Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1857-11-13
OLD SERIES,
MIS S G. H. LII A n Y .
A Night in q Harem.

canyan EiTcndi, upon tho subject Of tho
" lIarcm, which We copy in part, rs
matter Of novelty and interest 10 outsiders.
Ilarems cIis, in America, says Mr.. Os.
canyan, precisely the same rs they do in
Turkey, that is TO say, the common West
ern idea Of Eastern harcms has no iounda-
ton whatever in fact. So all our notions
Of the glorious time which Plchas aud ma.
bobs are supposed to have, arr upset in a
breath. The word /" Ilarem " does not
mean polycamy, for the Christian subjects
Of the Porto usn the word too, and yet pos.
scss but one wife. Ilarcm j. merely the
Turkish Tor home o. toy,r :ulni'sJ; and,
flr all that W. can $50 10 the contrary,
might belong 10 a bachelor, were Il not that
In Eastern climcs " useless men do not
louri,h. lor certainly. Turks agrcc with
oliver Goldsmith, that " hc who marrios
carly and brings up large family, docs
mor service 10 hi- country than he who
CONTINUES single aud talks only or popula-
ton" Tho two holy cities or Mecca aud
Medina ar spoken Of ~ harrms, in the same
way A. the Christian call. heaven his homo
tho oriental would -ay "hcl,rn !. my ha-
rrm. without any reference to the several
-,orr Of black eyed houri. which the proph.
ct has promised To the faithful Whom the
American minister arrives az Constantiu,plc
should be trins hi. family with him, thr
Hon. Mr. : and - !, announced, " with
hi. harym.'
Tho upper part of the house, which W.
style the ladies' apartments, j. kept fr tho
female .rN alone, and bars the mystic name.
The ladies cabin in our ferry boats, would.
ia Turkey, h' disuiarl with the title. ha-
rem. Your MD-Icm 3. ~ fearful of scandal
that ho never permit, the female member.
of biz household a. b, s,gn abroad unveiled,
nor wDuIl the ladies thcm.clyct consent o.
10, f1r according % tho .lrcturcr's account.
thryar, even more lashlul and prudi-h than
boarding school miss \ Turkish woman
would D. A. cuufoundc,l, it caught without
her veal, a, au American surprised rn tuilot-
o. d. mutt. The dear creatures walk thr
,tra,t, alone, their husbands not even rrrr.-
uizIus thrm, IL they mrrt, and thcr, j.. up
iar ol insult, ior the Ias,srs hy would r.u-
I.r them succar at an times Wor b, q,
any man Who grt' int, di.pli' with them.
tor ihe tongue 3, ever ready a' hcr.) and
ihc slipper isa slrc moan, ofat,ack.
The hr.s years u girl, lil, arrpas.ci
with men auI women Unfortunately
during that timc ,ho attend, the public
school, or studio, at home. but arrived at
eight year, Of asc, sho enters the hnrrm ani
no longer appears In public unveiled Ei.
ucatlon /. on q ,cry low scale aui un.yste-
matte, consequently "a, women nr, mcro
oygrsrowu srrI.. They have the same loyo
of drc-s which charlctcrIlcs their sex the
Wild, world over. and the f,shipn is con.
.antIy changing - that their husbands are
no b1t,ar on, momcnnrily, than the poor
fellows in ,ne West.
An European or American j. astoui,hrl
at finding M sleeping apartments in che
Turkish houses. Bedding Is put cut Of sight
during the day, bat at the hour of rr-t ii i
brought forth and spread On thr door OF amy
one of the r,om. most convenient Western
manners are creeping in, however, and
bringing lurnitarc along, >, that ia somo
houses, chairs, sofas, and even bsIstclI, are
beginning u make appearance. The lee.
turrr went on 20 state that " hrcm' 30 mean:
an a.,emblagc Of women, bat not ~ any
mean, Of such women as were generally sup
posed. True P,lys,my exists, but J., i ia't
dying out, aud very few now possess more
than uns wifc. MAhomct louni the tribes
VI Western Asia living in the mos, multi
plcI state OF concubinag', and cnlaynrsl
70 reform the cyrl by directing that no man
should hayc more than four wives, except
the Prophet anl Ms Successors, who might
&c see that and ~ three better The pres.
cn, Sultan has five, each one ruling over
separate and distinct household, for JEALOUSY
exists there the same ~ with us, and proiu-
ccs similar results. Pctticoat government,
" Caudlc lectures" sc. flourish, and Tur.
ki,h women grt their own way, II they wan;
it, anil what woman docs not!
Marriage in Turkey Is civil contract,
not religious ceremony or sacrament. \
man buy. pig in poke when he marrirs
in the East, for ho does not SEQ his VIII, BE-
fore marriage, but doe. all the cour,ins with
the lady's father. The prcliminirics ar.
ranged. he enters the chamber Of the bride,
and end, her on the sofa, yciei The fol-
lowing conyeration, or something like IL,
cnsucs "May I be guilty Of the gross in
discretion OF liluns your vcl?" and The
maiden oi course replies Not my will but
thine DO done" The ice is broken, and
there is no necessity Of our pursuing the
suhi,ct further, except that the husband
follows the bride TO her new home, and the
same results obtain in Turkey as elsewhere
Divorce is easily obtained, and, as it i
feared, the women get all they can out Of
the mon, and lay il up in store against an
cyll day Iniauticidc is very frequent, and
LEGITIMACY is unknown in consequence.
The lecturer stated that women in Tur.
key are treated a- the mates Of men, not as
the mere subject, Of his will. and tha, no
belief exists there in relation to their ros-