The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-11-02
MOST ENCHANTING
COUNTRY IN EAST
Burma Given That Designa-
ton by Visitor
LAND OF BEAUTY
Women Retain Maiden Names After
Marriage and Manage Own Bust
ness--Husband Is Lord
of Household

Burma, with it's lovely women, its
emancipated ideas, and yet with it's
many primitive IDEAS Is one of the most
enchanting of the eastern countries, de-
clares Mrs. Henry M. Phillips of State
street, who has just returned from an
extended trip around the world. The
life there Is quantity idyllic, with some
thing of the romantic left in 1t. al
though the life OF the women Is more
free there than in any other eastern
country. In Burma woman Is allowed
to pick out her own husband IL she
chooses. to keep her own name after
marriage. to manage her own domestic
affairs. to engage in business. the hus-
band doing the serving for the family.
. carrying the heavy bundles and the
children and doing work that In other
countries Is left to the women. There
is something deeply fascinating about
Burma and although Mrs. Phillips re-
manned there but few days, she re-
grets that she could not have stayed
longer to know more of it and of ils
interesting people. says the Springfield
Republican.
Burma was approached through
tangled forests, verdured heights anu
plains, and like an Arabian Nights
pageant passed before the wondering
eyes of the travellers the glorious va
ried scenery of the eastern countries
They came later to the waterways
again. and followed the sluggish rive
TO the blue laughing sea, crossing tn,
Bay of Bengal to the wide mud flats
of the Irrawaddy. where they found IL
shimmering heat the fabulous city CT
Rangoon with its ancient monument,
another wonder of the world TIL.
golden pagoda of Burma. its golden
umbrella set with real jewels swayins
and glittering at its very top.
When the tourists had landed in the
city they passed walking in the street
by twos and threes the daintiest little
bits of femininity, their swaying fig
ures clad in the softest silk of ros.
pink. sea green or violet. white silk
bolero with flowing sleeves and a gauze
scarf completing their exquisite cos
tunes. Their smiling, alert faces were
crowned by the smoothest black hair
simply dressed In a coil, with flower
at the side, always higher than a
Japanese maiden would wear 1t. Often
the Burmese wore jewels although they
were net worn as prominently and pro-
fusely as In India. perhaps because they
so often sacrifice their Jewels for the
decoration of the temples. These come
iy damsels came to the temples with
their husbands, the latter carrying the
children. all the family, even to the
baby. smoking cheroots. Imagine a
cigar as big as candle protruding
from. those cherry lips, and the babies
with smaller sized cigar.
Boys Educated in Monasteries
1t Is interesting that every boy In
Burma must become monk for a few
years, many receiving their only educa :
ton In the monastery IL circumstances
force them to work instead of allowing
them to attend the native schools.
There are few nunneries for the girls.
however. and In the country villages
they receive no education except what
they learn at home. In the large cities
there are schools why're the boys and
girls are educated together. The boys
have many festivals during their youth.
but the girls only one, and that is the
festival of ear-boring, when girl
: makes her formal debut into native
society. This is the great fete and is
held with feasting and rejoicings.
myriads OF little boats and miniature
pagodas being launched on the river,
If the girls home Is near the strea M
once their ears are prepared for the
dainty ear ornament. they may sit upon
the house veranda and receive their
suitors. The marriage Is quickly ar
ranged. when the right lover comes.
there being no church nor civil cere-
mony. Instead friends are called to
the wedding. ribbon Is stretched
around the couple and their hands are
clasped. They then eat together out
OF the same dish, and for the first time
and the ceremony is complete. The
honeymoon Is spent In the forest
should the couple be of humble cir.
cumstances, while IL they are wealthy
they go Immediately to new home.
! The love songs of the Burmese are re-
J markable for their beautiful poetry and
Z are much translated into the English
language. One of the songs follows. '"The
neon wooed the lotus, in the night the
lotus was wooed by the noon, and my
sweetheart Is their child. The blossom
opened In the night and she came forth,
the petals moved and she was born. She
Is more beautiful than any blossom. Her
face Is as delicate as the dusk; her hair
is as night falling over the hills: her
skin as bright as the diamond She Ia
full of health. no sickness can come to
her. When the wind blows. am afraid.
when the breezes move fear. fear lest
the south wind take her, trenfble lest
the breath of evening WOO her from mo-
50 light she Is and graceful. Her dress
is of gold, even of silk and gold and
her bracelets are of fine gold. She hath
precious stones in her ears but her eyes.
what jewels can compare to them? She
is proud, my mistress-she Is very proud.
and all men are afraid OF her-in the
|, whole world none can compare unto her."
Marriage Is Partnership
IN marriage this decilate young creature
keeps her own name, but there is no con-
fusion over her married state She en-
tiers into business partnership with her
husband. or undertakes a business venture
on her own account If she opens a shop
In the bazaar. 1t does not take her awav
from her household duties for long. since
the bazars are open only threet hours in
the day. She wears her silk at home
{; he. clothes need little or no sewing. her
children no clothes at all. She is abso-
lutely mistress of her time and OF her.
self. The husband here. az elsewhere
however, is head of the household. the
rule being one of love and not fear.
The Burmese laws against intoxicatton
and the taking of life are very strineen,
and a woman may divorce her husband
for continual drunkenness. While women
are more devotional than men, and are
seen more in the temples PRAYING he-
fore the Buddhas, they do not ali The
nunneries. as there are only a few com
pared with the monasteries, there being
only one nun to 100 monks. 1t has hear,
said by a great Indian author that won.
EN- are too tender-hearted to renounca
the world (Which means to them their
children and family IN order to enter ~.
holy life. On the other hand the country
is full of monks who are trying to NJ.
tain deliverance by meditation and de-