ABSTRACT
Europeans travelling in Asia sometimes assert cheerfully that all is well with the Eastern woman, and that she would not change lots with her Western sister if she could, as she is thoroughly contented with things as they are. When, however, we come to look at the facts of the case, we shall find that the picture they compose is by no means one of roseate hue. “Woman is a calamity, but no house ought to be without this evil,” is a well-known saying, and sums up the opinion which Persians have of the “fair sex,” Saadi reflecting on their intellect by writing, “To consult women brings ruin to a man.”
