Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-12-24
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Mrs. Leon Owens, in her book on Siam, thus
describes the interior of the Duke Chow PLAYA
Maudtree's harem, aud makes general obserya-
tons upon harem life aud the routine through
which novice, in this case the beautiful and
untamed Smayatee, has to pass:
Every harem is little world in itself, COM
posed entirely OF women-sOme who rule, Others
who obey, and those who serve. Here disin;er-
esteduess vaniShes out OF sight. Each one is
for herself. They are nearly ali young women,
hut they have the appearance Of being slightly
blighted. Nobody is TOO much in earnest or
too much alive, or too happy. The general at
mosphere is that of depression, They are
hound to have no thought for the world they
have quilted, however pleasant it may have
been; 10 ignore all ties and affections: to have
no care but for one individual alone, and that
the MASTER But if you became acquainted
with some Of these very women under favorable
conditons-very rare, hOwever-you might
gather giimpscs Of re2Ollecions Of the outer
world, OF earlier life and strong affections, OF
hearts scared and disfgurcd and broken, Of
suppressed sighs and uHuitered sobs, that would
dispose you to melancholy reflections and sad
forebOdngs and, if yOn were by nature tender,
10 shedding of tears. Their dress aud manners
often beiray all sorts oil peculiarties, and yet
ali is harmonious outwardly, They are uncOn-
scious of the terrible delacement they have un-
dereone. Yet it sometimes happens that this
same little world has its greatness, and always
when q woman becomes a mother her life
changes. She passes from the iguoble to the
noble; then she becomes pure, worthy and hon
orable.
The wall that surrounded the dukes palaces
and temples enclosed also about five hundred
houses, with gardens and artificial lakes and
fountains and avianes. Most of the houses
were built Of solid masonry, with here and there
a theatre Of carved wood; The streets were mar
row, and the covered haZirs in no way re-
maikable, except for the shops OF female Jewell
ers, gold and silver smiths. All the palaces and
temples faced the river. The oldest Hndoo tenn
pie stood here, beside a Buddhist temple and
monastery from which the priests who officlated
in the dukes husehOld were supplied. The
mosr remarkable edl!ice, however, was The
dukes tower, or summer house. of Tour lofty
stories, opening all round into arches, made en-
tirelv Of carved wood and richly gilt Il coul-
mandtd a magnificent view Of the river, aud
overlooked more than oue-balf oil the city oil
Bangkok. When YOU mount the highest cham
Der YOU omen your eyes upon scene TOO sol
emily and mvSterously beautiful TO he ade-
quately described. You Sc N to be midway in
the air, looking down upon city OF TEN ples
aud palaces, gardens, lakes, mtareis, pagO-
ddS, and p'hra-chat deos; thousands of boats
glide noiselessIy over the silver floor that winds
on forever. The great height huShes out cyeu
the joyous voices that are pushed nowhere
else. Ia the gloon at the upper end Of the
river many hcatman, perched on the Prov OF
his beat, seems like the angel Of death guiding
some helpless passenger to the silent shore, and
overhead the sky looks like some blue door,
such us must lead straight into heaven.
In every ducal or royal harem there are
great manv bulldin. IS designed and built for the
express purpose of training aud educating the
women, and very air has 10 20 through certain
forms and obServances before she is admitted
among the favored ones. The female teachers,
nhVSlri3uS and Iu6ups who M DlapPI oVar
them generally receive a careful professional
edurati0n-t1e best the country can supply.
Mere children are often taken into these places
and trained TO he actresses, dancers, musicians
aud singers. Every department has a superin-
tendent, who is generally lady of high rank,
and is responsible 10 the duke only. The mode
of teaching in the schools is peculiar; no books
are used by the pupils, who are placed in
rows, with female Officer rs IN attendance to adj
minister the rattan in all cases of inattentiOn.
Tne teacher either reads or sings the first line of
a poem or plays the first bar OF an air; tbe bead
pupil repeats it alter her, and so on TO Inc last
girl in the class; then all together until they
have learned it by heart. Dancing and gvmnaS-
tics are taught in the same way. Often 100 diff
erent airs and poems are committed TO memory
byyery young girls, who are thus converted into
walking libraries,
Smayatee was led into the adytum of the
dukes palace, conducted 10 a small chamber,
and lett there, while her guards betook them
selves TO their dinner. Very soon, the rumor of
her great beauty having spread, nearly all of
the lovely girls IN the harem rushed in to get
glimpse Of her; bur finding her closely yelled,
and that no persuasion could prevail with her to
uncover her lace they gradually departed, one
Young woman only remaining behind, sitting
apart in silent sympathy. After while, two
female physicians came IN, talking in low TO res
one 10 the other. They then proceeded TO ques-
ton the @irl. aud to all their questions she re-