Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1851-12-17
An ambitious Priest, Children. sc

We find in a Constantinop!c correspondent Of
the New York Tribune. some remarks upon the
life of the higher classes in Turkey, which, al
though not altogether new, will be found inte-
resting. The description is so graphic as to
print deep in the memory;
81 went, some time ago. to visit the very old
and venerable Mufi, "a sort of Mahommedan
bishop who enjoys the public esteem and re-
spect. l found him. indeed, fine and pleas
sing old man, rather bent down from age, but
smiling benevolently and talking affably to all
his fine transparent blue eyes, his white flow
ting beard, his large snow white turban, his
scarlet robe, ell were imposing, felt quite
inclined to ike the old gentleman, who had no
superstition in his religion and acknowledged
with perfect simplicity and good temper that
he did not follow the rigid prescriptions of the
Ramazan, (Mahommedan Lent but deemed ii
as well 10 give little money to the poor, and
to cat whatever his exhausted nature required
When first entered his drawing room, saw
a little girl of about six or seven years standing
by his side and leaning upon him in very ia
miiar way. Thought at first it was his grand
| daughter, but knowing the habits Of my East
err hosts, SAID, as cahdidIy as could;
"ls that your daughter, sr?"
"Yes, it is, he replied, and this boy .(pont
ing to a baby just entering the room, is my son,
and have still younger one
"Ah" said l, 4 am sure you have many
MANY interrupted the old man, shaking
with laughter; so many that don't know the
number
"Then one of his followers, a sort of body
guard, took up the thread of conversation, ad-
ding with hearty laugh:
ooh. he has children everywhere; here at
STEAMBOAT, at Bagdad, at Damascus, at Aleppo,
in every town and village of Asia Minor and
Cham. Sometimes they come to see him, or
send him greeting, but if they don't inform
him they are of his own blood, it is impossible
for him to know it--they are so many
"But SO many children must have many mo-
| thersT
| "Oh dear, yes answered the old saint very
many. Let me see-Hassan help me OUT and
| the two began to look at the ceiling,as one does
when immersed in distracted and complicated
calculations; five, six, eight; yes, think had
eight wives
"All at once? ? exclaimed I.
No, only six; the other two died before
took the two last. But all my children don't
come from my eight wives. God blessed my
house, and each one who entered it, added at
least one to the list of my children
"Thorgh accustomed to Turkish ways, i felt
rather astonished at this saint. this light of the
Church, this pillar Of the Faith l went on.
however, inquiring after the present state of his
family.
cat this moment, said he, Il have only one
wife left, and she is rather old
How old p
Thirty, perhaps, or thirty five
"(The old man was eighty or ninety.)
as she hapdsome?'
She was. but it is gone
"Do you think of taking anotherT
al dare say l shall What can do? NV
last boy is two years old
Il had an opportunity next day of seeing the
wife of the Multi, the old wife of thirty of the
= young husband of eighty. She was really 9
splendid Asiatc; too round, too fat, too heavy
and too much painted tor our notions of femak
elegance and beauty; but such as she was, she
seemed much too lovely for her lord But te
return TO the Pachas and other Mussulman Ri
chelieus and Lovelaees' Every one of then
must have one child year at least, and thi:
seems to be the sole affection with which they
are endowed Friendship, con)panionship, ara
unknown things for the followers of the Pro
phet. Where their interest or their pleasur.
calls them they go, but they know nothing O.
the heart felt satisfaction of living beside one
person, woman or man, who possesses our con
fidenee, and shares in our joys as well as in oul
sorrows. In his fellow beings each Mussuman
looks for himself; he understands sensations
but is perfectly unaware o: the existence Of
sentiment