The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1883-09-01
The Tragedy Of an Egyptian Wife.

Inc Tragedy OF an Egyptlan Wucs
Rifaat Bey, who left Cairoon the night
of January 1st in charge OF a Oircassian
guard, is more fortunate than Mahmoud
Sami Barudi; his wife, although lady
of rsnk and supposed to have been sub
iected to ''preesure" in high quarters to
induce her to remain in Cairo, persisted
valiently in her resolution to accompany
her husband into exile. The project of
police, it is said, was sent to Nine Rifaat
to urge many reasons why she should not
forsake her native land. Was she aware
Rifaat's destination was Malta? It was
q Christian country; attempts would be
made 20 destroy her faith, to compel her
to turn Christian. To all this Nine. Ri
faat's answer was the answer given by
Ruth long ago-where her husband
went she would go; if he became a
Christian, she would become one too; his
people should be her people, his God
her God. Very touching, and so far as
the lady is concerned, noble also. But
whether Rifaat Bey himself deserves to
be the object OF such absolute devotion,
an incident that occurred on the plat
form gives one cause to doubt. Rifaat
was calmly seated in first.class car
riage; and the exiles impassive dignity
and calm whilst the sound of women's
wailings came from the waiting room
impressed one as quite heroic, whilst
one was allowed to hold the delusion
that it signi6ed indifference to his
town misfortunes. In an adjoining car
riage were Nine. Rifaat and female
slave, both of them closely veiled and at
tired in the black buggy gowns Egyptian
ladies float aboutin: mysterious balloons,
known to be human only by the voices
that proceed from them. These ladies
were silent, and appeared naturally dis
pirited; but two fine little boys, the cid.
sst being about ten years of age, stood at
the carriage window, and talked away
cheerfully in French to the European
visitors who had come to wish them
good. speed. Presently this impression
of fine fortitude, and brave acceptance
of banishment by whole family rather
than that its honored head should go
forth solitary exile, was wofully dis
turbed and the head of the family him
self made to appear in anything but an
amiable light From the black crowd OF
waiiing women in the distance suddenly
one woman broke, throwing off the grasp
of those who tried to hold her, and, rush.
ing up to Rifaat, her veil all torn and
her beautiful face Zone of the most beau
tiful I have ever seen) literally bathed
in tears, cried lin truth with an exceed
ingly bitter cryl. "For the love oi
heaven give me back my childr' She
spoke in Arabic; but her gesture and hel
despair were so eloquent that the En-
glish gentlemen round the carriage
started, and in delicate compassion drew
back from her and let her plead hel
cause as she might. But they had moi
taken into consideration the high disdain
a dignifed oriental puts into his in
tercourse with women. Rifaat Bey
who had cigarette in his mouth and
continued smoking whilst the poor wild
creature poured forth her complaint
only took it out of his mouth to say one
word, signifying, "Be off with you. and
as a hideous black Nubian came up
quickly, the Bey nodded to him with the
same gesture with which he might have
ordered the slave to brush fly, and sc
the poor woman was led away weeping
aloud and beating her breast. Then the
story was whispered round that this was
the Rifat's first wife, whom he had di
vorced. But an Egyptian, like most
easterns, sets great store by his sons
even though he has grown to hate theil
mother. and SO Rifat carries away into
exile the only child of this poor de
serted creature, whom [ should Judge by
her fair hair complexion and lovely ova
face, and also of her perfect knowledge
of French, to have been Circassial
slave; chosen for her beauty and trained
in accomplishments, like the "fair Per
sian" in the arabian Nights" was mar.
ried as the ''fair Persian" herself was, to
be thrown aside as lightly. After all
the Nubian eunuch would seem to have
reasoned with the poor mother more
compassionately than his unattractive
countenanee promised; for after q
time she returned with her veil ar
ranged, and only weeping quietly
She passed Rifaat's carriage with BEN
head, and only stopped at the adjoining
one. She had brought sweetmeats will
her for the boy, and put them into hi:
hands, and kissed him weeping; while he
accepted all her fondness with a placid
indifference which led one almost to hope
his stepmother might follow out the
traditions of story land and give hin
cause to regret the affection he valued sc
lightly. After few moments the Nubiar
came near the carriage and seemed to re
mind the weeping woman she haG
promised there should be no fresh dis
turbance. This time she walked back tt
the other women quietly, and until the
train had started we saw no more of her
Later, one of the saddest scenes hav.
ever witnessed was that of the black
gowned women ronnd her, their guar6
of eunuohs standing with clasped arms
vrakahino them whilst thew walled oye1
her on the monotonous note Egyptian
women dwell upon in lamentation. Th,
divorced wife and bereaved mother wa
distinguishable by her torn white vel
and uncovered face, and also by he
silence. She seemed 10 have exhausted
grief, or at any rate her sense of mourn
ing, and sat there amongst the darl
figures almost IS though she were deae
and these were the funeral guests invites
to bewail her.-St. James Gazette.