Page:Islam, Turkey, and Armenia, and How They Happened.djvu/158

152 them speaking very clearly and loud, sometimes laughing, sometimes cursing and very often gossiping. When they meet one or more pretty Armenian young people they seldom fail to say, "May plague strike your body," or if they meet a Christian funeral processing, "May Allah cause you all to perish at once," or call loud to the neighbor's wife, "O, Emineh! look this way, a giaour's corpse is going; may all of them have the same destiny by allah," and the other responds, "Amen!" During any uprising against the Christians Turkish women are very happy and always shout and urge the men to slaughter.

5. The Titles, and Common Sayings about Women. When you meet with a friend you can never ask about the condition of the women in his house unless you have close relationship with the family; then you must say, "How is the household?" or most intimately, "How is my sister?" or my aunt Emineh?" And he replies, "They kiss your hand." If a man speaks about his wife before others, he never says "My wife" or "Mrs. so and so," but "the people of the house," "your maid-servant," "ash carrier," "sweeper of the house," "the mother of the children," "your sister," etc. A woman is called after her father's name, even if she be married.

Some Turkish proverbs may better show their idea about women: "Woman is a deficient creature." "Woman has long hair, but short mind." "Obey a woman's word but one in forty." "Whip must not