medicine
and then its opposite, and then he summons other doctors and consults
his relatives. Then all the old women of the neighborhood take him in
hand and set at naught all that the doctors have advised, give him
medicines of whose properties they are wholly ignorant, and thus they
hasten the final departure of their friend on his long last journey. And
if he should die, the whole population of the town assembles at once at
the house and the relatives, friends, and people from other villages
come thronging in. They fill the house with their screams and wails of
mourning. They recount the virtues of the departed with groans and
shrieks, and lamentations in measured stanzas. This all resembles the
customs of the old Greeks and Romans who hired male and female mourners
to do their weeping for them. After this, they proceed at once to bear
the corpse to the grave, without one thought as to proving whether there
be yet life remaining or not, not leaving it even twelve hours, and
never twenty-four hours. It is well known that this custom is most
brutal and perilous, for they may suppose a living man to be dead, and
bury him alive, as has, no doubt, often been done. Immediately after the
burial, the crowd return to the house of the deceased, where a sumptuous
table awaits them, and all the relatives, friends, and strangers eat
their fill. After eight days, the wailing, assembling, crowding, and
eating are repeated, for the consolation of the distracted relatives.
And these crowds and turbulent proceedings occur, not simply at Syrian
funerals, but also at marriages and births, in case the child born is a
_boy_, for the Syrians are fond of exhibiting their joy and sorrow. But
it should be remembered, that just as in civilized lands, all these
demonstrations of joy and sorrow are tempered by moderation and wisdom,
and subdued by silent acquiescence in the Divine will, so in uncivilized
lands, they are the occasion for giving the loose rein to passion and
tumult and violent emotion. How much in conformity with true faith in
God, and religious principle, is the quiet, well-ordered and moderate
course of procedure among civilized nations!

"So in former times, the man was everywhere the absolute tyrant of the
family. The wife was the slave, never to be seen by others. And if, in
conversation, it became necessary to mention her name, it would be by
saying this was done by my wife 'ajellak Allah.' But now, there is a
change, and w