ese women go? Chiefly to the bath, where they spend much
of their time drinking coffee and smoking. There too they try to make
themselves handsome by blackening their eyebrows and dyeing their hair.
Sometimes the ladies walk to the burial-grounds, and wander about for
hours among the graves. When they are at home they employ themselves in
making pillau and sherbet. Pillau is made of rice and butter; sherbet is
made of juice mixed with water.

The ladies have a sitting-room to themselves. One side of it is all
lattice-work, and this makes it cool. At night they spread their carpets
on the floor to sleep upon, and in the day they keep them in a
lumber-room.

PERSIAN INNS.--They are very uncomfortable places. There are a great many
small cells made of mud, built all round a large court. These cells are
quite empty, and paved with stone. The only comfortable room is over the
door-way of the court, and the first travellers who arrive are sure to
settle in the room over the door-way.

Once an English traveller arrived at a Persian inn with his two servants.
All three were very ill and in great pain, from having travelled far over
burning plains and steep mountains.

But as the room over the door-way was occupied, they were forced to go
into a little cold damp cell. As there was no door to the cell, they hung
up a rag to keep out the chilling night air, and they placed a pan of
coals in the midst. Many Persians came and peeped into the cell; and
seeing the sick men looking miserable as they lay on their carpets, the
unfeeling creatures laughed at them, and no one would help them or give
them anything to eat. The travellers bought some bread and grapes at the
bazaar, but these were not fit food for sick men, but it was all they
could get. At last a Persian merchant heard of their distress; and he
came to see them every day, bringing them warm milk and wholesome food:
when they were well enough to be moved, he took them to his own house,
and nursed them with the greatest care.

Who was this kind merchant? Not a Mahomedan, but of the religion of the
fire worshippers, or Parsees. Was he not like the good Samaritan of whom
we read in the New Testament? O that Bahram, the merchant, might know the
true God!

PILGRIMS AND BEGGARS.--Very often you may see a large company of Pilgrims
some on foot, and some mounted on camels, horses, and asses. They are
returning from Mecca, the birth-place of Mahomet. What good have they got
by t