The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-02-14

when a boy is old enough to have
a WIFE. let US say at seventeen. his
parents begin TO ook about for a suit
able girl. The mother goes to the
harems Of her acquaintances. ana
asks as to the daughters. She also
visits the girls schools, and when she
mas found a maiden whom she thinks
may suit she invites the mother OF
the girl to meet her at the bath.
Ihls is II of the chief places of Cos
SIP and pleasure. and it is not uncom-
mon Tor ladies to meet there. To the
bath the girl comes With her mother.
ana she there has her first Interview
WITH her prospective mother-in-law.
The two talk and gossip together, and
very likely go into the hotroom and
plunges. clad in the light attire Of
two Turkish towels. the fashionable
garb for the occasion. Afterfhe bath
IS over they have something to eat"
Ihere is more talklno and the girl
is sized up mentally and physically.
Upon the return home the mother of
the groom tells her husband the re-
suit OF her Investigations, and if he
is pleased negotiations are begun with
the parents of the bride. IL agree
able the dowry is fixed and the be-
trothal is. made. Neither the mar
riage nor the betrotnal can be con-
without the consent Of the
girl. This consent is gotten in con-
nectiOn with the man. or Mohamme-
dan priest, who appears at the door
Of the harem of the brides mother.
The girl is behind the door, and she
asked if she will consent to the
match. h has to answer q will
three separate times, after which the
amount OF the dOWry may be paid
over, in the presence of witnesses.
Queer Wedding Ceremonies.
In the Oriental countries the we'd
G1no - Ya n n n I - - - 70 NApxy IN, ~ 49, 49,
The marriage is always an occasion
OF protracted festivities. and not to be
invited is a grave Offense. One Of
the proverbs here is, HE Who does not
invite me to his marriage will not
have me at his funeral" Among the
monies often last q week, during
which there is feasting on the part
Of bot families. The dinners are
given before the wedding, and at the
time Of the ceremony large amounts
OF money are thrown to the beggars.
The wedding feasts usually begin
Monday. Tuesday the bride is taken
TO the bath and there is q feast there,
the bridegroom paying the expenses
Of the bathing and eating.
Wednesday the bridegrOOm's lady
friends go to the house of the bride,
where they have a concert and din
ner. AT this time the finger nails and
tOc IdllS OIL TIC DIIuo dTe Stdlneu req
with henra and they begin to deck
her out for the wedding. Thursday
the bride is t. ken to the grOoIn's
house in a great procession, and there
the two eat candy, exchanging mouth
fuls or bites, the idea being that moth
ing but sweetness is hereafter to pass
from the lips of one to the other.
The bridegroom has not seen the
bride until this time. He here says
a prayer in the presence Of the bride.
kneeling on her bridal veil as he does
SO.
Mofamnledans Of Palestine.
Among the Moham1nedans Of PaIes-
tine. so says my guide Shammas, the
wedding usually takes place at the
mosque, and the bridegroom meets his
bride when she is Oh the Way thither,
although she is SO yelled that he can
not see her. She is dressed all in
White and is carried under a canopy
on the shoulders CT four men. At
the mosque the wedding sermon is
given. and at the end Of this the bride.
goes to the house Of her husband.
AS she steps over the threshold she
bends down and passes under two
crossed swords upheld by his friends.
This means that if she is not true to
her husband he will kill her. She is
taken first to the wOmen's apartment
or haren?, over the door of which has
been placed a piece Of leavened dough
With q green leaf lying upon it. d
presses the palm Of her hand on the
leaf and into the dough, thus signify
ing that the home into which she has
come Will flourish. IN some cases the
bride breaks q piece Of leayened bread
and gives to the young people to
eat.
After she has entered her own
apartment in the grOom's house there
is a feast. the guests sitting on the
floor and eating course after course
of meats and vegetables. i~nterspersed
with candies and sirups. In some
cases the groom has to make the
bride speak before the dinner Will
be served. and it is a virtue with her
to keep silent just as long as she
can.
WOmen's Rights in Syria.
II is the general idea among Chris
tians that MOhammedan wives have