The New England magazine . buffalo to water from his donkey when meeting a Moslem inthe street; yet as a survival of the old regu-lation he wears a turban about the fez, andhis wife, concealed in her dark blue gownwhich is interwoven with silver, hides herface behind the horsehair, vizor-like more superstitious creature exists thanthe Bagdad Jew. Thirty-five years ago hewas excommunicated for sending his chil-dren to school, and when under the ban noone might feed him or give him work. Hiswife may not look into a mirror, nor sweep the floor, nor bring a saucepan into thehouse after dar
The New England magazine . buffalo to water from his donkey when meeting a Moslem inthe street; yet as a survival of the old regu-lation he wears a turban about the fez, andhis wife, concealed in her dark blue gownwhich is interwoven with silver, hides herface behind the horsehair, vizor-like more superstitious creature exists thanthe Bagdad Jew. Thirty-five years ago hewas excommunicated for sending his chil-dren to school, and when under the ban noone might feed him or give him work. Hiswife may not look into a mirror, nor sweep the floor, nor bring a saucepan into thehouse after dark. When her child dies sheforgets the Hebrew law and takes into thehousehold a pig to guard the other childrenfrom the evil eye; if the pig should die itsskin is used for their clothing. The Arabs of Bagdad are mostly Bed-ouins who have deserted their wanderinglife for the peace of the city. The menwear the Turkish fez or the head-dress ofthe desert, the long aba and the red, pointedshoes; the women tattoo their faces and. The tomb of Sheik Omar, one of the important shrines of Bagdad 184 NEW ENGLAND MAGAZINE sometimes their entire bodies with an in-tricate pattern of vines and flowers, dye theirnails with henna, and decorate their earsand noses with rings. It is now seldom thatthe young Arab noble, mounting his pure-blooded horse, joins his companions inraces and sports outside the city. Nolonger is his love for adventure so greatthat he loads his camels with merchandiseand crosses the desert, or embarks at theport of Busreh on a sailing-ship to the un-known parts of the world. The story-teller,it is true, sits in the cafe as of old, but hisstories attract only those who are fond oftheir lewdness. The same large white don-key from the far distant city of Hassa, withthe end of its tail and its forehead dyed withhenna, like the beards of the Persians, stillbrings the water from the river. The fish-erman wanders along the Tigris and, while calling upon Allah to help him, casts hi
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