ffing. This consists in
swallowing after each full meal a few small sausage-shaped boluses
of flour, honey and butter, flavoured with anise-seed or something
similar. A few months of this treatment give a marvellous rotundity to
the figure, thus greatly increasing her charms in the native eye. But
of these the bridegroom will see nothing, if not surreptitiously, till
after the wedding, when she is brought to his house.

By that time formal documents of marriage will have been drawn up,
and signed by notaries before the kadi or judge, setting forth the
contract--with nothing in it about love or honour,--detailing every
article which the wife brings with her, including in many instances a
considerable portion of the household utensils. Notwithstanding all
this, she may be divorced by her husband simply saying, "I divorce
thee!" and though she may claim the return of all she brought, she
has no option but to go home again. He may repent and take her back a
first and a second time, but after he has put her away three times he
may not marry her again till after she has been wedded to some one
else and divorced. Theoretically she may get a divorce from him, but
practically this is a matter of great difficulty.

The legal expression employed for the nuptial tie is one which conveys
the idea of purchasing a field, to be put to what use the owner will,
according him complete control. This idea is borne out to the full,
and henceforward the woman lives for her lord, with no thought of
independence or self-assertion. If he is poor, all work too hard for
him that is not considered unwomanly falls to her share, hewing of
wood and drawing of water, grinding of corn and making of bread,
weaving and washing; but, strange to us, little sewing. When decidedly
_passee_, she saves him a donkey in carrying wood and charcoal and
grass to market, often bent nearly double under a load which she
cannot lift, which has to be bound on her back. Her feet are bare,
but her sturdy legs are at times encased in leather to ward off the
wayside thorns. No longer jealously covered, she and her unmarried
daughters trudge for many weary miles at dawn, her decidedly
better-off half and a son or two riding the family mule. From this it
is but a short step to helping the cow or donkey draw the plough, and
this step is sometimes taken.

Until a woman's good looks have quite disappeared, which
generally occurs about the time they become grandmothers--say
th