sembled to partake of it, including three beautiful little girls, the Consul's children, in a pretty costume, half European and half Oriental. A large dish of rice, boiled in butter, with pieces of fried meat imbedded in it, formed the staple dish. Vegetable marrows, filled with mince-meat and spices in place of the seeds which had been scooped out; some excellent fish, minced meat and rice rolled up in vine leaves, and dressed like small sausages; a happy mélange of meat, tomatoes, pine seeds, butter, and eggs; followed by roast fowl and a good salad; and a dessert, composed of all the fruits that the garden of Yâfa could furnish, gave me a very favorable impression of the Summer resources of a town on the coast of Palestine.
At about midday, after this meal, nearly every one of the family sought rest, lounging on the divans or musketo-curtained beds, to smoke or to sleep.
When the sultry hour of noon had passed, Mrs. Kayat invited me to go with her to see her cousin, Sit Leah, and her newly-born infant son. The ladies were soon ready for the walk, for the universal outdoor dress is very simple. A soft muslin vail, about a yard square, of showy pattern and many colors, is thrown over the head and face. A scarf or shawl girdle is fastened round the waist, and then a fine calico sheet, about two yards or more square, is put on like a cloak, but drawn up high over the head, and folded neatly on the forehead, brought under the chin, crossed over the breast, and, overlapping down the front, hides the dress entirely. It is tucked into the girdle in front, so as to lift it about three inches from the ground at the back it is allowed to fall quite smoothly in a straight line to the heels. The hands are kept inside and hold the sheet, so that only the colored mask of muslin over the face is visible. No individual could be recognized in this disguise, except by some peculiarity in the manner of walking or singularity of figure. Yellow or red shoes, turned up at the toes, complete the costume.
My readers may easily imitate this costume with a sheet
