Behind the Veil in Persia and Turkish Arabia: An Account of an Englishwoman's Eight Years' Residence Amongst the Women of the EastHume-Griffith, M. E.
Philosophy
Behind the Veil in Persia and Turkish Arabia: An Account of an Englishwoman's Eight Years' Residence Amongst the Women of the East
Hume-Griffith, M. E.
Arabian Peninsula -- Social life and customs; Iran -- Social life and customs
But while there are many unhappy anderoons, yet as "the exception
proves the rule" in most cases so it does here. For I remember one
home in which two wives were living in apparent peace and happiness;
but here, again, there was reason for their unity, as neither of
them had any children, and so there was no cause for jealousy. Their
husband was an aristocratic old man of about seventy years of age,
and he had taken these two young wives to cheer his old age. He had a
little son by one of his many former wives, of whom he was passionately
fond, and this boy was very ill for some months, suffering from heart
disease. His two young wives nursed this boy day and night in a most
devoted manner, and apparently really loved the boy, and were very
sorry when he died. It was owing to this boy's illness that we had the
opportunity of spending two days in the anderoon of Khan Baba Khan,
and very pleasant and interesting days they were too. It was the
year that we were in Kerman, and we had just gone away for our summer
holiday to that lovely garden of Mahoon, when one day a very urgent
messenger came to my husband from Khan Baba Khan begging him to go
and see his boy, who was very ill. The old man had sent his carriage
for us, with instructions to his man to drive the doctor straight to
his garden, situated some sixteen miles on the other side of Kerman,
where the boy had been taken ill. As soon as we were ready we started
off, but could only reach Kerman that night, where we rested, and
the next day arrived at the garden of the Khan.
It was a very pretty garden, with plenty of trees and running water. On
our arrival we were ushered into the room prepared for us, and in
a few minutes the poor little invalid was brought in, and even then
he seemed to have the mark of death on his face; but he was a very
self-willed boy, and every one had to humour him in everything, as the
fits of temper which he indulged in were very dangerous for him in his
weak state of health. While the doctor was examining and prescribing
for the invalid in another room the two ladies came to see me, and
brought a very appetising dinner; chickens cooked to perfection and
pillaus formed the staple part of the meal. The ladies then retired,
and my husband and I thoroughly enjoyed our first meal taken together
in a Persian anderoon.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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