RESPECTING MARRIAGE AND WOMEN. 173 



cannot manage more than one? Can you not 

 lock them up to keep tliem out of mischief?" 

 "Bah! bah!" said he, shaking his head; "the 

 women will get into mischief, do what you will ; 

 besides, I cannot afford to keep another wife ; I 

 have not got the money to buy one." " What ! do 

 you go to the bazaar and purchase your wife?" 

 "Yes," said he; " I go to a father and tell him I will 

 give him so much for his daughter : if we agree, I 

 take her as my wife ; and if we do not agree, then I 

 go to another." " But can you get a wife no other 

 way ? " " No, how should I ? I must buy her of 

 her father." " Well, how much did you give for 

 the wife you now have ?" " Three or four hundred 

 piastres " (or about three or four pounds sterling). 

 "Can your wife read and write ?" " Mashallah ! 

 no, let her do as her husband bids her, and mend 

 his clothes." " But why should she not read and 

 write; she would be useful to you in keeping 

 house?" And then we tried to explain to him that 

 she might save him a great deal of trouble, if he 

 had confidence in her, by reading and writing. 

 " NOf no, no, no,'^ said he, with horror and sus- 

 picion most legibly depicted on his countenance ; 

 " if my wife could write, she would be writing 



