The Women of Egypt

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1914 edition. Excerpt: ...she replied, " Certainly, she did nothing. They never liked each other and could not get along, so he divorced her. She married again and is happy; my husband, I hope, is happy, and it is much better than living together hating each other." The husband may divorce the wife without any misbehaviour on her part, and without assigning any reason. A woman may have the judgment of divorce pronounced three times against her before it is necessary for her to leave her husband's house. The first time they may make peace without the Kadi's clerk, in the second they must have the assent of the oflicial religious man, and in the third the wife cannot return unless she be married to another man and divorced by him, when, if they wish, she may return as a new wife with a new betrothal and a new gift of money to her people. This third degree is rarely pronounced and then revoked, as the law is to enable the couple to think of the penalty and be cautious in exceeding the two-fold limit allowed. Often the man sends the wife away and does not finally divorce her, in so doing not allowing her to remarry. In that case she may go to the official and demand a divorce. Also in some marriage contracts it is stipulated that the wife has the right to divorce the husband for certain stated reasons. The Court is never consulted in questions of either marriage or divorce unless the parties refuse to agree to the arrangements. In every quarter of the city and in every village there is an official who gives certificates of divorce, the copies of which are kept in a Government register. A divorced wife must remain single three months before she may remarry, but a man may marry immediately. If the divorced couple have children, a girl stays with...