should heap upon the heads of our enemies. "Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." In adversity, a man ought to show himself proof against dishonesty. David and his men must have often been in great want; yet they did not take the sheep and property of Nabal, but were a shield to him by night and by day. And it was only when his wicked and evil temper burst forth, that David's anger rose against him, and he wished to punish him. It is our duty to be honest in all things, and at all hazards. We must be honest in things small and in things great. We must be just and upright in all our dealings. We may have privations, but the Lord will always provide, and will give His blessing to those who trust in Him. MANNERS AND CUSTOMS IN THE EAST. DEAR YOUNG Friends, You will, I dare say, like to know something of the ornaments which the Eastern women wear. And from the list given in the prophet Isaiah of those used by the Jewish women, you will not be surprised to hear that these are of various kinds. There are bracelets, anklets, necklaces, earrings, ornaments for the hair, and many which form a perfect head-dress. Rings are used in great numbers, and chains are likewise much worn. Many of these ornaments are of very curious form. There are some necklaces that look like spikes strung together. There are anklets so large and heavy, that they seem as if the object was to keep the feet down to the ground. Then you might see thousands of piastres (which is the coin of the country) strung and used in various ways. A string of these is sometimes worn around the forehead. A great number are strung and worn around the neck. They have also a kind of net-work called suffor. This is covered with these coins, and being fixed to the head-dress, it spreads over the shoulders, and falls down to the waist. A curious feature of this property-that is, the jewels and ornaments of the women-is, that they cannot be taken to pay the husband's debts. Perhaps a poor man in sent to prison because he owes a few piastres. His creditor sees thousands, it may be, glittering and jingling upon the headdress of his wife. But these cannot be touched. A great deal of dishonesty is practised in this way. The men will put away the money in the ornaments of their wives, and thus defraud those to whom they owe it. It is not peculiar to Eastern women to find, that they seek to improve their appearance by wearing gay flowers, painting their cheeks, and using dyes which are called kahl and henna. The kahl they put around their eyes and arch their eyebrows, and they stain their hands and feet with the henna. This is their fashion, and doubtless they think it is very fine. The married women are allowed to do much more in this way than those who are unmarried. The former, it is said, are even very particular about the washing of their faces. Men are employed to make up all the garments, whether they are used by men or women. But since they are made very large, it is never needful to have them fitted on. Let me now speak a little of the writing materials which you would meet with in the East. The prophets and men of old used to carry ink-horns; and even now some of these may be met with. But the usual writing apparatus has a metal or wooden tube. In this is kept the reed pens with which they write. On the top there is a cup or bulb of the same material, in which is placed the ink. This they wear in the girdle, so that a writer has always with him the means of writing letters and papers. Very strange is the way in which they write. They do not rest the paper upon a table, but simply hold it in the hands. Arabic and Hebrew are both written from the right to the left, and not, as in our language, from the left to the right. Thus it is from the right hand corner that they always begin to write a letter. There are people who make letter-writing their business, and to whom others go, in order to get their business and love-letters written. You might see a person sitting by one of these letterwriters, and telling him all that he would have him make known to his friend. These writers have a common way of beginning a letter. It is full of all sorts of compliments and fair words. And to show that they do not mean it, they will speak with equal fairness, whether they are writing to a friend or an enemy. A seal is usually worn, with which the letter is sealed. It is considered an insult to send a letter open, which must have been the case with Sanballat the Horonite. (Neh. vi. 5.) The seal generally bears the name of the person who sends the letter, and this is often the only means of knowing from whom the letter comes. It will be seen in these things, how the customs of the present time agree with those of which mention is made in the Bible. Let me, in conclusion, ask you to look out in your Bible the references to these things, so as to be able to answer some questions in our next number. Your sincere friend, THE EDITOR. QUESTIONS. XIX. When is the time of wheat harvest in the Holy Land? XX. XXI. At which of the plagues of Egypt did XXII. How was the wheat separated from the chaff? XXIII. In what parable of our Lord is wheat introduced? XXIV. To what is wheat likened ? Poetry. DEATH OF JOSIAH. JERUSALEM! Jerusalem! Behold your vanquished king; Then spare not, spare not of your tears, Since sceptreless his hand appears, And laurelless his brow. Jerusalem! Jerusalem! Who now shall fill the throne? Who wear the royal diadem Oh! weep for him who hath resigned Jerusalem! Jerusalem! The foe thy gates shall seize, Yet worship an unhallowed flame, Jerusalem! Jerusalem! Weep for the royal dead, Behold, thy monarch's slowly borne ANON. Printed at the Operative Jewish Converts' Institution, Palestine Place, Bethnal Green. |