The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-10-09
Turkish Domestic Life.


be in the society of Europeans during
six hours of every day. He is then well
dressed, vivacious, perhaps intelligent.
But this part of his life is not the part
which forms his motives. 1t is not then
that the final causes are at work which
govern his acts. His life, when he is in
the busy whirl of the world, is SUPER
fetal and unreal. How artificial it is
can be seen in the alacrity with which,
on his return to his harem, he laws of
the broadcloth clothes of his public ex-
istence and dons the white baggy trou-
sers, the open-necked vest and the long
gown dear to his heart. He is only
ready to be at ease when he releases his
feet from patent leather and from stock
ings and thrusts them into unheeled
slippers. Then he is himself, for he is
at home. The harem is to every Turk
his haven of refuge. To it he may flee
from every care. About the harem
cling all the sweetest associations of his
life. All his best feelings find exercise
in that sacred place. His mother, per-
haps, is there, or his sisters. There only
he enjoys the prattle of his children.
There alone in all the world can the
tired man find the balm of sympathy.
There he has his books and can study
in peace if he will. There he enjoys
the riches of his splendid flower-garden.
In the domain of the women, with hills
and wales and moon touched sea before
his eyes, he dreams away his summer
evenings under the subtle spell of ma
ture. And here he meets the control
ling influences of his life. The women
of the harem, mother sisters and wives,
wait upon the man coming YEARLY
home from his struggle with life. They
are to him humble servants or merry
companions, as his mood is. They
please him with his children, or leave
him alone with his books, at his behest.
Sooner or later, however, they assert
their woman's right of talking on seri-
Gus topics and then they have him at
their mercy. Now these women who
make the home of the Turk are rarely
his equals in mental requirements. No
question of blood rules the selection of
wives among the Turks. A woman
born in a mud hovel often rules in
Pasha's palace. A. the very best,
Turkish women rarely have any educa-
ton beyond the primer. They believe
in signs and wonders; in the active
agency of evil spirits; in the existence
OF great dragon who periodically at
tempts to swallow the moon; in charms
and incantations. In short, they are
as superstitious as they can be after
centuries of hereditary ignorance. But
they are positive in opinion and intoler-
ant of opposition. Moreover, they are,
above all things else, ardent and big
oted Mohammedans. Such are the in
tellectual surroundings of the Turk
during that part of his life which he
loves. And when the women of his
house turn the conversation upon pub
lie affairs the poor man is helpless in
their hands, because he knows the fu-
tility of logic in such discussion. Often
a Pasha meets at home a petition which
he has refused in his office, and yield
ing to sheer importantly on the part of
his women, he rewards the shrewdness
of the man who has found means to in
woke such aids. Often it has happened
that the Pasha disappoints an Ambassa-
dor, and violates his promise to support
new measure because the women of
his household object to the deviation
from custom. He must yield to his
home circle or break with them entire
ly. These women are under no infiu-
ences by which their opinions may be
changed. They live in world of their
own and are entirely unaware of an
existence preferable to their own, and
know nothing of that outside world to
which they are simply curiosities of an
tique origin.
This glance at the home life of the
Turk and its influence upon him leaves
little to hope from the Turks in the di-
rection of voluntary abandonment of
all systems and practices.-Hemay O..
DWight, IN Horper's Mdqaziae.