ty of a divorce in the near future. How
can they hope for the growth of purity among their women, or wonder when
immorality and unchastity are discovered!

Frequent reference has been made to divorce. It is the weapon always at
hand when a man is dissatisfied. His law allows him to divorce his wife
twice and take her back, but if he divorce her the third time, he may
not take her back until she has been married to another man and divorced
by him. The ceremony is a simple one; repeating a formula three times in
the presence of a witness not a member of the household, and telling the
wife to go to her father.

A divorced wife must go back to her father's house, or to her brother if
her father is not living, or to her nearest relative. If she is
friendless then she has the right to go before the Mejlis or Court, and
state her case. She is asked if she wishes to marry again, and if so,
the Court must find a husband for her. If not, then the husband is made
to support her. If she returns to live with her friends, the husband has
to give her one penny halfpenny a day. If there are children under seven
they go with the mother. If they are older, they are allowed to choose
between mother and father. They are supported by the father.

The Mohammedans have a saying that when a woman marries she is never
sure that she will not be returned, scorned and insulted, to her
father's house the next day; nor, when she prepares a meal for her
husband, is she sure that she will be his wife long enough to eat of it
herself.

In conversation with a Mohammedan woman one day we were commenting on
the fact that a certain wealthy bridegroom had given directions to the
professional who was to adorn his bride for her marriage, not to
disfigure her face with the thick shining paste which is usually
considered (though very mistakenly) to enhance her charms. He was
reported to have said that he wished to see her face as God had made it.
I remarked that I thought it was very sensible and that I did not see
what was ever gained by disfiguring a face by plastering it with paint
and powders. The woman said: "But you do not understand! We do it so
that we may be beautiful in our husband's eyes, for if we are pale or
wrinkled they cease to love us and go to other women or else they
divorce us." It is very far from being "for better, for worse,--in
sickness, in health."

It is impossible to gather statistics as to the proportionate number of
divorces.