the desert, we have never met with more pleasing, gentlemanly manners
than those of this young Arab.

One afternoon he invited me to pay a visit to the ladies of his family.
These poor creatures are never allowed to go out except into their
high-walled garden, and no male eyes but those of near relatives are
ever allowed to gaze upon them. They do not even take their meals with
their husbands and sons, this being contrary to Arab ideas of propriety.
Thus, while they have no outdoor life, they have no indoor social life
either. There is nothing for them but to be drudges and mothers, to bear
and to bring up children. It is therefore not surprising that the first
question Arab women ask is, "Have you any children?" or that they should
entertain the profoundest pity for those of their sisterhood who are not
thus blessed. To them motherhood is the one thing worth living for: all
else is denied to them by the barbarous customs of their country.

In the course of our travels we have met with one educated Arab lady,
and, singular to say, both she and her husband objected to educating
their daughters. Probably she felt that in the life to which she was by
Arab custom condemned education did not add to her own happiness--that
it was fitted, indeed, only to raise aspirations and desires which could
never be realized.

The house of the caid was clean and airy, and characterized by a certain
barbaric taste. There were arms suspended upon the walls, Persian rugs
laid upon the floors and divans placed around the rooms. The large
garden was pleasant, being beautifully shaded by palms and orange and
lemon trees. In it there was a summer-house, where it was the custom of
the gentlemen of the family to dine and take their coffee. Everywhere
there was an air of wealth and comfort, but yet to an English eye there
was a want of neatness and trimness in all the arrangements, both of
house and garden.

I saw only one of the ladies, the wife of the caid, the last survivor
out of some five or six. She was elderly and not beautiful, her dress
gay rather than tasteful, and upon the whole less rich than I expected,
considering the immense wealth of her husband. We were assured he
possessed four thousand camels, besides boundless wealth in date-palms,
etc. Through my young Arab friend, who acted as interpreter, she told me
I was welcome, and then as soon as we were seated she began an
examination of my dress and ornaments. She seemed, indeed, i