Page:The Moslem World Vol XI.djvu/47

Rh or some such ejaculation as she looks at the little one, and this ejaculation is supposed to keep away the effects of the evil eye.

When the baby is a few weeks old she is taken by her mother, (if the mother is not one of those who are never allowed out of the house in day time) or by some woman friend, to visit the tomb of the patron saint of the town; or to the tomb or to the shrine of some other saint if the baby is being specially dedicated to any saint or order; and when she is a few months old, either she is taken to Dar Ettabeebat ("the missionaries' house") or the tabeebat is asked to come to her father's home that she may be vaccinated or "have the smallpox taken out of her," for her friends recognize that she must have one of three kinds of smallpox — "God's smallpox," i. e., smallpox — or "Ettabeebats smallpox," i. e., vaccination — or "bought smallpox," i. e. inoculation which is hardly practiced now but used to be done by the Jews who charged a certain sum of money for doing it. There are now also, in all parts of the French Protectorate, dispensaries where children can be vaccinated free.

Then when the little one (whom we will call Kinza) is about three years old she begins to attend "Dar El Maalama" (or the Mistress' House) where she is taught the special trade of the "mistress" who has been chosen to instruct her. The trade may be embroidery on linen, muslin or silk with the cross stitch which comes out the same on both sides; or it may be the more quickly worked "Eastern" embroidery, something like crewel work; or plain sewing; or lace making; or machine sewing; or fringe making; or slipper embroidery with gold thread; or the heavy gold embroidery of saddles, etc.; or the knotted silk work of coverings for reins and trappings for horses and mules; or preparing boards for book-binders; or, more rarely, reading and reciting the Koran and writing. There are not here as yet any schools opened by the French for native girls; the people are not desirous to have their girls taught to read or write; for, they say, "It is not good for women to know more than just what is necessary to enable them to pray." There