Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1879-08-14
FHE TURK.


One OF Ine many cIafacJeFlS
tics which excite the Turk 9 con
tempt of the Frank is the latter
mania for putting foolish ques
tions for the mere sake of open
ling his mouth. A Frank walks
into barber's-shop, where {
Mussulman is having his head
shaved, while six others, seated
on a divan and smoking, are
watching the operation with
tranquil complacency. 1t must
Ibe obvious to the Frank 8 mind, if
lhe has one, that here are six Gus
toners waiting to be shaved as
lsoon as the one with the lathel
on his pate has been disposed of,
and yet he must needs ask the
barber how soon he viii have
finished. Can there be a more
Iextravagant waste of breath than
this? Perhaps the Frank is an
underbred person who will thrust
himself into the seat, from inn
patience, before his turn comes;
lin this case not one of the Turks
will protest, but the whole six
of them will spit ON the floor
with resolute unanimity, thereby
recording an opinion which the
barber will understand, though
the Frank may not. Turks new
er become openly aggressive un-
less you insult their women, their
mosques, or their street dogs.
You may wink at a Christian
woman if you please-that is her
business or her husbands; but
neither that liberty nor any 9TH
er must be taken with a Mussul-
man woman. In Antolia the
women still turn away with their
faces to a wall when they see a
Frank coming, this being the
1 IMohammedan law; and the best
thing the Frank can do is to
walk past without making any
limpertinent attempt to peer
through the veil, for the women
might squeal and arouse the
whole quarter. AS to street
dogs, they are chartered nuisan-
ces, who snap, snarl, fight over
Iofal, and bay the moon at nights
but they must not be kicked.
To be treated like dog in Turkey
lis to be treated with much for
clearance; for the Mussulmans
think it enough to give a dog a
| bad name without ill-using him.
When a stranger has been long
enough in Turkey to bear these
points in mind he may go about
without fear of molestation; and
he will find the Turks pleasant
people to deal with in every way.
| In the bazaars it makes all the
difference in the world, both to
your purse and your composure,
whether you enter the shop of a
Turk or a Christian. The lat
ter. if q Greek, begins by over
charging you; then he lowers his
price; he coaxes and fibs; he
runs out after you into the street
to bring you back by the sleeve.
If he has commenced by offer
ling you a pair of babouches at
! ten times their value he will not
cease worrying until he has got
you to take them at eighty per
cent. reduction, and he will be
the gamer by tie bargain after
all. The fellow is so base and
Igrasping, SO impudent and loqua-
cious, that he is not to be shak-
en- off by entreaties or threats.
But with the Turk there is moth
ling but peace and candid deal
ling. The Mussulman trades
man who sees a foreigner enter
his shop lays down his pipe with
an air of resignation, as if he
were sorry to be disturbed.
You may have been staring at
! his display for half an hour with
out his having uttered a word to
entice you in. Once you are
seated (for he motions you cour-
teously to a divan, offers you ci-
! garettes, and coffee out of pot
which he keeps simmering all
4 day on a little stovc), he waits
till you have told him what you
want, and then proceeds to get
lit with due deliberation. You
have asked TO see some shawls;
he lifts them down from SHELF
unSolds them, spreads them out;
and then mutters something by
which he takes Allah to witness
that they are just the things you
asked for. You inquire the
lprice-but here the Turk seems
| to collect himself and does not
mot Immediately answer. This
would be doing business too fast.
Before you part with your mon
ley you must be convinced that
article is genuine, and worth the
price put upon it. First It's text
ure, then its gloss, then its en-
broidery are submitted to youl
inspection by a series Of unhur'
lried dumb motions; and finally
! the Turk waves the shawl ant
) throws it over his own shoulders
that you may judge of its etlec'
=. f,,ll nonvaniallcp " OW a