Page 85 - Neglected Arabia Vol 1 (2)

1

f

Glimpses of Arab Home Life
Miss Racuki. Jackson
l
UST to visit around in the* homes of the women is so interesting for j
j us and presents such different points of contact than those of
almost two years ago. Then we arrived as tlie newest recruits with
two years of language study before us. The people and customs
were strange and the language even stranger so that our eyes did so
much more work in seeing things than our tongues did in telling them,
/\l that lime we were among I he objects of curiosity and discussion.
Now, circumstances have changed. We are no longer new but have
passed by the first milestone of language work and the second is !
looming closer on the horizon. In the places where we used to be
silent witnesses we can now he vocal ones. 'Die outlook is brighter
because these strangers are strange no longer but are our friends. The
little children recognize us on the street and are eager to greet us.
Opportunities are around us everywhere to come into closer contact !
and to make our friendship count.
Mach home presents such different scenes, some happv. Mime sad,
hut very few that are always happy. We visited one home of rejoicing
on the occasion of the return of the married daughter with two link-
girls from Bombay after several years’ absence. All the relatives were i
gathered to greet her and to do her honor. She too had looked forward
to this visit and to helping in the wedding festivities of her cousins
but there was some sadness in her cup of joy. The anxiety about the
three other children left in India, as well as her not too happy married
life kept from her the bright and happy look that the missionaries had
always associated with her. Now that she was home she was nut
given much freedom by her family as they were only willing for her to
visit relatives but not the missionaries. Bombay had not meant freedom
to her either; since she was a Moslem she was not at liberty to go
about, and having none of her own people near her she was homesick
for the scenes of her childhood.
One day we called to welcome back a friend who bad been away
for many months. W e were so glad to see her again as we had feared
that she might have shared the fate of many other partner wives, the
dreaded and hated divorce. A pile of stones placed against the dour
leading to the younger wife's apartment was a sign that they were nut
on speaking terms. At limes they unite against the husband but usually
jealousy keeps them apart. When we called on the younger wife she
was greatly interested in seeing us darn stockings. She produced a
pair of socks, desiring to know how to mend them as her husband
had adopted some western ways and strange duties fell to her. She
was amused at her new lesson and very proud when she could .weave
neatly and make a nice darn. Both the women are so attractive and yet
being forced into sharing their married life they make it a> difficult
as possible for each other.
One of the big houses quite near ours has a large upper room with
windows commanding a view of a great deal that happens in the