The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1875-07-08
The Khedive's Harem

an interesting SUBJECT
Since the . lords OF creation y canno
visit the harems any more than we poo
women can pass the door of the famou
Chartreuse monasteries, doubt not the
secrets, or rather their matter of fact or
CARNATIONS. will be most interesting tt
the excluded 50 | will, dear friend, tel
you Just what | saw and felt on that sol
emn occasion Yesterday was frightfully
hot, and gladly would have passed it il
a bath and at home, but Oriental etiquette
mu1 be observed, and having received al
invitation from the Princesse Mere 1.-THE
vlceroy's mother), | was about to don &
cool looking white muslin dress, when my
husband, who knows more about Oriental
customs than do, ordered gray silk, white
lace and diamonds Frightful at four
O'Clock in the day ami a broiling sun but
it seems Oriental etiquette must be OBJ
served so | resigned myself, and seated
in an open carriage in solitary dignity,
preceded by our light-tooted Suls. y
driven by an Arab coachman and attend
ed by the swell "kawas," courageously
took the hall-hour drive and desDerut6iy
resigned myself to the huge master OF
ceremonies who met me ut the entrance
Of Palace kasr 9 Nil, where the Princesse
Mere resides. knew beforehand what
to expect but | own frankly this coal
black eunuch, with his Egyptian eyes,
rather frightened me. Following my
guide, who passed through the reception
hall into 4 fine garden where flowers,
birds and fountains delied the sun to
make his heat appreciated we entered the
second yestibule, where two slaves and
an interpreter awaited my arrival, and
where, after i most ubsequiouS salute
(and to my great Satislactlon) my first
guide lett me.
Mademoiselle llartS. French governess
to one OF the princess grand children, had
graciously been placed at my disposal as
interpreter, and after having taken a di-
minutiyc cup OF coffee offered by the
slaves, | followed her through two large
Waiting-roOmS INTO a vast drawing room.
aydruWtH9-room iur the French carpet,
French chandeliers and French gilt tables
take all Oriental names out Of my mouth.
The diWanS Cor diyano) We're the only
characteristic furniture remaining. A
number of white slaves We're standing
about who showed Us to seats, when had
the satisfaction Of collecting my scattered
thoughts and surveying the objects around
me. Alter five minutes conversation with
my interpreter n heavy curtain was raised
and an elderly lady queenly dressed in
Turkish trousers, French Jacket and Ori-
entail turban studded with magnificent
gems made her appearance. | stepped
forward to meet her made her my SulDtlDl
successfully, was embraced and led to the
principal .iivan, where she made me sit
/ .i,rI,t ,yI hn into
prefer | was welcomed cordially and
gracefully TO Egypt, where 1t seems the
past services of my husband are remem-
bered gratefully. Pipes We're brought,
and, as ! knew there was no better road
to tide hearts OF these Oriental ladies than
to smoke all they offer, courageou,ly put
my lips to ut least twenty, and was really
on the point of feeling | had had enough
ot it, when the three first wives of the
viceroy We're announced. They knew
was 1T Dasr NIL and came to n} ltc
me 10 visit their several palaces ! was
sadly disappointed rs to their beauty and
thoroughly Disguised at their umtidireS~
and want OF taste Their sadly combed
hair wa decorated with hnmid muslin
''tovues" f" evidently fabricated by 4 stupid
maid, aud this charged with magnificent
Jewels and no end of diamonds They
were particularly gracious to me. and the
d,v OF my visit WAS fixed. Wife No. /
may have been i handsome woman NJ her
4ouU-shr II now thirtyliye and = grand
mother She, like the otber, was once
a slave; her first child raised her to the
dignity of wife, and her tir5t SON to that
Cl GRAND princess She was accompanied
N, ha,. mrn,t mistress III cnre,noniA. who
i If thr same time first slave This lat
for anproached oln hostess. kissed the
hnn nf hor robe Touched her rirht hand
ta r,ar tnrnhead and was rewarded hv \
Eiss ,ttor which ceremony she took n
,n.,t r,s.;-lnrrrd on 4 rnshion ot unr
tant IN. nriucassrs naid nc no rnd of
,.o,,n1;nnnts an nv toiInttn and pv
nrnslad themselves r,,titind that shonLJ
h.n.ntoa;d tbun, An tttnution which stron-
oa,. II rnnnraI liI not ,cen 10 undrr-
sand They auite pulled me to pieces in
or,le,t ia 500 now thr dress Wa made. and
was particularly interested in the manner
nr ..,,5,H'
Il,vimo h.an tina tbat +, was mn place
/, ln.yn wbnr thnuuht nrnnrr knew
u,.t cnntr,r,. fl EuTnnrdn custom the
,l,.;,oo... ,,.n,,ld Not ,i,ia mo ,,.,,,,. 81
pfni'I.a,j n',. 1.st ninn Ironl, INV, j,.t cun
~ cnnno ,nI nprt,n.minr nv y,lL,y tn
t,a nast of n1v ohil;tr Withdraw tie
Eronnh anl ler,iess arcnmnanyinr me t0
no t;r.t onta-rb,mhrr whpn ", ooain
snt s', down ON g, diyan and where eni6yod
, lnnr ,nd internstjno conversation with
ha,, 7rwn sInyns then appro3ched win a
.nl,,,lil ,l,trr. two other, t.oz from II
tyo oulJ cuns And we drank thc most
dr!;ci9us conlino connection IMAGINABLE
NJ, intarur,.tnr then took looy4 of me
thr first s',yr nut her arm around me and
na..ivr ~ : lan,b w,s Ied NOT 70 the
'i.nrhtnr I'M ntn III m,oniticcnt r,rJnn
,yLn7n n-,stn M cnnliIr1 f. NV ferrily-
;',n. ,,,,,,,lh put h,If'yy,, :, cur;Gus srnnf
mot nn,. nyo. 4 l.ly Ht Great beanty
Iros.nJ ~. ,nv-nnr,. "a bl1e silh Win !
l,rn ovpr-drrs. tran fin mounted with
;a,yoIs .,nJ cnynrnl with diamonds came
i,;surot,, ,hn o,.avaI ,oth tnllovnd hv
twcnty aunucbs, ! wanted to continue
NV W. wsv TO tbr rioht but my companion
,~onII wy H. not l., me. sad MANY thinos in
~ I ~ a. ,h f F. ~