Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1865-07-20
M Scellanv.
Turkish Contrasts.

Turkey is rich to overflowing; the pop
ulation meek in all the poverty of Incidence.
The loveliness Of every landscape is broken
by the most hideous public misery The
climate is fine, for the air is fresh and soft :;
the temperature generally moderate. 1t is
bad, because it is both cold and wet, foggy
and rainy.
The Turk proverbially loves his ease I,
yet he lives in the most inconvenicnt man
ner. He smokes his chiboque or nargilly
on sofas without backs; he uses his knees
for writing desk, and the floor for din
ner-tahe. He is fond Of riding, and has no
roads He is fond of visiting his friends
ID state, but has no carriage f; his streets
are neither named or numbered. Turks
are both clean and dirty. They arc always
dabbling with water, bat they eat with
their hands; they heap intolerabe gai bage
before their DOORS leave dogs to DO the Of
ice Of scayengers, and allow dead carcases
to putrefy beneath the windows of their
palaces They are Doth quick and slow in
business, for they have few formalitieS; vet
they have always got a score ofoppo>ng in
terests IN everything. They NJ eleet the
most important affairs in endeavoi ing to
satisfy every body On some occasions, ana
jump at conclusions with Simplicity and
good faith almost affecting, upon Others.
The Turk wives are 50 mutil.d mp that
they cannot see where they are walking
and th,y roll about like barrels, from tie
length of tier dresses and The largens IS of
their shoes lie wells and mprisons yet
allows them to 90 whore tn y please in
accompanied. Tujk> are never Sc n in put
lie win their wives. On the one hand they
appear to consider ladies as Natures
choice: handiwork; for they can magineno
present more grateful to the Sulta on the
great festival Of the baram, than young
maiden. On the other hand, they DENY
women any place or influence in society
and, while .hey refuse them a soul, insist
that they shall be transported bodily to
paradise. In Turkey girl seldom brings
portion TO her husband but the husband
pays a sum Of money to her parents
Turkish women are lively, eoSs;ping, rest
less; the men are calm, tacturn, and apa
thetic. A Turk considers it shameful to
look at lady passing him. He never suf-
fers the name Of wife to pass his lips, and
would consider it an insult if you asked
after her health. Yet he is a poygamst,
and has children by his slaves.
The Ottoman is compassionate and cruel
He will leave legacy to horse, and sup
port an army of beggars; but he would
roast Christian With great zest, and basti-
nadoes his slaves without a qualm. He is
at once splendid and mean. Ostentatious
in servants, horses, pipe, sticks, and houses;
but his servants are i'll dressed, his horses
are worthless, his houses are kept in such
bad repair that the rain often comes into
his drawing room, and the pigeons build in
the hall OF audience of his sutanS. He al
ways reminds strangers of the Hungarian
nobemen, who have but one spur Moth
ing about him is complete A saddle of
cloth Of gold will be girt about his steed
with an old rope; and, while the mouth
piece Of his pipe may be worth five hun
dred pounds, the bowl is not worth half
penny. He is democrat, though he lives
under government nominally despotic.-
He is a democrat because he can hardly
understand any real difference of ranks in
country where the whim of the prince has
often made a minister Of coffee boy or a
water-carrier. Most governments are sup
posed to examine affairs with some view to
their settlement; at the Porte they are
usually investigated with view of avoid
ing it. In other countries promotion is
slow, and business is managed comparative
ly quickly. In Turkey business is con
Quoted slowly, and promotion granted
quickly Elsewhere, thanks are usually re
turned for present: in Turkey it is Gus
tomary to thank the receiver. 4 guest in
vited to dinner is also thanked for coming.
In Turkey supcriors salute interiors :
elsewhere the reverse is the fashion. In
Europe we uncover our heads as a mark of
respect in Turkey people take off their
shoes to show Difference. 4 Turk is brief
of speech, and seldom exaggerates but he
is amused by interminable stories, and the
most improbable freaks of Imagination. He
suffers evils without complaint because he
says they are written on the book of fate,
and he considers them as part of the scheme