of courtesy to the wife of a sheikh, who, when
informed that the ladies she had admitted to her presence were
unmarried, manifested the liveliest surprise, and added that it was a
great shame. The girls laughingly pointed to Miss Bremer as being also a
spinster; whereupon their hostess threatened to withdraw, declaring
herself overwhelmed, and, indeed, almost scandalized by such a
revelation. However, on reaching the threshold she turned back, and
desired to know what had induced the European lady to remain unmarried.
The reasons given in reply must have been, we suppose, of a shocking
character, since she cut them short by a declaration that she did not
wish to hear such things spoken of.

To this example of the complete condition of moral dependence to which
even the wives of sheikhs are degraded, Miss Bremer adds another and not
less characteristic fact. She asked several young women, distinguished
by their eager and animated air, whether they had no desire to travel
and see Allah's beautiful earth.

"Oh no," they replied, "for women that would be a sin!"

Women bred in this state of mental and moral degradation can never play
an important part in the regeneration of the East.

A philosopher first, a poet after, and sometimes a painter, such is
Frederika Bremer. She does not often paint a picture, however; when she
does, it is brightly coloured, and its details are carefully elaborated;
but her skill is more favourably displayed in portraiture. Her palette
is not rich enough in glowing colours to reproduce fairly the warm
luxuriant landscapes of the East. For this reason she excels in a sketch
like the following, where she deals not with sky, and sea, and mountain,
but the humanity in those types of it which crowd the streets and lanes
of the Holy City:--

"The population of Jerusalem," she says, "I would divide into three
classes: the smokers, the criers, and the mutes or phantoms. The
first-named, forming in groups or bands, are seated outside the cafes
smoking, while youths in the pretty Greek costume hasten from one to
another with a wretched-looking coffee-pot and pour out the coffee--the
blacker it is the more highly it is esteemed--into very small cups.
With an air of keen satisfaction the smokers quaff it, drop by drop.
Frequently one of them delivers himself of a recital with very animated
gestures; the others listen attentively, but you seldom see them laugh.
In the cafe may often be heard the sound o