Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-10-01
An Eastern Hareu,

small piece of dark night slipped into the
room and around among the Gibbons and mar
giles to nv feet, where, pressing his forehead to
my hand, ne contrlYed to whisper to me that
the 'Sitt Miriam" wanted 10 see me. Suppos-
ing thereby that she was ready to depart |
went out into the large reception room, but no
one was there. My sable guide led on while
followed, strongly suspicious that the imp
might commit an error and guide me into for
hidden rooms. was not far wrong. Crossing
a court, down into which the stars shone, fol-
lowed him into dark entry, when he threw
open door, and found myself in the holy OF
holes of an eastern house, that spot forbidden
10 the foot of man in all known ages of MoSlem
rule. The scene that burst upon my aStonished
vision was worth journey TO the Orient to see
One swift glance around the room convinced me
that il was all right, for | caught the eyes of
Miriam, who was cured up on a crimson divan
and smoking a nargile as if she had been
brought up to it all her life and in moment
understood that she had managed the introduc
ton by some ingenuity that | could not have
believed possible. In Greece the seclusion of a
harem is unknown. But in Greek families
living in Egypt or Syria it is even more strictly
enforced than by Mohammedans themselves,
for the contempt which is poured out on
Mohammedan woman who has shown her
face to men is visited tenfold on Christians,
who have difficulty in keeping their positions
in the country. The footsteps of a man had
never crossed this threshold before, except of
retreat Shrank at first in terror from having
their faces seen by stranger. 1t was by adroit
management, by proposing it as a frolc work
ing up their curiosity, aud pledgilg eternal
secrecy and instant departure from the country,
that Miriam had persuaded them to consent to
send for me, and they secured the old mans
permission on the ground of the universal love
Of Greeks for Americans, and so | was sent for
and so came. The scene in the room when
entered was worthy painters presence. The
mother of the family, seated on a pile of cush-
ions, was q woman of splendid beauty, and her
daughters were like their mother. Her young
sister, girl Of twenty-five or three, and her
niece, girl of seventeen, were standing near
her; while their Nubian slaves, slender and
graceful women, black as night, but not thick
Tipped, having rather the features of The Shela-
lee of Egypt, and in form and face models of
grace and beauty, waited on their beautiful mis-
treSses. A troop of children, with large black
eyes, dressed like fairies, greeted my entrance
with a shout of welcome, and for a moment
hesitatcd TO enter place sacred not only by orr
ental custom against such visit, but sacred es-
pecially by the presence of so much magnificent
beauty, not before exposed TO the eve of a
stranger. But the unsurpassed look of Miriam
and Mrs and Miss Saunders, treasured me,
and | advanced with as much courage rs could
be expected of a somewhat ditfident American
in an eastern harem. Often since then, in still
and quiet evenings, when | remember the Incl
dents of my eastern travel, the face of that ra-
diant Greek girl comes before me like a vision
Of the unreal beauties of paradise. | never saw
Il woman half so beautiful. She was the first
and last one that | saw abroad whom thought
equal TO the American standard of female
beauty; and she was star She was reclining
on the dyan, half buried in discussions, with
her arm around Mriam's neck, telling her, in
all the rich Oriental phrases she could invent of
all her love for her newly found sister. | will
endeayor for the sake of my lady readers, and
M a RI iha hor Tlracs
which was almost a fac simile of the dresses of
four other ladies in the room, whose inferior
beauty must excuse my leaving them to sketch
their splendid companion. Firstly, she wore
that part of the Turkish ladys dress which we
should call the trousers, known bv them as the
sbiRtiydIl and very different affair from the
pantalOons which the American ladies' rights
ladies argue so much in favor of. They are
necessarily more cumbersome than the ordinary
European style of dress, being enormously
heavy folds of silk stuff, embroidered
with heavy gold thread, gathered at the
ankles with gold and jeweed bands.
Those of whom | now speak were of
rose colored silk, and the little feet that were
quite hidden in the folds as they fell around it
when she walked, were covered with velvet Slip
pers embroidered with seed pearls. The yelak,
a sort OF open dress that falls in a long train be-
hind, and is fastened only at the waist, falling
away so as to leave the Sbintjgan visible, is,
believe, not worn by unmarried ladies, but she
had similar dress of the same rose colored
silk, richly embroidered. A low chemisette,
northumberland front and sleeves, left almost
the entire bust exposed; and velvet jacket,
heavy with gold thread and jewels, completed
the rich and gorgeous costume. But the dress,
although of the most costly fabrics of the Da-
mascus.lO0mS, was as nothing cOmparediwithithe
jewels that flashed from her wrists, and neck,
and hair. Over her left shoulder, hanging like
4 sash down to the right side of her waist, was
a golden girlle or band, made of broad pieces of
gold, shaped like willow leaves, and fastened to-
gether at the sides. The belt of the yellak and
SbjHtiyaR, which is ordinarily a cashmere shawl,
| known Yulgarly in America as camelS hair, }
| was silk, gathered at the sides with star OF
| brlliants. On her arms were ieweled serpents
| and the only covering of her bosom, which was
| exposed, as | have said, consisted of strings OF
| pearls that lay across it, each string shorter
| than the one above it, and whose whitenesS was
| TvalCd by the neck they adorned. Her hair
was bound together under a small cap OF Grim
| son velvet, that rested only on the back of her
| head, and OF which the velvet was but the
| material on which were clustered as many pearls
| and diamonds as, ! remarked to Miriam, would
| purchase all the jewelry that the most gorgeous
New York saloon could exhibit in n crowded
evening assembly. | have described the lady s
costume as literally as | can, for the benefit OF
my lady readers, but thought little of her cos
| tune then, when | was looking at her SPLENDID
| beauty. Miriam was in ectascy herself, and
| would interrupt her careSseS constantly by turn
| ing TO me with the demand, isn't she beauti-
| ful| Her hair was black as the clouds of a
| December night, and swept away from fine
| forehead in heavy tresses. Her face was no
| cold Greek countenance. 1t was full of life and
passion; her eyes black and flashing with fun
| the red blood tingling close under the skin
| through her cheeks, and sometimes flushing her
| forehead with an exquisite glow; her lips were
| red and laughing; her chin the smallest imagin-
able; and her form slender, yet full and grace
| ful as the forms of dream land. r
| When we rose to go, and am bound to admit
the hour would have been thought late even in
America, they would scarcely permit Miriam TO
| leave them, but again and again embraced her
| and kissed her on each cheek, and on her lips
| while the Nubians would seize her at the same
| instant from behind with one hand on each side
| and give her a sympathetic squeeze in accord
ance with each kiss Of their fair mistress. Tent
| Life IN the Holy Lana.