IN A HAREM COMPARTMENT

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16321, 10 January 1921, Page 9

IN A HAREM COMPARTMENT

(By AN ENGLISH GIRL.) CAIRO. Kipling's Ballad of Fast and West holds good no longer so far as Egypt is concerned, for here the two have Each first and second-class coach on the Egyptian State Railway has a compartment, called the harem, reserved for women. To-day I travelled in such a compartment and had opposite to me 11 remarkal.de example of the westernisation of the modern Egyptian woman - product, in mo*t cases, of our Eng-lish-staffed Government schools. I o bygm with, she was reading a French novel, which, though not necessarily a sign oT modern ideas, is at least proof of her having received education, ft, was her appearance which particularly astounded me. Kite wore the native black outdoor costume, but very far removed from Hie usual simple style. It was of crepe-de-chi ne, 2and 2Following the fashion now prevailing in London and Paris, it was heavily fringed and short enough, to show a very smart pair of grey silk stockings,and suede shoes. Instead of wearing her black headdress in a. straight lino just above and parallel with her eyebrows, she wore it at a most coquettish, angle, while the lost and finishing touch was a set of white fox Inc?. Being in Ihe harem, she had let down her yashmak, but 011 hearing the ticket-collector tap at the door she hurriedly replaced jL—to what purpose I faded to see, for At was more transparent than many a European wennau’s veil. She was accompanied by a black maid, and, when the train, stopped, a eunuch appeared as escort. The glass door of the harem carriage was opaque, and on it were written in pencil and otnmojis words “ Down England,” and underneath, “ Down Milner.’’ "Whether they were written by iny fellow-traveller before T got in l cannot snv, but as it is generally only Egyptian women who use Hie harem in the tram if is sale to assume that some native girl had done it. \\lmu an English and Egyptian woman find themselves face (o face, tby latter takes a childish interest in the. smallest details of the Kug’-ishwomair }* dress and manners, hut my vis-a-ris looked very, supercilious, and had an air of conscious superiority about her. Though slie was one of the most advanced T have, seen she is not an isolated case. The girls-are eager to copy us and flock* to the schools to learn western ideas from the English mistresses. They are not able entirely to discard the old customs of their eoiuitrv. so they keep the new and the old together, and the combination i*=» meet incongruous. Formerly the girl students pestled their Favourite mistresses with flowers. Tetters and preKents, bet when the spring Viols began (hey spat at those same mispresses.' refused to work, and even throw stones at them. 0 Like many of their menfolk, they have taken tbe opportunity of learning from the English, and now. with a veneer of civilisation and learning, they Ihink they are thoroughly modern and know* all that there is to know. A little learning is a dangerous thing. The malady from which manv of the Egyptians are suffering is swelled head.