The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-02-06
Turkish Romance.

In the regin of good Abdul-Aziz, a
young vender of portable drugs in the
streets or Constantinople, was surprised
one day to catch sight of a delicate fem
mime hand waving to him from a pass
ing carriage. Before he could so much
rs hazard a guess as to the identity OF
the fair mysterious stranger, the vehicle
was some distance away. CA bold
daughter of the Giaour," thought the
peripatetic merchant, concluding that it
was an sudacious coquette, from some
one of the hotels frequented by foreign
travellers, who had waited him the half
covert salute in a spirit of romantic
mischief. 4. handsome enough fellow
he was, and not unconscious of it but
withal, too stolid to be long exercised III
his fancy by an incident of this descrlp-
ton. That afternoon, however, he was
followed into his humble home in the
suburbs, by slave Of the sultan's livery,
who said, tersely "Your name is Nah
mould Damat." The surprised drug
yen,or nodded rather TREMENDOUSLY.
".And you are unmarried? ?" Another
nod. "Ihen," added the imperial
slave, "you are commanded by the
Princess Emineh to attend at the palace
tomorrow, where she will see YOU"
When, after a low bow. this odd mes
se4scr had departed. Mahmoud was
rather more alarmed than fattered ut
the character of the summons. The Prln-
cess Eniuch, daughter Of the late
AbIul-Mejid, and niece of the reigning
sultan, was celebrated throughout the
whole sublime caliphate for her self
willed ways and endless eccentricities,
and it vas popularity believed that the
amiable Ablul-Aziz would indulge her
in any within for the sake of peace. Haa
she been married and become the
mother of a son during her fathers reign,
that son would have succeeded Abdul
.Aziz; whereas the latter now proposed
that his own son should be the next
sultan. Thus was Emineh Of less royal
consequence in her uncle's court than
she might have been !; yet she had her
way in all matters concerning her
WI ungovernable self, and it was cur
rently reported that she took particular
delight in all manner of startling ex-
travagances.
1t was, therefore, with fear and
trembling that the Unexpectedly honored
vender of drugs betook himself to the
palace at the appointed hour; nor was
he treasured when an officer, after ask
ing his name, babe BIN follow to the
presence of the great Padishah himself.
But fear gave way to %incredulous ex-
filtration when Abdul-Aziz, without
prelude, conferred upon him the rank
of Bey, and then babe him rejoice for
that the Princess Emineh had chosen
him above IN army of noble suitors for
her husband ! The PROSTATE Mahmoud
knew not whether to believe his ears or
not. Attendants robed him fttingly
for the interview, and he was led before
the strong-minded niece Of the sultan
like a man in o dream. Hearing from
her own unhesitating lips that she had
often beheld him from her carriage
until her heart preferred him above
every other man she had ever seen, he
presented himself anew, and prayed the
Prophet that it might not all be an illu-
sion and a vision.
It was no illusion, however. In a
weeks time the lucky fellow was created
a pasha, and in a fortnight the head
strong Emineh married him without
public parade of any kind. With the
honeymoon passed away all the bride
grooln's awkwardness in the novel situa-
! ton, and his natural shrewdness ant
good sense resumed full sway. Instead
of presuming upon his elevation to take
part in politics and courtly intrigue, he
took pains to conciliate all parties by q
modest, quiet bearing; devoting him
self chiefly to certain legitimate business
contracts with the government. and
gaining the particular friendship of his
wVife's brother, Abdul amid. It is sail
that he made great sums by his CON-
tracts. Be that as it might, he Min
tanned a permanent ascendancy, bo,h at
court and with the public, during all
the changes and disorders preluding tn
present Russo Turkish war. Poor
Abdul-Aziz was deposed by the tur.
bulent Softas, and committed suicide.
Then came the brief episode Of Mourad,
the Princess Emineh's half-brother, who,
after O short lease of power, went melan-
choly mad, and was placed IL a palatiaf
asylum at Taheragan. To him succeed
ed the now reigning sultan, Abul Hamid,
after whose accession the influence of
Mahmoud Damat became paramount in
the highest councils of the Sublime
Porte. This, too, although there was a
recent breach between the eccentric
princess and her low born husband.
The sultan upholds his mother-in-law
against the passionate .'Enineh, and
would, it is believed, lave forced the
Office of grand vizier upon him if he had
not been recently invalidel by an apo
plectic stroke. But Mourad, the ex-
sultan. sides with the princess, and the
question hos assumed the aspect of a
bitter political issue between the respec-
tive partisans of the half brothers in
Constantinople.
Indeed, the a%nti-court party of the ex-
cited Turkish capital claim hat it was
through the overwhelming influence of
Mahmond Damat in cabinet councils
that the line of the Danube was not
defended; that Suleiman Pasha was
bafied in Shipka Pass. and that rein
forcements did not reach Osman Pasha
in time to save Plevna. Public irrita-
ton under national reverses must find a
scapegoat ; and in this case it is the now
perilously sick ex-vcnder of nostrums
and husband of a princess, whose bio
graphy, rs given here upon current his.
torical authority, sounds like q story
from the Arabian Nights.