OCR Text |
Show Arabian Haby's Toliot. A roynl baby's first toilet, in Arabia, consists iu winding a bandage nbout its body after it has been perfumed. Tho Ilttlo creature is then placed on Its back, Its arms and fcot aro straightened, and tho entlro body Is swathed to tho shoulders. Iu this position it romaius motionless for forty days, but tho bandago is removed re-moved twice a day Unit tho child may havo a bath. The Arabs believo that this process will mako tho body straight for life. Under such circumstances circum-stances it seems fortunate that babyhood baby-hood is not a period which can bo remembered re-membered in after years, for nobody would chooso to suffer such days of misery again, oven in recollection. If the child be a girl, on tho seventh, day after hor birth, holes, usually six in number, are pricked in her cars, and when she is two months old heavy gold rings aro attached to them, to bo worn throughout her lifetime, oxcopt during periods of mouriilug for relatives. On the fortieth day tho baby.s head is shaved. This operation is considered u very important one. anil thirty or forty persons nro witnesses of it, for tho performance of certain rites. Tho dltposal of tho first hair is regarded re-garded as a very weighty mailer; It must not bo burned or carelessly thrown away, but bulled, thrown (uto tho sen, or hidden in some crevico of a wall. I Several charms nro attached to its body for protection against tho "ovil eye," boys wearing tlium to n certain ngo, nnd girls still longer, Tho favorite favor-ite charm consists of a gold or silver locket worn ou a chain. |