhanced in both size
and expression by the line Of kohl on
either lid. which resembles a very per-
feet stage makeup. And because the
rest Of her face is hidden, the Egyp-
ton woman early learns to use to the
best advantage that part which peeps
over the veil. Kohl is combination
OF lampblack produced by burning
kind of liban, an aromatic resin which
Is species of frankincense. Burning
the shells of almonds also produces
kohl which is commonly sold In the
bazaars Of Cairo. The backing is ap-
piled with small piece Of wood like
blunt orange-stick, which, first dipped
in rose-water and then in the kohl. is
drawn lightly along the lids.
i There are seemingly more types OF
women in Cairo, all of them natives of
Egypt, than in any other city of like
population in the world. Their variety
is due largely to the difference in cos
tune. which is regulated by religious
beliefs All the women of Mohamme-
dan faith wear wells. Some wear queer
little spools of brass or gold which are
attached to the head-piece, and which
hang down to cover the nose. This
signifies that the wearers are married.
Others wear wells without either head
piece or nose covering. The wells Of
the Turkish women are the handsom-
est, and they are also the most CO.
Quettish, for occasionally they are thin
enough to show the outline of the feat
ures beneath. Nearly all of the aris-
tocratic male Egyptions of Cairo are
married to Turkish women, who are
supposed to be superior to the natives
in both beauty and intelligence. The
majority of Turkish girls of wealthy
families are educated as are their Eu-
ropean sisters, and many of them are
talented in music and painting. This
enlightenment which allows the daugh-
tiers to be educated applies only to those
families which have had the advant-
ages of English association. But this
class is very rarely seen by the tour
list, unless he gets just flash of their
yelled faces showing through the closed
windows of a carriage in which they
enjoy their daily outing on the fashion
able Gazera drive of Cairo. 1t Is the
middle class which one will see on the
streets and in the bazaars in the native
quarter. Occasionally the aristocrat
visits the jeweler, but when she does
she is ushered into private reception
room, and is so hedged in by ceremony
and servants that the European custo-
mer in the same shop cranes his neck
in vain to get glimpse of her.
To see an Egyptian woman on a
donkey is a most curious sight. In
some mysterious fashion she draws up
her feet in such a manner that she re-
sembles trussed chicken. and the WON
der and amazement Of all who see her
is how she manages to stick on In
this ridiculous position. She always
rides astride and never at gallop, but
ei&ha. NJ a io1-fr0t or a walk and she