The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-09-18
Miscellany.
Turkish Women.

WHAT DR. BELLOWS THINKS OF THEM.
In his last letter to the Liberal Christian
DR.. Bellows writes as follows of the Turkish
women:
Crossing the ferry, we found at least five
hundred persons OF all nations and condl-
tions packed INTO the boat as close as they
could sit or stand. An after portion was
screened of for women and as it was res
tival, they were dressed out in fresh G .n
Bairam" costumes every woman III uinei-
ent CO 0red robe. In spite OF their seciusioh
and walls there was no trouble III seeiiS Iheih
or their faces. Their walls were OF very
transparent muslin, with a band round the
forehead met in theory by chn-piece in
folds which should cover all but the eyes,
But the opening was generally lett wide
enough for a fine pair OF eyes and a well
formed nose to show themselves, while the
palid delicacy of the Turkish woman's COM
plexion, and her delicate mouth and chin,
were not at all injuriously hid by her lace.
These Turkish ladies-tnr here and else
where, especially in the bazaars, we saw hun
dred' or thousands of them very different
from the common women we had seen in
Calfo ard DamascuS-were uniformly dress
ed with simple elegance, in apparently fresh
outfits IN honor OF the chief NJ Jslem festival
-ther Christmas, 1 suppose. They are
draped rather than dressed. their gown being
loose. flowing robe, over which mant
still more loosely hangs, robe and mantle uni
formly OF the same color. and the color un-
mixed. 4he teet in walking showed very
distinctly below the trousers, and often the
stockings were short like mems. French
boots are creeping in, but the majority wore
yellow 81 pers, sitting close to the feet
VITA an Cver-snOe, out of which they slip
their feet on long into the mosque or
house. We saw women in the Turk
III mo ha ma n floors.
down stars, as wei as up in The galleries
The colors worn are INFINITELY varied in shade
and I think inner than we see in Europe. The
stufs were fine merino, or silk and satin.
There was an appearance OF perfect neat
ness about most OF the women. They were,
as a rule, undenabiy handsome in features,
but with certain tendency TO corpulency.-
Their hands and ieet were small and delicate,
although the, do not seem TO value snallness
oil loot. heard very unIomantic critic say
their compilations reminded him too uniform
ly OF cold boiled chicken to be agreeable
There certainly is an aim st deatbly paleness,
which indicates want OF blood aud health. L
recolIect no color in any Turkish cheek, man
or woman. l suspect the Turkish cuisine is
one of sops and sweetmeats. The most con-
splcuous things on sale in the restaurants ale
great sheets OF bltnc-mange, which is eaten
with milk and sugar, or with syrup OF
molasses color, or mess of honey and flour
making kind of preserve, in appearance
just like our frozen pudding. Then nuts and
raisins are prodIgiously popular. Chops, sub
stantial soups, joints, anything On which a
Westerner could support nature, one never
sees in Turkish bazaar Living on cereals,
fruit and a light diet, the Turkish women
show it in livid complexion, which is evil
IDENTIFY the mode. Some ladies in our party
charged paint and powder upon them, but l
did not see it. Their eyes are usually brown;
their hair hid beneath their graceful head
gear. saw positively no very plain ones;
but there seemed to me an extraordinary re-
semb.ance amongst them, which perhaps,
was only due to the fact that the points In
which the0 differed from Europeans and
agreed together were to strangers eye more
emphatic than tue private marks by which
lace differed from face. | saw no grace in
their motions. and nothing like elegance OF
figure. Indeed. figure is out of question in
such bundles oil drapeTy. There was also
Great listlessness and vacancy in their faces.
They are said to be shocking y ignorant, help
less, and vapid.