Year: 1869

|


The most striking and painful. features, Of
| Mohammedan countries, says Edna Dean
Proctor, is the degrading position of the
women, The lower classes wear out their
lives in the most Denial drudgery; in pro.
portion as they rise 10 the scale Of rank and
beauty (beAuty makes rank here) they are
petted and csressed, bat are guarded With
the moss Jealous care. Any woman in the
Sulta1's domI6lons, no matter What her birth
and Circumstances, may aspire to become an
inmate of his harem, provided she has the
requisite perfection Of face and figure aud,
what is yet stranger, after remaining there
for a time, she may anticipate being given
in recognized marriage to some Of his chief
officers Yet there is no respect for a woman
because of her nature, her character, or her
sphere She is admirable only so far as she
contributes to the pleasure Of man; aud, 10
all stations, whatever influence she has, Is
due to her feeting personal charms. Alas,
for one who has no enchntments of face or
form According to Moslem creed her herit-
age is doubtful, even in the world to come


1t is a mistake to suppose that Moham-
medan women never go abroad. You meet
them in every street and bazaar, but always
veiled according to the peculiar fashion Of
the place they inhabit, and watched and at
tended just in proportion as they are valued,
so that the more restricted they are, the
more complimented they feel Their indoor
dress is everywhere very much the same
loose, full trowsers, confined at the ankle, a
flowing robe, with a girdle about the waist,
the jewels proportioned to the wealth of the
wearer-a style much more graceful and de-
sirable than many modes which Paris dictates
| At Cairo. the women of the better classes
wear usually in the streets black silk man
tie, which envelopes them from head to foot,
face, except the eyes. The dress of the poor
is similar, but the material is a coarse blue
cotton. Hundreds of women of this latter
class in Cairo, sit all day upon the ground
with little pile of bread, or fruit, or vegeta-
bles by their side for sale and through all
the oppressive heat never lift their wells,
considering it disgrace which only the low
est will incur, to have their faces exposed to
view. while at the same time, perhaps, neck
and bosom are wholly bare.


The young girls at eight or nine years of
age assume this veil. In Damascus a thin
bright figured handkerchief of silk or cotton
is drawn over the face aud fastened behind
The shronding mantle here is of white cloth,
sometimes of embroidered muslin and with
the wealthy, of those rich silk fabrics for
which Damascus is renowned. Nowhere,
except in sea-shell and sunset skies, have |
seen such tints as there-yelow pinks, rosy
puppies, orange blues, crimson greens, ma
room browns, all shot through with gold and
silver threads, blending that pleases and
yet bewilders the eye, The native dyers of
Cashmere boast of having more than forty
distinct and peculiar hues. think there
cannot be less at Damascus. In Constantine.
pie the veil gives place to the yaehman, a
scarf of the finest and most delicate white
muslin, which is folded across the head and
face, leaving the eyes and part OF the fore
head uncovered, and pinned or gathered into
knot at the back.


Nothing could be more becoming than this
gauzy muslin, giving transparent look to
the complexion, enhancing the brilliancy of
the soft black or brown eyes which glance
from between its folds, aud only half hiding
the luxuriant hair. noticed that the pret-
tier the woman, the thinner was its texture !;
and there were some blooming faces to which
it was only such drapery as the moss is to the
rosebud. Often it was caugh back with
pearl-headed pins, while pearls hung iu the
ears, or cleaned in bandeau along the
brow. The outer garment, the feridjee, is
more graceful 10 shape than those worn else
where, and falls from the shoulders like
cloak or shawl Its common material is
merino or poplin, of plain, light color
gray, fawn, lilac, maize, and sometimes Grim.
son or green. Rings set with turquOises and
diamonds, sparkled upon the fingers but
gloves and black shoes are rarely seen, the
sIippersd feet being incased for walking in
loose boots of red or yellow morocco.


There is for me an irresistible charm in the
Eastern counlenance and manner. The pto>
pie of the West, throw themselves into life
as if they feared the present we're all the
Orientals take it as but single phase of ex>
istence They are in league with fate, aud
carry in their faces the serenity akin to sad
ness of those to whom all events are alike
welcome. have no desire to see the Asiatic
tribes crushed and driven out before the ad
vance of Europe. They spring from earth's
primeval inhabitants in her first occupied
lands. Many of their customs and modes of
thought date back to the infancy of the race
They have some elements of character grand
er than ours, and they need only to be de-
veloped and enlightened in order to add
immensely to the riches of civilization. 1t
is a part Of the West to seek TO win them to
purer faith and nobler worship, and to show
them that they can not reach their best estate
until through all their realms, woman is
elevated in the seeial scale, and made what
she was meant to be-the equal and compani
ion of man.


i A LITTLE girl was very fond Of preaching
to her dolls. Her mother heard her one
day reprOying one for being so wicked. .Oh,
you naughty, sinful child, she said, shaking
the waxen limbs, 'yoa will just 60 TO that