The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1882-12-14
Arabi.
His Family-The Egyptian Leader In Prison


Lady Gregory sends to the London
Times an account of Arab Pasha and
his family. She says:
1t was not until the end of February
that l went, with Lady Anne Blunt,
to visit Arabi's wife. They had moved
some little time before to new house,
large and dilapidated, and when Arab
was represented as having fitted up in a
luxurious style-in fact, at that time
the crime most frequently alleged
against him was that he had bought
carpets to the amount eff E12O. l must
confess that there were some pieces of
new and not beautiful European car
pets in the chief rooms, but | must adt,
that if Arab paid 912O for them he
made very bad bargain. The sole
furniture of the reception room of Ara
bis wife consisted of small, hard divans
covered with brown linen and a tiny
table with crochet antimacassur
thrown over it. On the whitewashed
walls the only ornaments were photo
graphs of him in black wooden frames
and one larger photograph of the. Sa-
cred Stone of Mecca. In the room where
Arab himself sat and received were
similar hard divan, two or three chairs,
table, and an inkstand covered with
stains. His wife was ready to receive
US, having heard an hour or two earlier
of our intended visit She greeted us
warmly, speaking in Arabic. which Lady
Anne Interpreted to me. She has q
pleasant, intelligent expression, but
having five children living out of four
teen that have been born to her looked
rather overcome with the cares of ma
ternity. She wore long dress of green
silk. "My husband hates this long
train," she told me afterward He
would like to take knife and cut it off,
but l say must have fashionable
dress to wear when visit the Khedive's
wife and other ladies'
An old woman with white hair,
dressed in the common country fash
iona woolen petticoat and blue cot
ton jacket-came to the room and occu-
pied herself with the children. Pres
emily we found that she was Arabi's
mother. She spoke with great energy
and vivacity, welcoming US and talking
of her son with much affection and
pride, Il am only fcllah woman"
she said. "but / am the mother of All
med Arab" She took me twice into
another room to seen an oleograph, of
which she was very proud, represent
ing him in staring colors. a day or
two. before left, went again to see
his wife. She looked a little sadder,
little more anxious, than when l had
last seen her. She seemed troubled,
poor woman. because the Khedive's
wife. who used to be kind and good to
her, now says: "How can we be friends
when your husband is such bad
man?' The old mother sat in the cor
ner attending to the children and count
ing over her beads, 1 said: care you
not proud now that your son is
Pasha?" mo" she said; ''we were
happier in the old days when we had
him with US always and feared nothing.
Now he gets up at daybreak and has
only time to say his prayers before
there are people waiting for him with
petitions, and he has to attend to them
and then 60 to his businass, and often
he is not back here until after mid
night, and until he comes l cannot
sleep, cannot rest; can do nothing
but pray for him all the time. There
are many who wish him evil, and they
will try to destroy him. A few days
ago he came home suffering great pain,
and was sure that he had been pois-
oned, but l got him q hot bath and
remedies and he grew better, and since
then have kept even the water that he
drinks under lock and KEY. Bnt, say
all l can, l cannot frighten him or
make him take care of himself; he al
ways says: ''God will preserve me.'