The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-10-12
POOR CARLOTTA.

Since the Empress Charlotte. after the disastrous
fire ut Tirvueren. has resided at the Chateau de
Bouchout Her Majestys health has greatly improved
She IS allowed complete liberty, not only in the
chateau but in the park. The Queen of Belgium is
most devoted to her sster-in-aw and her frequent
almost daily visits looked forward to with the
greatest pleasure. The Empress has remarkable
peculiarity. she never speaks in the first person.
but always the abstract substantive .on:" 'On
desire, rea. erige." but. affabie and gracious
to all. it is seldom that goes beyond expressing
wish. ION desire." She takes u great interest in
the families of the farmers and cottagers the
estate, and when inquiring about them says:"It is
wished to know II they are well or happy''--or shc
will mention to the gardener that cit is remarked"
there are leaves certain alley that should be
swept away or that some alteration has been nicely
uone Inc Empress meals served with the
same ceremony at court. and she always prepares
for Thorn by making change in her dress. When
II I"perdtr'ce est serrie has been announced she
enters the dining and takes her seat, after
making ceremonial courtesy to her suite com
posed OF the governor OF the palace the medical
tendant and the ladies III waiting. Her appetite is
excellent, and her conversation is always sensible
and to the point There are subjects to
which she never alludes, ana which. but
for occasional hts Of abstraction,
from her mind On the whole the Empress char.
lotto leads life as quiet as calm and happy as
could be WISHED. and there is no foundation Tor the
sensational reports that every and then appear
III the French papers. The Chateau de Bouchout be-
longed in 1889 TO the Duke OF Brabant
lilies. Ia I476 1t the property OF the La Marche
dArellbergs, and IN 1882 IL into the possession
of ttoDuc de Beaufort. OF whom IL was purchased
by the King for Its present destination. The Empress
Charlotte inhabits the apartments OF the first oor
which decorated with valuable pictures by mod
rrn artists In little boudoir Is bust of the En-
peror Macmillan, q souvenir brought from Mexico,
in the large salon full sized portrait of the i'll
iated Prince. well portraits of the royal family
OF Belgium.
WESTERN FASHIONS OF ISLAM
During the reign of the Sultan Abdul Hamid
very marked roform--dcgeneracy. the old Turkish
party call ft-has certainly In the manners and
customs of the faithful in the Ottoman capital. 1t
IL true, says tho London Globe. that many pachas
have not yet had tho courage to folow'tho example
of the Padishah. who asked Lady Layard to dinner
but OF late tho fair themselves IN Stamboul
asserting with uncertain voice their right to
Western modes aud Paris fashions. The mys-
tcrious yashinak has pretty well degonerated into
n European veil, while the slovenly yellow
Slipper, so long associated with the foot of
the true believer. is rapidly being discarded by all
Turkish ladies' who valuo their appearance, TO the
intense disgust OF the shocmakcrs Morocco Cairo
has long been half European city. 1t the
great pacha Mehemct Ali who first introduced the
Injuries OF the West into the capital of the Pharaohs
He engaged French artists to provide him with
q ao,ir dclicacics at fabulous Salaries and consumed
tho champagne of Rheims and Epornay in quantities
that would have dismayed even russian or Ameri-
can OF our day. His son. tho famous Ibrahim, by