The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-02-11
A sultana,s Marriage.

The following description of the recent
marriage Of Male Sultana, one of the two
imperial brides, was furnished to the Lon
den &aadessd by an English lady who was
an invited guest :-s.On our arrival at the
house, large building situated up a steep,
narrow street not far from Dolma Ragbtehe
Palace, we were ushered by half dozen
eunuehs through an ante-room, in which
lounged few attendants, into a fine apart
ment crowded with slaves. There we were
requested to wait, as the Sultana had not
yet completed her toilet, coffee and cigarettes
being placed before Us to while away the
time. We were just heginning to tire of
watching the throng, when the stir without
proclaimed the coming of the bridegroom.
man of "a years of age, short aud inclined
to stoutness, but not wanting in certain
comeliness. Male Sultlna had herself
chosen him at the Fridays selamiik, This
power Of selecting husband, by inspection,
as it We're, Is privilege of princesses of
the House Of Othman, and is carried 10
snch an extent that even If the favored
gentleman already possesses a wife he must
divorce her and wed the Saltana. Cases
of this kind are rare; but one at least has
occurred during the latter half of the pres
eut century, when an officer was compelled
much against his viii, to comply with the
cussom. Being rich, however. he sought
consolation in keeping his discarded love In
a separate establishment, a proceeding
which is supposed never to have reached
the ears of his royal partner. In the
present instance, on the contrary, Me
hemet Bey was quite ready to embrace the
chance which fortune offered him. Poor
and without interest, a simple aide-de-
camp uncertain of promotion, he suddenly
finds himself the husband Of his soyereign's
sister, a General and highness to boos.
His appearance was the signal for frantic
rush, to which he responded by scattering
quantities of silver piastFes (in oldeA days
they would have been golden Iras) among
the slaves, The bridegroom having passed
into the Sultanas presence, the ceremony
of marriage was Immediately performed
but only witnessed by the SultanaAs mother,
1t merely consisted in the Imam tying
them together With rope, and declaring
them man and wife Directly this was
over, Mehemet Pacha escaped by side
entrance to avoid being mobbed and buffed,
according to the common practice Of the
slaves, who must have been appeasea bv
unlimited backsheesh, As SOON as the
doors were thrown open the whole mob
poured helter skelter into the inner cham
Der, where the bride was sitting in state.
with a sister by her side All the slaves
and alse the few Armenian ladies who had
been invited bent humbly down and kissed
the hem of her garment, but with us she
shook hands without rising, and motioned
us to chairs very near her. A fair, sweet
faced woman of some twentyztwo summers
is Naile Sultana. She was Dressed in
loose-ftting Turkish robe Of rose colored
silk, slashed with gold, while a long gaase
veil, likewise embroidered with gold, drop
ped down from behind the little cap that
surmounted her tightly drawn up hair.
On her shapely hands and bosom sparkled
magnificent diamonds. Her single button
gloves had burst in fastening, and, alto
gether, her toilet was far less perfect and
rich than We had expected. Throughout
there have been no amusements beyond q
band playing European music in the court,
yard. The whole affair was confession
OF the economy now necessarily reigning
at the Palace