Page:Wanderings of a Pilgrim Vol 1.djvu/483

 each other most cordially, and quarrel all day. The children, also, from their cradles are taught to hate the children of the other wives; nevertheless, the following extract proves, that she is considered a wife worthy of praise, who loves the offspring of her husband and another woman:—

"A woman may be married by four qualifications; one, on account of her money; another, on account of the nobility of her pedigree; another, on account of her beauty; the fourth, on account of her faith: therefore, look out for a religious woman; but if you do it from any other consideration, may your hands be rubbed in dirt."—"The world and all things in it are valuable; but the most valuable thing in the world is a virtuous woman."—"The best women, that ride on camels, I mean the women of Arabia, are the virtuous of the Koreish; they are the most affectionate to infants, whether they be their own or their husband's by other women; and they are the most careful of their husband's property." The proverb is at variance with the opinion of the prophet, since the former asserts, "A contemporary wife may be good, but her child is bad ." As the means of power over their husbands, native women value their children very much, and are miserable if they have none.

A zenāna is a place of intrigue, and those who live within four walls cannot pursue a straight path: how can it be otherwise, where so many conflicting passions are called forth? If a man make a present to one wife, he must make a similar offering to all the rest, to preserve peace and quietness. The wives must have separate houses or apartments; were it not so, they would agree as well as caged tigers. The kur'ān permits a Musalmān to have four wives; the proverb says, "The man is happy who has no she goat ." Atàa records, that the prophet had nine wives; and from Safíah, who was the last of them who died, he wished to be divorced; but she said, "Keep me with your wives, and do not divorce me, peradventure I may be of the number of your wives in paradise."