The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-05-27
IDLING IN THE ORIENT.

mental ldler,' by our townsman Harry Hare
wood Leech:-
TURKISH LIFE.
In a Mohammedan household all the luxury is
reserved for the harem. In the odelisk are kent
the soft carpets, the brilliant rugs, the silken
cmbroderies, the mirrors, the fountains. the DO
lished woods; for here is lived the life of int-
macy and secrecy into which not even friend
or relative can enter Turkish life is sealed so
completely that it is not only difficult but nearly
impossible to know what passes behind the
tnely-trcllised windows, and for this reason and
the absolute government of the Turks i'm their
houses, can readily believe those stories of ter
rble cruelties and crimes committed by the bar
barous masters on wives and slaves; in fact as
an active criminal agent, poison is in frequent
use, and have heard Turks talk of the siyOng
coffee with cool and terrible emphasis. Talking
to a Turk of his wife or the female members
of his family is to commit the most gross
impoliteness, and banished from the subject Of
y social conversation are all those polite inquiries
of How is your wifes health?" etc. In fact
the wife of one of our ambassadors, in presenting
some beautiful presents to one of the pachas.
which of course were intended for the lady
members of his household, used words such as
Here the stufs which you know better than
any one how to employ" Therefore, it is one
OF the incongruities OF this strange people,
that being the most barbarous, gross, and
selfish they yet can have their susceptibilities
wounded more quickly than any other people in
! the world.
LOVE INTRIGUEs IN EGYPT.
An Egyptian girl or woman, concealed behind
her Sh1-bdk (window), sees pass a man who
pleases her fancy. She calls, and, as the head of
the unknown is raised, flower note, or a
handkerchief is dropped at his feet. This is not
yet rendezvous, but an invitation to come again
near the same place. At the moment the favored
one leaves the spot, the door opens, and n eunuch
or negress follows him. This servant is charged
to know who he is, where he rests, what is his
name and condition in life.
The day after in passing by the same house,
if a flower or other token again falls from the
same window the lover knows that the report
of the servant is made, and that his suit is
favoTably received
Now, adds Mahmoud Qtranslating into fairer
English his odd eXpressions), lis the dangerous
time. Sometimes at the cafe sometimes in the
street, you are met by an old woman, who tells
you that such and such man has beautiful
daughter who wants to be married. She has
the beauty of a princess and all the charms that
can tempt the Imagination
II wish to see her." says the lover
Impossible" replies the old dame Gaze
upon the beauty of a child of the faithful before
marriagel Mohammed forbid!'
II wish to see her. repeats the lover, un-
moved, and he slips piece of gold into the
WOman's hand
You shall beheld the glory of her eyes, re-
plies the woman, sOftened.
mo, more' repeats the lover, and another
backshsh is pressed on the woman.
you shall behold her rosy mouth, filed with
teeth beautiful as pearls on the Sultana's neck
more !"
And at the third gold-piece, the woman leaves
the lover, saying, "Iou are prince, and | am
your slave"
From that moment the interview is deter
mined on.
The best occasion is generally that of the
mosque the baths. In the shadows of the
former, ut a proper moment, the girl will re-
move her VEIL even so far as to expose her neck
and shoulders, that is, if some jealous eunuch is
far enough away. As to the bath-this is a thing
more full of danger and coquetry. The master
of the bath is nearly always in the intrigue He
\ has two bdCEShiSheS to gain: one on the part of
the woman, another from the lover. The
eunuchs, or slaves, rest at the door of the bath.
These immense halls have a cupola on high,
pierced with n thousand little holes each of
which is supposed to be covered with glass; but
the lover discovers that some are not thus closed,
when he is led by the master to the roof of the
building, where, if he be wise he will be able to
Judge of the beauty of the woman he loves as
she rests in all the charming negltge of the bath
toilet.
FATTENING THE BRIDE.
must not forget to note curious preparatory
operation. One month, often before the mar
riage, they commence to fatten the bride. This
is done by farna, cooked almonds, fruits, butter
and-sugar confections, and every substance con-
ducing to obesity; the standard of Arab beauty
is contained in one word, tat Pending this
time, the poor brides are given but little to
drink, some drops of sugared water
only being allowed each day by their hired fat
teners. Among the poor this operation is only
followed for eight or nine days-it is expensive,
meagre wife.
VILLAGE ON THE NILE.
have Just come aboard from wilderness of
crumbing mud huts almost buried amongst the
palms-miserable novels, with rude holes for
doors, and twisted palm-mats for roofs; inside
and out sit groups of women, whose faces though
unveiled are tattooed with blue figures, and are
horrible to look upon. In Egypt, as in more
cultivated lands, you may take it as rule that
those who are most anxious to cover their faces
are the old hags; and indeed the lot of woman is
lamentable one here, for while obliged to share
the affections of her husband with Others in this
world, she is supposed to be put aside for the
! hoatris in the next. Indeed many ulemas claim
that women have no SOULS and that their only
chance of immortality rests on the tradition OF
Mohammed's conversation with the old woman
who mportuned him for place in Paradise.
"VeX me not said the husband of Cadjah
''there can be no old women in Paradise
But when the ancient wife sent forth hel
lamentations, the diplomatic prophet added
"because the old will be all made young again !
But must not wander from descriptions OF
the village. Naked little children, almost all OF
them hopelessly afflicted with the ophthalmit
curse, lay in dust-heaps in front OF their cabins
the larger ones were playing at 6OorG witt
stones and crooked sticks, but they soon LET
this sport to ioin the old men who followed u'
/ with whines and prayers for backshish. The ira
weller coolly shot his pgons from the family
stock in the centre OF the town, which raised {
ClamOr among the women, only 10 be allayeu Dl
few copper plastres. In llne along one o
the less crooked avenues were poople sitting in TIT
dirt, exhibiting for sale eggs brass and coppe
q trinkets gaudy handkerchiets beads, bread ant
II ffice and making a noise in bargaining ant
selling, like unto twenty fOcks OF geese
Il Proud-lOokng Bedouins, mounted on sleel