Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-04-13

A lady writer in the COr1hM Magazine on
Turkish Ways and Turkish Women, says
1.-The Crescent is not a chance representation
or symbol of the Mahometan faith the new
moon is separably connected in the Mussul-
man mind with special acts of devotion Its
appearance is watched for with eager e1-
pectancy, and the moment the eye lights on
the slight thread Of silver in the western
twilight it remains fixed there whilst pray
ers of thanksgiving and praise are offered,
the hands being held up by the face the
palms upward and open, and afterwards
passed three times over the yisage, the gaze
still remaining immovable. The eyes are
snatched of, if possible to be turned straight
on some lucky face or precious object
fond mother will send for her child to be
near at hand before she takes her first look
at the new moon, and as she concludes her
PRAYER she will look into its eyes and kiss 1t
| but not its eyelids that would be sure
sign that the two would shortly be parted.
| Favorite slaves, beautiful princess, and
then, as they looked into her eyes, would
they make their apology, which was sure to
be accepted. ! was in request for the same
purpose, and one room inhabited, IN the
| heart of Stamboul, WAS bcsieged at the new
moon by those who held the superstition
| that il was unlucky to see it through glass,
Anu WHO, uOChtu " hhiSo Wihhp"o w
cause they had no kaffes, and could be
thrown up (for they looked into narrow
court, and could not be seen from the street.
| could not not find it in my heart to rebuff
these poor girls, while | smiled at their
superstltions observsnces, and asked leave
| to station themselves at my windows and
| look straight from the moon into my face.
| who can bring us better luck than you
they would say you wish good to every
one. and you are not II STARE Nussulmans
have q very special reverence Tor the ram
bow as an actual renewal, whenever 1t ap-
| pears of the promise of God not again to de-
stroy the earth ut any time. Their fnth III
| il as n distinct sign to them is all the more
vivid from their being Ill most cases quite
| ignorant of the natural causes which pro-
duce the rainbow in such things they are,
for the most part, like simple untaught
children, not looking for the physical causes
| of the phenomena OF Nature, but attributing
| the latter to some unseen power IN the
region af the supernatural The popular
| belief among the Ignorant classes IN Turkey
respecting the cause of an eclipse Is an m
stance OF this. To the ordinary Turkish
mind the darkened luminary il being attack
ed by some evil spirit clumberlng over 1t,
endeavoring to quench its brightness, and
threatening its very existence. Never shall
| | forget my extreme nstonlshmeni, one sun
winter evening, to hear a sudden firing OF
| guns and u running backward and forwards
In the streets, with shouting and noise. and
to discover that all this excitement WAS oc-
casioned by the people having perceived that
the moon was getting darkened. The mon
ster WAS at its iell work once more. and must
be frightened Off So those who had them
brought guns. and discharged yolleys OF shot
in the direction OF the helpless victim. and to
make the defense more effective the lmams
also discharged their firearms, with the ann,
from balconies Of the minarets. The strug-
gle was watched with intense interest 10y men
and boys and poor women crowding below,
and by ladies' and slaves, who witnessed
these proceedings from the harem window
and the triumph and relief were great from
the pious invectiyes and righteous missiles
Of the Imams were found to have 30 far
wrought terror in the vampire that 1t began
slowly to relax its hold on its prey, and the
moon gradually regained its effulgence.
Compliment ejaculations Of victory followed
exclamations of dismay. and prayers ol
Thanksgiving went forth flom many hearts
that had been beating with terror