with her face uncovered, after she
was brought home with the usual ceremonies to my house, I
rejoiced to find that I had not been imposed upon in the
description of her person, which pleased me, and she was
perfectly agreeable to my inclination.

The next day after our wedding, when our dinner was served up,
which consisted of several dishes, I went into the room where the
cloth was laid, and not finding my wife there, ordered her to be
called. After making me wait a long time, she came. I dissembled
my impatience, we sat down, and I began with the rice, which I
took up as usual.

On the other hand, my wife, instead of using her hand as
everybody does, pulled a little case out of her pocket, and took
out of it a kind of bodkin, with which she picked up the rice,
and put it into her mouth, grain by grain.

Surprised at this manner of eating, I said to her, "Ameeneh,"
(which was her name,) "are you used to eat rice so in your
family, or do you do it because you are a little eater, or would
you count the grains, that you may not eat more at one time than
another? If you do it out of frugality, or to teach me not to be
extravagant, you have no reason to fear, as I can assure you we
shall not ruin ourselves that way. We have, God be thanked!
enough to live at our ease, without depriving ourselves of
necessaries. Do not restrain yourself, my dear Ameeneh, but eat
as you see me eat." The kind manner in which I made these
remonstrances might have produced some obliging answer; but she,
without saying a word, continued to eat as she had begun. At
last, to make me the more uneasy, she ate a grain of rice at
intervals only; and instead of eating any of the other meats with
me, she only now and then put some crumbs of bread into her
mouth, but not so much as a sparrow would have pecked.

I was much provoked at her obstinacy; but yet, to indulge and
excuse her, I imagined that she had not been used to eat with
men, before whom she might perhaps have been taught to restrain
herself; but at the same time thought she carried it too far out
of pure simplicity. I fancied again that she might have
breakfasted late, or that she might have a wish to eat alone, and
more at liberty. These considerations prevented me from saying
more to her then, to ruffle her temper, by shewing any sign of
dissatisfaction. After dinner I left her, but not with an air
that shewed any displeasure.

At supper, and the next day, and every time we ate tog