The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1883-09-13
The Tragedy OF an Egyptian Wife.

Eifaat Bey, who LETT CalrOOn the night
of January LIST in charge Of a Circassian
guard, is more fortunate than Mahmoud
Sami Barudi; his wife, although lady
of ronk and supposed to have been sub.
iected to "pressure" 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? 1t was
a Christian country; attempts would be
made to destroy her faith. to compel her
to turn Christian. To all this Nine. Ri
fats answer was the answer given by
Ruth long ago-where her husband
went she would go; if he became
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 Riiaat Boy himself deserves to
be the object of such absolute devotion,
an incident that occurred on the plat.
form gives one cause to doubt. Rlfaat
was calmly seated in first class car.
riage; and the exile's 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 signiied Indifference to his
own msfortunes. In an adjoining car
riage were Nine. Rifaat and female
slave, both of them closely yelled and at
tired in the black buggy gowns Egyptian
ladies float about in mysterious balloons,
known to be human only by the voices
that proceed from them. These ladies
were silent, and appeared naturally dis
pirited; bpt two fine little boys, the eld-
est 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 Punishment by a whole family rather
than that its honored head should go
forth a solitary exile. WAS wofully dis
turbed and the head of the family him
self made to appear in anything but an
smiable light. From the black crowd of
wailing women in the distance suddenly
one woman broke. shrowing off the grasp
OF those who tried to hold her, and, rush
ing u 20 Rifaat, her veil all torn and
her beautiful face Zone of the most beau.
tiful have ever SEEM literally bathed
in tears, cried lin truth with an exceed.
ipgly bitter cryN. "For the love OF
heaven give me back my child! She
spoke in Arabic; but her gesture and her
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 her
cause as she might. But they had not
taken into consideration the high disdain
q dignifed oriental puts into his in
tercourse with women. Rifaat Bey,
who had a cigarette In his mouth and
continued smoking whilst the poor wild
creature poured forth her complaint,
only took it out of his month to say one
word, signifying, ''Be off with you. and
as q 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 SO
the poor woman was led away weeping
aloud and beating her breast. Then the
story was whispered round that this was
the Rifats 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 their
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 oval
face, and also of her perfect knowledge
OF French, to have been Circassian
slave; chosen for her beauty and trained
in accomplishments, like the "fair Per-
sian" in the Arabian Nights" was mar
ried a. the ''fair Persian" herself was, to
be thrown aside - lightly. After al.
the Nubian eunuch would seem TO have
reasoned with the poor mother more
oompassicnately thnn his unattractive
countenance promised; for after u
time she returned with her veil ar
ranged. and only weeping quietly.
She passed Rifaat's carriage with bent
head. and only stopped at the adjoining
one. She had brought sweetmeats with
her for the boy, and put them into his
hands, and kissed him weeping; while he
accepted oil her fondness with . placid
indifference which led one almost 10 hope
his stepmother might follow out the
traditions of story land aud give him
cause TO regret the affection he valued so
lightly. After few moments the Nubian
came near the carriage and seemed TO re.
mind the weeping woman she had
promised there should be no freah dis.
turbauce. This time abe walked back to
the other women quietly. and until the
train mad started We saw no more Of her.
Later. one Of the saddest scenes have
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