and other ladies of note...

The talk turns to the health of His Majesty, and to the length of his stay in the capital, and Her Majesty replies, her voice full of majesty and dignity:

— Faisal is very happy to be back in Baghdad, for he is deeply attached to the people, and he spends most of his time visiting the provinces and looking into the people's affairs...

One of those present asks: — May your visit be a long one, Madam.

Her Majesty answers: — We may stay a few days beyond the second of May, Faisal's birthday. — And when will His Majesty the King finish his studies? — He will finish his studies in two years, and he will be very happy indeed to return to Baghdad for good...

•

And we leave the Palace of Flowers for the Rihab Palace, the residence of His Royal Highness Emir Abdullah, under a powerful impression of admiration and esteem...

... Most of the ladies who had the honor of visiting the Palace of Flowers had preceded us in visit-ing the Rihab Palace, where His Royal Highness Emir Abdullah and his family reside... That day was a day of official reception...

... The atmosphere of the salon was Eastern, restful to the eye; dark colors prevailed in it, and its walls were adorned with famous oil paintings... At the head sat Her Majesty Queen Nafisa, mother of His Highness the Emir, a dignified lady in her sixth decade. Beside her sat her daughter, Princess Badia, a young woman fair of skin and black of hair, possessed of no small beauty... Then Princess Faiza al-Tarabulsi, consort of His Highness Emir Abdullah, dark, elegant, and quick-witted, as most Egyptian women are...

Here in this salon the conver-sation takes an unofficial turn; the visitors discuss freely and comment on the matter at hand with a touch of wit...

Another thing caught my atten-tion in both palaces alike: that the

upper class in Iraq always shifts into Turkish for conversation, as Lebanese women do into French... Yet I do not think this phenome-non among Iraqi women is rooted in the rising generation, as it is with us in Lebanon...

The conversation takes a nat-ural course, and touches on criticism of social life in Iraq; Princess Badia puts a ques-tion to Mrs. Maida al-Haydari Mahmoud, saying:

— We never heard, Maida — what did you give birth to? — Mrs. Maida answers her: — A girl. — And did you want a boy? — Yes, I wanted a boy! (laughter) — And why this preference, when you already have a boy?

— Because the girl in Iraq is still limited in her freedom, and the traditions still bind her, and because of these bonds she is not happy... We, the mothers of this generation, seek for our daugh-ters the happiness that our sons obtain, but we shall not be able to achieve it, because we cannot give our daughters more freedom than our mothers gave us — and that is little, and does not satisfy...

Her Majesty Queen Nafisa nods her head in agreement with Mrs. Maida's words, and the visitors begin to comment on this subject — some of it in Turkish, which I did not understand, and some of it very droll indeed. Its heroine was the lady wife of Dr. Jalal al-Azzawi, who objected to Mrs. Maida, saying:

— The life of the girl in Iraq has developed broadly in recent years, and it has become possible for her at least to voice her opinion about her life partner and say: I want him, or I do not want him! And mixed higher education has taken strides that go on widening day by day...

Mrs. Azzawi is asked how her own marriage came about, and she tells a story that is perhaps among the drollest I have heard on this subject — for Dr. Jalal al-Azzawi is one of the drollest personalities in Iraq, and his humorous stories are on every tongue; and his lady wife

has acquired from him the gift of telling these stories in a captivating style, which set all those present laughing and asking for more.

And we left the Rihab Palace under this impression...

Kewtik

Nail polish is one thing, and Kewtik is another.

Kewtik is the latest medical product of American art; it keeps the nails soft and elegant, and we shall see it the idol of all the stars of Hollywood.

Kewtik (Finish Aid) nourishes, strengthens, and protects the nails.

Kewtik (Oil Trim) cleans away the ridges of skin around the nails and the manicure stains on the fingers.

Easy to use, its effect wondrous and sure — and trial is the greatest proof.

Ask for it at pharmacies, beauty salons, and the well-known toiletry shops.

kewtik