ied Mrs. Thurston, "strictly means women's
apartment, but as it is generally used by us it means the houses of the
high caste gentlemen, where their wives live in great seclusion. These
high caste women very seldom go out, except occasionally to worship at
some temple. They live, as we would say, at the back of the house, their
windows never facing the street. Sometimes they have beautiful gardens
and pleasant rooms, but often it is just the other way. They have few
visitors and no male visitors at all, never seeing even their own
brothers. The low caste women, though they lack many privileges the
others have, yet have more freedom and are not secluded in this way."

"I'd rather be low caste," said Marty.

"You wouldn't rather be either if you knew all about it," said Miss
Fanny.

"In visiting the poorer people," Mrs. Thurston went on to say, "when I
was seen to enter a house the neighbors all around would flock in, so
that I could talk with several families at once. But in visiting a
zenana I only saw the inhabitants of that one house. To be sure there
was generally quite a crowd of them, for the rich gentlemen often have
several wives. Then there would be the daughters-in-law, for the sons
all bring their wives to their father's house. Then all these ladies
have female servants to wait on them and who are constantly present, so
altogether there would be quite a company."

"I suppose they would be glad to see you," suggested Mrs. Ashford.

"Oh, yes. They welcome any change, their lives are so dull."

"What do they do with themselves all day long?" inquired Miss Fanny. "I
suppose they don't work, as they have plenty of servants to do
everything for them. They don't shop or market or visit. They have no
lectures or concerts to attend. They are not educated, at least not
many of them; and even if they could read, they have no books. Oh, what
a life!"

"What do they do, Mrs. Thurston?" Marty asked.

"Well, they look over their clothes and jewels, spend a great deal of
time every day in being bathed in their luxurious way, and being
dressed. Then they lounge about, gossip, and quarrel a good deal, I
suspect. They are very fond of hearing what is going on, and the servant
who brings them the most news is the greatest favorite."

"And that's the way so many women have lived for centuries!" sighed
Ruth.

"Things are improving somewhat now," said Mrs. Thurston. "Education for
women is very much more thought of than