The Cairo bulletin., 1908-01-26

WITH THE PERSIAN YOU MUST
NOT DISCUSS HIS WOMENFOLK.
THE Met Yen Can DO Issto ASK
About tie "Mothcr OF His Son
n He Has Only DaughHfs He
VIII Not Mention Them.

With the Persian one cannot dis
cuss his womenfolk. To ask a Per-
sian 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 daughters ne
does not mention them. they are q
misfortune to be suffered In silence.
While the sexes remain separated
as at present there can be but little
real advance. The man does not see
his wife after the marriage ceremony.
the woman still lives the secluded
Supplying life of the harem. She
grows up like wild flower; nothing
which Europeans generally keep out
of their children'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 SUI
sperstitions, and as she is seldom
taught to read ana 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 is kept secluded that she may
remain faithful, and the Inevitable
result Is that, intrigue forms half the
life OF Persia. M de Lorey relates
an adventure he had with well
guarded lady of high rank in a jewell
er's shop. He attracted her atten-
ton, she lowered her veil, he gazei
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 conclusion of that
story, but the author tantalzes us
by breaking off In the middle. II 1t
had no conclusion the sad state Of
too many love affairs--we would al
most have forgiven him, says the
London Globe. hal he done what a
Persian surely would have done and
invented the rest.
1t will come as a surprise to many
that divorce Is as easy In the UNI
changing East as 1t IS in the strenu-
GUS West. 1t depends entirely on
the will OF the husband, who, under
the pretext that his wife is BAD tenn
pered, barren, extravagant. excessive
ly lean. invalid or blind, can repud-
late her. The only drawback for the
husband is that he must pay the dow
nv If the action is his. For this rea-
son husbands are found who In or
der to avoid this nuisance ill-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 CT the West, for there are such
things as difficulties with servants,
even in Teheran. The author dis
missed one Of his servants who, as he
had been d tailor, was incompetent
to do anything but sew on buttons.
The man protested: what will be-
come of me now that I have been
eating your salt forfsuch long time
and am driven out into the streets?"
He was reminded that he had only
been employed for fortnight; he
answered that he felt II had been for
years. He was told tina. he was no
good: but his yolubility only In
creased. How can be no good af-
ter having stayed with you? Can
You forget what Sa'di said: "A piece
of clay having fallen In the Hammam
from my beloveds hand into mine,
| said to IT, Art thou musk or amber
girls that | am drunk with thy per-
fume. which catches at the hearth
Ii answered: i was but worthless
piece ofclay, but Twas In the company
OF the rose for a moment.