Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1876-04-13
shopping In Cairo,


Even the shop is, or seems to be.
shabby imposture. 1t is only wretched
hole in the vall, and its entire resources
seem to be half-dozen pieces of dusty
stun-goods. You look long enough to
take In the situation and turn to walk
away IN disgust. Your dragoman, how
ever, mildly begs that you will not he inn
patient. Seat YOURSELF" he entreafs,
upon the divann--which is simply the
edN OF the raised platform that forms the
floor OF the shop ton which, meanwhile,
the proprietor is sitting with an air often
| OF profound indifference" and make
known your wants. You wish to see
some shawls. Your wish is translated to
the merchant, and he rises, evincing now
at length something of affable alacrity,
and produces from some recess behind
him bundle. This is placed before you,
| and with abundant elaboration he ex-
tracts from 1t ard unfolds before you a.
table-cover. For an instant il arrests your
attention, and you look at il, especially ii
II be something unfamiliar, with a faint
sign OF interest. You are not going to
housekeeping in Cairo, and you remind
your dragoman that you asked not for
table-cioths but for shawls. This being
laboriously explained to the merchant, he
smiles asseatingly, and Immediately pro-
duces smother package of table-cloths,
| much rarer and handsomer than the 9TH
ers. No! MOI" you say, impatiently,
determined not 10 be lured in this way
into unintentional extravaganza, "shawlsp
shawls!' Al once the table-cloths are
showed aside, and the merchant places
! another parcel before you containing EN-
broidered jackets. Cunning wretch! Ii
| is as II he had been secretly advised OF
your weakness. AS you have watched the
gay equipages of his Highness the khe-
dive and OF the pashas who are attached
TO the court, nothing has impressed you
so much US the rich and picturesque dress
| of the Seis, or runner (most of the hand.
somer eouipages preceded by two, whose
fleet feet and sharp cries have announced
their approach. Now, much the most
splendH part of the dress is the EN-
brodered jacket, which may easily be
made striking feature Of feminine cos
tune; and as you are in the tolls, before
you know ii one after another OF these gay
and graceful vestments are turned over,
and In a few moments half dozen have
been put aside on appreciation" and the
chances are thousand TO one that you
will not be allowed TO escape without
taking them with you.
The indulgence of this momentary
weakness has, however, the usual effect OF
making you resolve upon answering
firmness in the future. Once more you
cry shall! shalt (shawls! shawlsD in a
tone rs imperious as you can command.
Ii makes no difference. When this placid
Oriental has shown you everything that
he has TO sell, has exhausted every oppor-
tunity Of inducing you 10 buy what you
90 not want, then he will produce what
you ask for. At this point the contest
assumes an entirely new character. You
not only want shawl, but a handsome
one. Apparently, however, the dealer
prefers 10 keep his handsome shawls and
sell only those that are inferior. OF
course this Is a part Of Eastern artfice,
but underneath il there must exist, think,
something of that preference 70 cling TO
values in kind, which Is so dis
tinctive of Oriental ideas of wealth.
shall not soon forget an afternoon which
was passed before the shelves of a
| Cairene merchant whose whole stock
in trade apparently consisted of two insig.
nificant piles of cheap shawls, but who
| proved to be possessed Of rarest fabrics
of exquisite beauty, both OF pattern and
texture. II we had been drawing his
teeth, one by one, he could not have sur
rendered them with greater reluctance
than he evinced in producing his goods /;
and when my companion turned away at
length without making any purchase, my
own relief at the conclusion OF the nego-
tiations was not greater than that with
which the shawl dealer put away his
goods and saw his chance OF exchanging
them for English soyereigns vanishing 10
the distance. To his view British gold
had, apparently, more doubtful value
than his precious goods, and his conscious
ness Of wealth was far deeper when turn
| ing them over on his shelves than in rat
Ting any amount or money In his pocket.
Cairo tEgypt) Cor. N. ]. EUentng Port.