Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-01-04
Turkish Women.
Iorrospondence Philadelphia pay. J

correspondence Fhlladelphla Uay.I
There is no subject connected with
Turkey about which, perhaps, there ex
lists more erroneous opinions among
Europeans, than that of the condition of
Turkish women. On the one hand there
is much more liberty allowed them than
is generally supposed, and on the other
their position, morally and socially, is
lower than is generally known. Read.
ers Of Den Juan, Lslla Rookh, etc., will
find great gulf between the romance of
poetry and the dull realities of sober
prose, The angels of poetry have their
wings sadly clipped by coming TO the
light of inspection.
0ne who understands the Turkish Ian
gusge may hear any day upon the streets
in CoHstantinople, words coming from
the lips carefully covered with the ydsh'
max, which the vilest characters of any
European city could pronounce, indeed,
for which there is no equivalent in the
Eoglish language, for the ideas do not
exist among those speaking English.
These words form part of the common
conversation of ladies who glitter in
silks and sparkle in diamonds; they are
HbaTu Tue duu buC
Pashs. Such are the influences under
which the females of Turkey are edu-
Gated, 80 far as regards delicacy and re-
fnement. Nor are they the gentle, timid,
shrinking creatures which Byron's i'm
agination painted them. An English
man passing along the street of Pera
once stepped accidentally upon Tur-
kish woman's ferrqje, or cloak. Of
course he made his best bow and begged
a thousand psrdons, but the .nexorable
fair one, instead of sweet smile of for
civeness, horrible to relate, stopped
down, and slipping off her shoe, quickly
struck the offender a violent blow upon
the mouth. Fancy the feelings of the
gallant John Bull. / shall not attempt
to describe them.
The veil and cloak of the Turkish wo-
men will probably be among the last of
the distinctive articles of Turkish dress
to be swept away with the advancing tide
of civilization. The turban, wide trow-
sers and flowing robe of the Turkish
efendi of thirty years ago have dissp-
peared, and you see now the fashionable
Turk dressed in single-breasted, close.
ly-buttoned frock-c coat, and on his head
simply the plain tez, or red cap with silk
tsssel. But the poor creatures of the
harem are struggling iearfully to get per-
mission to 60 as fer as their lords in fol-
lowing infidel fashions. The bewitching
chignon has been o terrible trial for them,
and some of the boldest have ventured
upon moderate-sized chignon and curls
partially concealed by the fine white mus
lin gauze which envelopes the head, and
is brought round over the lower part of
the face, to form the veil. French gaiter
boots have fairly won the day, and the
parssol is universally carried now with
an air of triumph.
Isaw some splendilly dressed ladies
out boat riding upon the Bosphorus one
night, with .heir psrasols raised to pro-
tect them from the moonlight. The old
tradition about the man in the moon,
believe, does not exist here in Turkey,
else one might suppose that that belief
had something to do in this case. 1t IS
said that some ladies in high life attend
the theater and opera incognito, being
admitted by arrangement into private
dressing room, where their Turkish cos
tune is exchanged for a European one
before entering, and again put on before
being seen by the coachman and attend
ants.
II is said that the talented and besuti.
ful daughter OF Prince Mustapha, Fszyl
Pasha, brother of the Viceroy of Egypt,
has been recognized out some distance
from the city, mounted upon a splendid
steed, which she rode in superb style,
dressed in French riding habit and hat,
of course without veil This accom-
plished young lady has been selected as
the companion and lady in-waiting to the
Empress Eugenie during her stay here.
His Majesty, the Sultan, has already
broken through the thick crust ot Mos
lem fsnaticism by dining with Princess
Of Wales upon the occasion of her visit,
and he will now be called upon to show
still more gallantry. The wedge has en-
tered, aud though old fogies may shrug |
their shoulders and say that everything |
is lost, yet II is confidently predicted |
that before many years the Sultan,
mother aud senior wife az least OF the /
Sultan, will be present as honored /
gnesis e. diplem=sie dinners and ether 1
state occasions. This may not be much |
in itself, bat Il will be hailed as the
advance sign Of the emancipation Of the
female sex in Turkey.
Mrs. Lincoln, says q Frankfort paper,
will remove TO Zurich, Sviizeriand,
where she has bought q small house.