Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 142, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 June 1911 — ETIQUETTE OF THE PERSIANS [ARTICLE]

ETIQUETTE OF THE PERSIANS

They Observe Customs Strictly and Their 1 Pressures, Though Limited, •?- Are Usually Refined. The pleasures of the Persians are In the main refined. They havfe not many kinds of recreation. Conversation is one of their chief enjoyments. Although a large proportion of them can neither read nor write I think we must call .them an intellectual people. They are natural linguists and since their country is inhabited by many different races they are obliged to speak several different languages. It is not uncommon to find a man who scarcely knows his right hand from his left who can speak two or three languages fluently; to this number a man of any education whatever would add two or three more. There Is no caste among any of the races found in Persia. A son of Naslr-I-Din Shah’s butler became his prime minister; a peasant girl once became the first favorite of this same king's anderun because she lifted her veil as the king was passing through her native village and her beauty appealed to the royal fancy. But while there is no caste the Persians are in some ways.great sticklers for etiquette. The Zl-i-Sultan, the oldest and the most capable son of Nasir-l-Dln, could not succeed his father on the throne because his mother was not of royal birth. All social functions, moreover, are attended with the most rigid ceremonies and woe to the person who attempts to overstep the bounds which custom has prescribed for his rank. Some barbarous and some absurd customs of earlier times are passing away. One amusing custom of former years is now "almost If not Entirely abandoned. It was once a capital offence for a man to remain in any street through which the foyal"harem was passing. Outriders loudly announced the approach of the ladles and the men hurried down side streets, into shops or houses, or into any other place of safety that they could find. Any man so unfortunate as not to be able to make his escape turned his face to the wall. An eccentric European several years ago met the royal harem unexpectedly in the street; turned his face to the wall, like a native, and as each carriage passed, deliberately bowed backward. This greatly amused the ladles and they told the shah of it. Npw Nasir-i-Din never lost an opportunity to get what amusement there is to be got out of life, so he sent for this man, made him repeat his salutes and, after laughing heartily, gave him a handsome present.—Mary A. Col, quhoun in Los Angeles Times.