The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1879-12-18
VISIT TOA HAREM.
The Story Told by an American Consul
Generals Wife.


Generals Wife.
[ConstantinopIe Cor. Philadelphia Telegram
Mrs. Heap, wife of our COnsul-Gen-
eral, described to me a visit paid by her,
the other day, to Turkish harem-that
of Zenib Hanoum, sister of Ismail Pa
sha, the eX-khedive. The lady is one
of the most remarkable of living Turk
ish women from her intelligence, liberal
ideas and immense wealth. Her ''yaG,'
a large grey palace, is one of the hand
soonest on the Bosphorus. On alighting
from the carriage, Mrs. Heap and the
four ladies accompanying her were met
at the door by some half-dOzen men.
canvasses, grOoms and eunuchs-bril-
liantly dressed. These escorted the
party through the selamlik, or mems
apartments, which in this case, the lady
being a widow, are rather bare. They
consisted of four or five rooms. A long
corridor, softly carpeted, and whose
numerous windows overlooked a fine
garden, led to the wOmen's rooms or
haremlik. The door was opened by
two handsome Circassian girls, who led
the ladies in, followed by couple of
eunuchs. A magnificent hall was en-
tered, square in shape, with two alcOves,
one of which was like an enormous bay
window, enclosed on all sides by
plate glass This room was fur
nished in true Oriental style. Divans
of crimson damask lined the gayly col
Ored walls, an elegant buhl center-table
stood on the rich rug that covered the
floor, and a number of little walnut
tables, intricately laid with mother-of-
pearl, cleaned in the sunlight that
streamed through the numerous win
dows. Women of every age and color
were grouped about, chatting and laugh
inc, but the arrival of the g Franks y
silenced them. In the rear, opposite
the glass alcOye, ran up wide staircase.
thickIy carpeted, of gold and white,
Joined on to a sort of gallery which eX-
tended from end to end of the room,
and up there was a group of women in
bright costumes, engaged at the loom or
in talking and smoking. All these
81 odalisques rose at the visitors ar
rival. A hideous eunuch brought word
that his mistress was ready to receive,
and her two nieces, daughters of Hahn
Pasha, came to usher the ladies in.
These two young ladies, much rOuged
and painted, were pretty in the sickly
and theatrical way common to harem
beauties. They wore a composite style
of dress, half European, half Turkish.
L
lv embroidered, and the fair Orientals
were fairly spangled with brilliants,
massive earrings and brooches. A
| loose skirt and short jacket of light silk
and high-heeled embroidered slippers
| completed their costumes of piquant
ensemble.
Zenib HanOum receives in legal state.
She was sitting, or rather squatting, at
| tired richly in a complete Turkish cos
] tune, on a raised settee covered with
many soft cushions After the usual in
! terchange of compliments, as manifold
and ceremonious as in China, the lady
| clapped her jeweled hands together and
the doors opened wide. Then in came
the procession, bringing the coffee.
First entered two black slaves carrying
on their shoulders a carved pole, from
which hung by silver chains a tiny bra
zier of the same metal. On its glowing
Goals were placed several little long
handled coffee-pOts, the aromatic Mocha
creaming and bubbling, and difusing q
delicious odor through the apartment
These stood motionless. Then fOm
others, bearing an immense silver tray
from which hung to the floor a rich silk
towel, studded with precious stones anC
embroidered in gold thread. Severa
Quiet 1tuldlCS CuGCICus anu CetCA OOOn
from the tray small coffee cup-holdel
or q zaf, - placed thereon the cup filleC
with coffee, and, kneeling before eacl
visitor, presented it to them. Mrs
Heap then noticed that her and the Othel
ladies' - zafs - were of gold tiligret
work and literally, in the bright sunlight
blazing with brilliants in elaborate de
signs Of birds and flowers. With the same
; punctilio, the coffee was removed, anI
, the compliments recommended . d'
pluss BELLE After that, a vOlley o
questions followed on every cOnceivabl
subject; some very, to put it mildly
queer, for harem ideas of prOpriety an'
: ours are, | grieve to say, widely differ
ent. When, after Il visit of over tw
; hours-for to devote less time to a cal
would be a grave infractiOn on the law
= of etiquette-the ladies rose to tax
leave. Zenib Hanoum asked them t
wait an instant. No sooner had the
/ reseated themselves than the doc
2 opened again to give admittance to an
l other flock of women, one bringing
S crystal beaker of delicious sherbet, be
5 side which our boasted cocktails woul
Y sour with envy. Another swarm brOugl
q soft towels for the ladies to dry thei
= lips on. In accordance with Orienta
1 ideas the lady of the house asked Mr.
Heap if there was any ornament sh
: wore that Mrs. Heap would be please
h to accept rs a souvenir, and looked quit
0 hurt when her guest excused herse
;. from accepting any gift. Her jewe
: were magnificent, nOticeably a larg
: emerald, surrounded by diamonds, woT
), in the shape of brooch. After man
It pressing invitations to come again, th
IS ladies left the yali, feeling all the wa
e home as though they had been permitte
:. to live for a few hours in the harem
e Haroun-al-Raschid,o or allowed to take
IS peep into the Mahomedan's paradise.