Show HAPPY mohammedan 41 Polygamy I 1 yes yeb I 1 know that to ia the first thing said when I 1 speak of abia mr alexander busell bussell sell webb who has corns come to this country to make us all good edans but a plurality of wives la is by no do means a necessary part of the teachings of we the prophet indeed out of the 1 1000 edans of whom I 1 asked the question hovy chow many wives have you the answer was invariably why only one I 1 could not love more than one woman besides I 1 am aar acrid aid they would quarrel acl 1 I think I 1 met at least edans in india who had only one witt wife A passage in the korat koran gays qt you can love equally more than one wire wife and treat each one with equal j justice then you m my ty have m more re than one it you have auy any doubs as to whether you can love them equally then marry but one the strictly conscientious follower foil of tile the prophet finds this passage considerable sid erable of a stu stumbling abling b block lock since very few wed men can love equally two women ane koran limits the number or of wives to tour four and more than that is against tue toe teachings of mohammed A harlem to is in reality forbidden 49 A woman has no soul has been oaid ald of mohammedan teaching this is ft entirely also on n the contrary mohammed considered ki a woman mand superiors superior spiritually she must uever never be forced to be a breadwinner bread broad winner mao man must toll to care for her sue sao to is meant to oe be his champion to make his hid home bome comfortable to us ue the mother 0 01 i ilia children chi luren and to perform those duties for which she is physically fitted A homeless mohammedan woman jg is an impossibility I 1 never saw a woman begins lathe in the direct during all my residence among them norbid nor did JE I ow eee one earning her own living in a public way how then do they manage they are all married but the lett jolt overs such as the ugly ill formed or crip crippled soh oh if they are very undesirable indeed they are taken into some dome dome to 40 help with the bo household huu sebold duties that thal to if they have no male relative to care for them family ties lies aej obligations mrs very string it would be a deep disgrace for a man to 10 allow his broth ore wife or daughter to be without a home borne he must care for them always unless some one else also offers to the cue burden with him suppose I 1 had my deceased brothers family on my hads binds wary likely some wealthy mohammedan would come to me and say 11 1 wish to help you lot let your brot brother berla wife or daughter or perhaps bath came to me as wives these raese women would have in the eyes of the law all the ibe financial fina noial advantages of his wives while in other ways they might simply be wives in names name as he might prefer to remain faithful to the one wife whom he loved such oases cases are of frequent occurrence these women would be inmates of his home with rights of dower and would be always well cared carea for but a american could not do that without scandal what do you mean by rights of dower jl before the mohammedan woman domn is married her prospective husband must settle upon her a dowry which is hers bers unconditionally it he cannot give a awry to bi bis 8 wife then he az cannot be married he must show that he is able to support a wife she owns her property in her own right and it loan can never be touched for her bus bandle debts 1 I tell you a mohammedan woman is 18 much better protected in money matters than an american woman skis does not have to submit to sao be ordial state of affairs which obtain in so amay tat families nilles where a wife never has une one penny sue can call her own the marriage is never a loui i ceremony jer emony but is simply a civil contract and can be set aside like any 0 her civil tract such a thing at as a divorce suit with its attendant suan scan dal Is never known there if a wife is a scold or a tyrant or otherwise undesirable rhe bhe is promptly returned to her parents or male relative this Is apt to make a woman behave herself nera elf and not noi attempt the le attis to which she sometimes goes lu in this country where she thinks welt well ive 9 git it him and I 1 oan jo as I 1 please he will not want to submit to liao a audal of a divi roo ci c 1 I know plenty of men would give their heads to be rid of their wives who know that they are areal fia hautly unfaithful to them an anlou I 1 wu yet suffer in silence rather than incur the ibe newspaper gossip and which would be sure to come with a divorce then too why should people live oat est and aad do liv lidja S wasu separation means peace I 1 much prefer the moslem way of set settling cling these tausa things taints but how about the romeu can they get ria of an undesirable husband as easily certainly they have only to go to their nearest male relative and lay the case before him he to the husband and says sayd my niece is ua happy in your house and does doea nut not wish to stay s very alvary wells well says saya the husband 1 I do not wibb to keep her then ehen take her home whenever you please and so the affair is ended quietly and decently the woman wever keeps the do ry which has been given her an aej I 1 will probably be more fortunate in her next married experience 1 mis does not occur very often be oa se buob women are not so sentimental and have not such exaggerated ideas of love jove as they have hore here they find bud occupation for their minds in reading music embroidery the care of their children and homes A mohammedan was never known to strike hlo him wite wife his conduct toward her to is generally respectful kind and considerate and he never comes home brunk A meda moda i knows not the eno of whisky wine or bear except where he has been bean converted PY y a christian missionary and become contaminated by his association with WILD the english HE NEVER TELLS SHADY STORIES the marriage relation is to him so sacred and his bis wi areld namu name must never be mentioned among other men he can never dever regard a mans amours as a ja ia any case a sub subject I 1 act for laughter aud aad such a as a deady story told among a min is unknown when he wished t mrry marry his hid trienes go to the frienda of the aman ind and arrange all the preliminaries he its theu permitted permit teil tea to see sea his hii twide bride onet once briore the it if tile meeting is id not matu mutually ally satisfactory ether the man or the woman may withdraw from the contract 0 11 ID DJ you believe it possible po isible for or progressive gres sive mo tern american women to become good edans certainly must remember that the idea of isolation to in harnis does not really belong to so the teachings of the koran it is a part of the system and is an indian custom mona mobs umed enjoined upon women the necessity of modesty in dress A woman must refrain from leading men into temptation when she appears before them she to Is not to attract their attention by gorgeous raiment or the be display of her charms the prophet came in a time of great licentiousness among men and these theme admonitions were necessary in his bis efforts to abate the evil during his life the arab women enjoyed freedom and much respect 1 I believe an american woman could be a consistent mohammedan in this way let her dress when she appears on broadway bo be plain and inconspicuous let her leave oft off the nodding plumes and gorgeous colors from her nat hat give up balls receptions and the display of in public read study attend t her house and never forget to pray to her gad the mohammedan women are most modestly r bed they wear white almost entirely either in sot so t light silk milk or muslin the garments gar menca fall from the throat to the feet in looe loo e folds that conceals the figure as much as possible the sleeves are long and full fill and are confined with a band at ane w wrist riot 69 arney wear very few jewels except in the case of the lower or middle classes who often pierce the ear around the entire rim and hang bang rings as thickly as they can these too wear nose rings 44 the children of the wealthy are richly attired in gold embroidered embroider eu garments and gayly lined materials the MOD men too often have jewels and embroidery on their headgear because they have to be seen abroad among men the fhe mohammedan dress for both men and women consisting as it does of long loose light garments is in ad adapted to the warm climate I 1 sometimes un on the dress and I 1 4 know of nothing so delightful aali comfortable to wear 1 I shall soon have several translators here to render portions of the koran and other mohammedan literature into english when I 1 hope americans will judge of these truths for themselves ALICE E IVES |