The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-09-03
Egypt,an Women.

Egyptian WOmens
The Epyptisn women are generally supposed
In Europe to be shut up in the harems like
slaves, subject to all the oaprices of their
lords, without any society whatever. That Is
far from being the case. They are cunning
and shrewd enough to learn, as soon as they
are married, to make their lives pass away
pleasantly enough. Being accustomed to con-
hnement, and taught from their earliest days
that it is their duty'to study the whims and
fancies Of those to whom they are to be mar
ried, they seek to do so, and by that means
possess great influence over their husbands, TO
maintain which is the sole occupation OF their
lives. There are more females than males In
Egypt. They may be divided into two classes,
irrespective of the black slaves, the native
born and foreigners, among whom we class the
Georgians, Circassians, and Mingrelians.
The former are purchased by the grandees,
and people the harems of the princes and in
dividuals attached to the vice e-regal court, and
are easily distinguished by the fairness of
their compilations, while the others are much
darker, and have pointed features. The foreign
women were born Christians, but were made
to embrace the Moslem faith before being
brought into Egypt. Those in Turkey, but
especially at ConstantinOple, have been en-
dowed with ideas and manners totally different
from those of their own sex in their
respective countries. AS they know, as
soon as they enter the harems, that they are
destined to live in opulence, and that
every respect will be shown them
for have already pointed out IN
''Harem Life in Turkey and Egypt" the eti-
uuette that the slaves observe to the princesses
the seeds of ambition soon begin to be de-
veloped among them, and they become bigots
in their new religion. The Turks take great
care of this kind of women. Those who, by
reason of their rank or the post that they
occupy in the Government, disdain an alli-
Ior M
matter of whatever rank she may be, gene
rally purchase at great price, varying from
.E300 to fl000, Georgian or Circa5sian,
whom they marry Immediately afterward and
who when she has obtained hold on her
husbands affections-assisted by the councils
of the mother of her harem, a very Machia-
vellian Princess-enters heart and soul into
political intrigues.
The women are not constrained in their
tastes nor in their habits they eat, drink
coffee and liquors, and smoke to their hearts
content. Accompanied by their personal and
favorite slave attendant, by the head eunuch,
they quit the harem whenever they like, pro-
ceed to the hammer (bath)- )-the gossipping
shop of the Orient-visit other haremS, and
go shopping into the bazaars. They are en-
tirely free in all their actions, and there is no
fear of their transgressing the bounds of deco
rum or etiquette, for can safely say that such
a line Of conduct never enters the heads of
Moslem women.
In the first place, they are too bigoted to
engage in any haiSonS with an infdel; and
secondly, they know, from what they have
heard from their own mother of the haren,
and others, the fate that awaits them if they
were so imprudent as to commit such
suicidal act-that death would be their pun
ishment, as well as that of their paramour.
Their habitual conversation among themselves
is disgusting beyond conception to European
h1ff fhnxy hot frot nod
childhood to converse in that manner, without
having the slightest idea that by SO doing they
outrage the feelings OF their sex; they do not
think that there is any harm in so doing, and
all European woman could say to them
would not convince them to the contrary.
The Egyptian women generally pass their
tims itle triX0Itias. yez2sRt on certain days,
already explained in "The English Governess
in Egypt, in pleasing and wheeding their
husbands, studying their gastronomio tastes,
and satisfying their whims and caprices. They
delight in relating stories themselves to their
ladies of the harem, slaves, and eunuchs, con-
gregated of an evening en- tdmlLe, a kind of
conUerSaSione, or in listening to the songs of
the almehs and their own slaves, having their
horoscopes cast, and asking their mothers of
the harem to interpret the dreams they have
had during their kef, as Joseph did those of
Pharaoh of old.
The splendid halls of "the mansions of
bliss'' of the great resound also with COM
plants. One woman murmurs at her barren
ness, another at the favor bestowed by her
lord upon her kbal for the time, which raises
her jealous feelings to fever pitch. Aquestion of
engrossing interest is how they can obtain
heirs. Most of the Turks adopt rigid sys-
tenn of economy as regards the pin money
which they allow their wives, and the bak-
sheesh they bestow upon their ikbals, slaves,
eunuchs, and other attendants. Many limit
their toilet expenses to fixed sum per meaSem,
and do not allow them to give too expensive
fantasies.
The Memlook women, on the contrary, who
possessed large landed property, were very
wealthy, and disbursed large sums most gene
rously-expended their paras with no sparing
hand for fantasies, and lived in such state Of
independence that they had quite the upper
hand over their husbands. A Memlook bey's
wife was like queen in her harem, and hun
dreds of the commonwealth hocked to them for
protection, for appointments for their hus-
bands, fathers, or brothers, and sought their
influence to shield them from the oppression
of the beys; but thet state of things is record
of the past.-EmmeIine Lott.
A Cyclone in Wisconsin.
At Janesville, early on Saturday evening, a
light cloud was observed coming from the