The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1876-08-11
DECAY OF THE HAREM.

Among the reforms promptly pref
isesi by tac rev Sa!;aa Murad - the
L" abolition & tn SerNgllo saaull be
really have tie nerve - ID this. v hat
sixb ~ re.ig woald escape from the
moga English o. hayr leen lsrr,.si
80 l1ag to ~. 81 the sat mic poli
gamy. aId Zive al aad comfort 20 a
pasla i.h u,s ive- Tn Eu u-iish
have b.v. Wy fsge 10 -rse-r - t....
Amer, fer t"ler4tiag bsig'tam
You = 81, ~ 81 l..t a.at that Sc al.
th. a6sics 3.eI h,- heu couy. ! j
from s. JaHs- T. s'ant@'ui II sa>
ever Liutsel tsat tLe Eug..sh -four i 4,
difficult - support over IN rhO en-
tcrtaiucd wives by the shsp-ip-sd.
Will the Ser Clio feally be done
away with Yis,ous ariss Of lightly
aitired ladies, - .th smooth, dark skins
and loug. ,hadowy ,yeltshe- whom ~
have been wont 10 isua. iue - reclining
OF Siikeu p!liowed icuuges, playing on
lutes. eating pomegranates. and putting
languidly on gi.dcd cdsiyaYHes. slipping
black cotfee. served by swarthy seris
with candies and pastry, filing sadly
on, Of their wauton splendor, and be-
taking Themselves no one can tell
whittier. We fancy the new Sultan
tanning q af ear 20 seductive Circus
sian merchants aud resolutely passing
galazics Of newly imported beauties
with ternly-avcrted head living, in
deed. like Christian gentleman, with
NJ 30 h kx. ~
his crown and the comforts Of his
wealth
Much Of the poetry Of the seraglio.
il is true. has been dissip>ted ty the
pryiug eyes aud unfanciful descriptions
OF later travellers, and Byron's delight
ful description turns out TO have been
To- great degree evolved out of his
own sensual Imagination Miss pardoe
gives Us the idea the sersglIo is Il very
stupid place. full of gnud aud glitter.
but sleepy aud uninterestiug while
Thackeray though, b. discovered that
4" the hours spend the b"st part OF the
time IN trying on rev dresses, eating
sweet stuff, talking 10 parrots, and
wit.ding up French clocks" Yet there
is something pictnre~quely Orienta! ia
the idea Of the s.rag.lo and even the
tales of the faithless wives who used to
be sewed up In bag-, carried into boats
and 1T drop III the swift current of the
Bosphorus. rather reused the interest oi
the sentimental than shocked the mef-
ciful feelings OF humanity
Society in Coustantinople must great.
" change if the seraglio is abolished in
earnest; for lesser paslias must follow
the example of the Grand Turk himself.
What. then. will become of those pro
cessions of carriages. with oxen to draw
them, and yelled beauties pceping
through their shutters, which now wend
their way on pleasant afternoons to the
Valley of Sweet Waters Where will
be- those gay feasts in the suburbs, III
which the psshas with their wives now
so lavishly indulge Whittier will.
vanish the army of ebosy attendants
who now guard the harcms with so
fierce fidelity Yet even the senti-
mentalists. who may regret the eNtinc-
tion Of the sort Of romance with which
polyg,my now surrounds the plunacled
city of the Eastern CAESARS may 6e III q
degree consoled by the fact that the Sc
raglio has had much to do with the decay
of Turkish rule. and bids fair To run IT
very soon into utter ruin. The cxtrav-
agaucc caprices and tyranny Of the houris
have brought more than one Grand
/ Turk to grief. and the Seraglio has al
ways been the centre Of the very worst
aud most corrupt sort Of political in-
trigne 40 II is that even In Turkey.
where women are apparently held IN
such light respect that il takes a ship
full of them % match the dignity Of one
man. they have been the cause of many
wars. revolutions and assassina,ions A
lauguishing Circassian beauty has more
than once upset ministry and decided
the fate of prince of the blood. and
has cried for the head Of hated st,tes-
man as a child for toy. and only dried
her eyes when her wish was granted.
With the seraglio would disappear one
of the remaining relics Of Oriental cas-
tom in Europe; and. should Murad
abolish it. he would give very strik-
ing proof # his sincere desire that bis
realm shall bc regenerated. Bat per
haps even this would come too late
ipblefea's Journal for august.