'Through Persia on a side-saddle' [‎177] (210/360)

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ARABABAD AND SAGOTCH
177
I always thought highly of the courage and endurance
of the Persian ladies who undertook these pilgrimages,
especially when I remembered how grudgingly they are
admitted into Paradise.
From what I could gather, the after-life appears to be
arranged solely for the convenience of the men. These
latter pass an eternity of bliss in exquisite gardens, beside
running streams, surrounded by bands of houris of sur
passing beauty, who lull them to repose with enchanting
music. Nor are the creature comforts of the Faithful for
gotten. A certain wondrous tree sends its branches into
all their dwelling-places, each bough being laden with
the favourite dishes of the man to whom it offers itself, and
the believers can rest at will beside a broad river of milk.
Our sex can only attain to Paradise by extraordinary
virtue, and in one part of the Koran it is stated that the
Prophet was permitted a glance into hell, and observed
that the great majority of the victims writhing there in
torment were women !
No well-to-do Persian would care to eat food cooked
the day before, as a jinn or deeve might have looked at
it during the night and so rendered it evil; and for the
same reason youths are not allowed to sleep alone,
rich men usually paying a mollah to be with them
during the hours of darkness. I should not be surprised
if the evening meal had something to do with these
ghosts. It begins at 9 p.m. with much drinking of wine
and arrack, and eating of dried fruits, the dinner proper
not making its appearance till n p.m. or even mid
night, and the guests throw themselves on their re
spective divans to sleep, directly they have eaten the
last mouthful. Although Persians believe that it is a sin
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