Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-01-27

replied eagerly. 'And the second condition."
That you never, either Of you. disclose to any
human being who was the promoter and insti.
gator OF your elopement."
II promise, papa" said Dora.
"And 80 do l, SIR" said the young husband
| Immediately afterwards
| And the blessing was bestowed.
| Turkish Harem Life.
Every Turkish house is divided into two dis
tinct parts, the selamifk and the harem, the
former being reserved for the men, the latter
for the women. This division exists in the
palaces Of the Sultan as we'll as In the houses of
the simple artisan. In public carriages, tram
ways or trains. women have their reserved
places, protected by curtain from the gaze Of
the people. The thousands Of women who are
In the harems of the sultan and Of the princes
OF the imperial family are all slaves. There is
not a single rich or well-to-do family in Turkey
that does not possess certain number of women
and girl slaves. There are black and white
slaves: the former from Central Africa and
Nubia; the latter are Circassians. sold by their
! parents This latter commerce is altogether
free. AS to the commerce Of negresses, it is
under the surveillance of the different con-
sulafes and more especially of that of England
The white slaves were formerly bought in
| Georgia and Circassia Russia since she has
| conquered Circassia has prohibited this COM
merce; but many families have emigrated to
Turkey. and they bring up several young girls
20 sell them as slaves. There are no longer
public markets for slaves and Young girls are no
longer bought as formerly at the bazaar, but
tncre are houses known by the authorities where
tney are exposed for sale. Children of some
years old are sold by Circassian families: the
price varies according to the beauty of the chill
dren from some hundreds to thousands of pias-
tres. In an ordinary time girls of fifteen or six
teen. and who are really beautiful. are sold for
a hundred Thousand nj
sand pounds. The ugly women are employed
| Tor d nestle work, while those who are pretty
are taught to sing. dance and write.
The question of slavery is well understood by
the different embassies at COnstantinOple Am
bassadOrs wives visit the harems of the sultan
OF pashas and beys. They pass whole day
there sometimes. breakfasting and dining in the
harems being waited upon by slaves Often on
the very day that their wives are visiting the
harems, the ambassadors send in q protest
against slavery. having noted the arrival OF q
ship full OF black slaves from Africa As to the
hundreds OF thousands of white slaves who make
up the harems, nothing Is said of these. This
slavery Is one Of the sources Of the decline Of
Turkey The law authorizes every Turk to
marry four wives. and to have as many concu-
bfnes as his purse will allow him. The sultans.
having renowned political marriages with
Christians and with daughters of their
subjects, only live with slaves. Those
slaves who become mothers are raised
to the rank OF cadine, but never to the rank
or wife, for the sultan does not marry In his
quality of khalife. he is too much above slave
60 contract marriage with her. Abdul Hamid
mas four cadines. Besides, the Sultan Abdul
Hamld has, according to custom. for his attend
ants, forty young girls chosen from among the
most beautiful. They dress and undress him and
accompany him to the bath: the cadine who dis
pieases most is deposed. These bridesmaids
pear the name of 'oda-sGues' or "odaeuk'
in Turkish. Those that become fayorites with
the sultan are called ''jkbaI." The other slaves
OF the palace perform all interior duty: some are
trained to dance and form corps de ballet: others
to sing, who are kept for that purpose only
Cooking is generally performed by men in Turkey.
at the palace as well as in private houses the
cooks are for the most part Armenians. The
Sultan Abdul Hamid is too fond of the harem.
IKE his brother the ex-Suitan MOurad and like
his father, the late Sultan Abdul Medjid.
AS to the princesses Of the imperial family,
custom gives them the power of choosing their
own husbands. They often go out in carriages.
and walk out; they thus have every opportun-
lty OF selecting husband. who is, generally
speaking. young "bey" Of good family Very
oIten the youth learns his fate when it is decided
tnat ne Is to marry princess. When the prin-
cess has selected some one she informs the
mother of the sultan. and the latter informs her
SON. The young hey" Is not always pleased.
out ne must pretend to be so; II he shows any
signs OF dlspleasure he is exiled and his family
ruined From the very moment that a young
man Is selected by princess, his life cannot be
called his own. He is raised to a high rank
IN the army generally. as Turkish princesses
have weakness for uniforms; but he must be
very careful in his behavior, for all his actions
are noticed up to his marriage, which takes
place several months, sometimes two years,
afterwards A young man Of seventeen was
chosen by princess, and he was made q gem
eral CT division Three days after he paid too
much attention to a young girl and for having
done so he was degraded. He left the country
and lived in Paris. On his return to CONSTANT
nople he was so badly received by every one
that he started for Egypt, and would not now
return to COnstantinOpie for worlds
Inc gardens OF the harems are protected by
walls raised to great height. The doors of the
harem, as well as those Of the selamilk are
never locked In the daytime no beds are to be
seen; they are only got ready at night The bed
is most sllnple-a mattress laid on the floor and
two sheets and pillow. The next morning
these things are placed in q room on purpose:
there are no cupbOards of any sort The gem
eral aspect of the harem Is tiste there being
nothing to relieve the eye. The sons of pashas
beys and effendis marry young. Living in the |
harem IN their infancy, when they are fourteen |
generally speaking, slave from the harem OF |
thelr iather. The young girl at once is freed !
from all want, dressed In the choicest of dresses
and, should she later on give birth to a child. |
she becomes ''hamoum." If. on the contrary.
she has no child she is sold again at loss to the
original owner. The young man takes another
slave, and continues doing 80 till he becomes |
father. The wife Of q pasha has the title of /
hamoum effendi; her authority In the harem is |
great, almost absolute. The master of a hOuse
pasha, hey or effendi, and his children are. like
the sultan, served by slaves. VINO attend them /
while they take their baths, and render all man
ner of other service = -
The child Of slave has q share IN the fortune |
OF it's father. Infanticide Is limo way punished |
in Turkey. though there are thousands OF cases
In the country. Out Of twenty marriages in
Turkey fourteen are made with slaves, and the /
other six with free daughters OF Mussulmans. Il
Is somewhat rare to find hamoum who ia able
to read well; they, for the NEST part, know oniy
how to sing, dance. and play ON some instru-
ment. They only really care about their toilet.
The lower classes alone In Turkey have pre-
served their virtues; the upper classes are all
more or less depraved. The Vizir Fuad Pasha /
once said. In pointing to the wall of harem.
AS long as that wall lasts we shall remain I'M
fitted for modern progress" What is too true
unfortunately In all this u.s. that neither the
sultan, pashas beys nor effendis have the desire
or the wish to accomplish this reform, for they
are too fond of the harems
Husband and q Mule.
From Texas Siftngs.