Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-10-14
Turkish Domestic Life.

Every Turk leads two lives. He may
be in the society of Europeans during
six hours 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 il is
can be seen in the alacrity with which,
on his return to his harem, he lays off
his broadcloth clothes or his public ex-
istence, and dons the white baggy
trousers, the open-necked vest, and the
long gown dear 10 his heart. He is only
ready to be at ease when he releases his
feet from patent leather and from
stockings, and thrusts them into un-
heeled 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 chill
dren. There alone in all the word can
the tired man find the balm of sympathy.
There he has his books, and can study
tn peace il he will. There he enjoys
the riches of his splendid flower gar
den. 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 nature. And here he meets the con-
rolling influences OF his life. The
women of the harem, mother, sisters and
wives, wait upon the man coming
wearily 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
cave him alone with his books, at his
behest. Sooner or later, however. they
assert their woman's right of talking on
serious topics, and then they have him
at their mercy. Now these women who
make the home of the Turks are rarely
his equals in mental requirements. No
question blood rules the selection Of
wives .hong the Turks. A woman
born mud bowel often rules in n
pasha's palace. At the very best, Turk
ish women rarely have any education
beyond the primer. They believe in
signs and wonders; in the active agency
of evil spirits; in the existence of a
great dragon who periodically attempts
TO swallow the moon; in charms and
incantations. In short, they are as
superstitious as they can be after cen.
turies of hereditary ignorance. But they
are positive in opinion, and intolerant of
opposition. Moreover, they are, above
all things else, ardent and bigoted
Mohammedans. Such are the in
tellectual surroundings OF the Turks
during that part of his life
which he loves. And when the
women of his house turn the conversa-
ton upon public affairs, the poor man
Is helpless in their hands, because he
knows the futility of logic in such dis
cussion. Often a pasha meets at home
q petition which he has refused in his
Office, and yielding to sheer importantly
on the part of his women, he rewards
the shrewdness Of the man who has
found means to invoke such aids. Often
1t has happened that the pasha disap-
points an ambassador. and violates his
promise TO support n new measure, be-
cause the women of his household object
to the deviation from custom. He must
yield to his home circle or break with
them entirely. These women are under
no influences by which their opinions
may be changed. They live in a 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 oi
antique origin.
This glance at the home life OF the
Turk and its influence upon him leaves
little to hope from the Turks in the
direction OF voluntary abandonment OF
old systems and practices.-Hdrper's
Magazine.