of Moslem morality and
is intensified by the whole basis of the marriage relationship.

Among the upper classes a girl does not often marry till about seventeen
years old, but a poorer man is glad to get his daughters off his hands
at a much earlier age, especially if he can obtain a good dowry in
payment. The girl goes through a form of acceptance, relying on the
representations of her relatives, which are often far from truthful. She
never sees her husband until the wedding day and then, no matter how
old, ugly, or repulsive the man may be, it is too late to refuse; no
wonder that mutual disappointment often ensues, deepening into strong
dislike, which produces constant friction, culminating in a violent
quarrel; as in the case of a young girl whom I knew, married to an old
man, and divorced a few years later through a quarrel over a pound of
meat.

[Illustration: DOROTHY AND FATIMAH]

The history of the two little girls in the accompanying photograph,
shows clearly the contrast between the life of an English and that of an
Arab child. It was taken about eight years ago at the birthday party of
my little niece, who had been allowed, as a treat, to invite a number of
Arab girls to tea, and was photographed with one who was about the same
age as herself. The one, Dorothy, is now thirteen years old and still a
happy, light-hearted schoolgirl, carefully sheltered from all knowledge
of evil. The other, Fatima, to-day, sits in her father's house,
divorced, desolate, and soured in temper by her hard fate. And, indeed,
her story makes one's heart ache.

Some few months ago she was married to a young man, who, though not yet
twenty, had already divorced his first wife. Still, Fatima's parents
considered that no drawback, since he was in prosperous circumstances
and willing to pay six hundred francs for the charming little bride. The
marriage festivities lasted a week, friends showered blessings upon the
bride and the bridegroom, who were mutually pleased with each other, and
all seemed to augur well for the future.

But, as in the old fairy story, no one had reckoned on the machinations
of the bad fairy who soon presented herself in the form of the girl's
grandmother. The old lady strongly objected to the match on the ground
that a slur was cast on the family by Fatima's being married before her
elder sister, Hanani, who was not so good-looking and had
consequently been passed over by the professional matchmakers. She vow