Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1857-11-13

4 :
speak % the believing women that they
restrain their eyes, and reserve theii
modesty, and discover not their orna.
ments, (personal charms. except whal
necessarily appeareth thereof; and lei
them throw their wells over their bosoms,
and not show their ornaments, unless to
their Husbands or their fathers. or their
husbands fathers. or their sons, or their
husbands sons. or their brothers'so sons. OF
unto such as attend them and have no
need of women, or unto, children who
distinguish not the nakedness of men"
Sapposing then society were on a diff
fereht basis, according TO theSetenets wo.
men would be perpetuaIly veiIed, and the
men ever wandering with averLed eyes.
In order to remedy these evils, and to ia
cilitate their seclusion, the houses are all
divided into two sets of apartments; the
selamluk, or mems apartment, and the
harem. or sanctuary Of the women. where
no men are allowed to enter, exceptthose
specified by the Prophet.
Now, it is evident that the principle
upon which society is constructed in the
East is the careful seclusion of women
from the gaze of the world.
The peculiar charm Of modesty is
known and acknowledged all over the
world. as the domestic arrangements OF
civilized society every where demonstrate.
The Greeks Of Homer's day had their
gunaikeion. the Romans. in imitation,
their Gyneceum, and modern civilization
has created its 6oudoir; but none Of these
terms are as expressive Of the sanctity OF
the abode as the word Harem Oft Oil
entails.
It is well known that the cities Of Nee.
ca and Medina are the holy shrines Of
the Mohammedan faith. No other ap,
pellative is use in speaking Of them but
the same word Harem. which. when used
in the plural, in itself comprises these
venerated cities. They say. Had. ul
Haremein. or pilgrim OF the Two harems.
meaning the holy Mecca and Medina
This word is applied TO the tenn ,,le itself
at Mecca. which is honored by the title
of Mesiad ell. Harem, the,sacred or invio-
labl temple.
Thus some idea may be formed Of the
etymology Of the OF the term and its sa-
cred Specification, when used by the
Arabs and other Orientals to designate
their 6reeides or family homes: the sanc>
tlLy Of which admits of no intrusion, but
any summons or interruption TO the mas
ter of the family after he has once retired
is considered indecorous.
Mohammed received a revelation re-
garding himself while he was enganed in
his harem preparing the Koran.
Some persons had the rudeness to call
him OUT. In order TO reprove them aed
like sinners in all times TO come, the fol.
lowing passage was revealed:
"The interior Of my dwelling is a sane
tuary; theyrwho violate il byacalling unto
thee are deficient in the respect which
they owe to the interpreter of heaven"
This passage has not only rendered
the interior Of the dwelling. viz: the ha-
rem. an inviolable asylum 10 the female
portion Of the family, but it has made it
a convenient place of refuge to pashas
and effendis. where they often seek re-
pose from the multitude of unwelcome
visitors who infest, with perfect freedom,
and at all hours, their selamluks.
The frequent visits Of the Osmanlis to
their harems are not always indications
Of the attractions within, but other exter-
nal motives may impel them thither; me-
yertheless. the inviolability of these pre-
cincts has induced the sppposi,ion that
they contained naught but The shrine Of
the fair Goddess of Beauty and her SLY
coadjutor.
The upper part Of house in America.
or those rooms appropriated to the exclu-
sive use of the ladies. are as sacred and
inviolable as any Oriental harem, and a, e
not, as a matter of course, supposed to
be the scenes Of mystery and intrigue
Indeed, il is fully evidepb that the same
spirit OF Difference 10 the comfort of the
fair sex exists in America, where is seen
over one Of the principal entrances 10 the
general post. Office. The announcement,
" Exclusively for Ladies" which in Tur-
key would be intimated by the single and
expressive word Harem.
Again, the "Ladies' Cabin" on board
the steamers would, in the East, be des-
ignated by the word Harem, written in
golden characters, which would at once
indicate its sacred Nature. and inspire ev-
cry Oriental with the respect due TO her
sex, which is even more imperative in
that cline than other lands. where they
make. a glory and a boast Of their exces-
siye Difference 20 the fairer portion of the
community.
Hence how erroneous the impression.
thai the harem is sort Of female prison,
established by the tyranny of men. where
the weaker sex are forcibly shut up
against their will.
lfthe Osmanli ladies were under no
other restriction than their own sense OF
self>respect. based upon time-ballowed
usage. and inculcated by the precepts OF
their religion. it would compel them to
the same seciusion. l one day hsppeued
to be in the dressing.room of pasha. ad-
joining the harem, when he left the room
for a moment. In tha!interRal his dannh.