Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1883-05-03
PRIZES OF TIE HAREM.
How English Girls are Decoyed into
the Srragifos OF the East

1t is quite notorious, that every ha-
rem in the East aims at getting an Eu-
ropean tenant for it. Year after year
girls are reported to be missing from
London or Paris or Brussels without
anyone knowing what has become OF
them. Is few days they are forgot
ten; they may have crowned them
selves, become reformed or died their
usual death. Som etlmes the story is
that the girl has been decoyed to Bel
gium though why Belgium, which is
pleased with plethora Of that particu.
lar species of frailty, should cart Goals
to its own Newcastle is net easy to ex-
plain. Meantime it is impossible to
pass along the streets of London with
out seeing snaky-eyed Orientals peer
ing into the faces of millinery girls,
and he mast be an unobservant trav-
eler indeed, who has sailed in PENN
sula and Oriental steamer for Alexan-
dria or Port Said without meeting the
same rapscallions escorting rosy-cheek-
ed damsels Cairo-ward. The supply is
perhaps little less than it used to be
when Ismail Pacha ran special trains
for the convenience of his consign-
ments from Europe. But that in Egg pt,
lDcia, Turkey and the Orient generally
every harem Of any consequence keeps
In its gilded cage one or more frail or
foolish Britons is a fact which is need
less trying to deny, though it is humil-
iating to confess.
These wretched girls are tempted by
life of ease and Incidence. They are
dazzled by a show of jewels, fine clothes
and the stories of the gorgeous east,
and find too late that they have enter
ed a squalid prison, amid women as
heather rs any whom the world can
show, and with whom it is impossible
to exchange word to while away the
loneliness of life which has lost its
novelty. So long as they keep the favor
OF their lord they are objects of perse-
cution and plots; when they lose it
their lot IS unhappy beyond concep-
ton. Such stray lambs are seldom
sought after, though 10 their relations
they are as much lost as if they had
as if they had plunged into the sea.
The harem rarely surrepders its prison
ers, and if il did they are too ashamed
to return, poor and dlsillusioned. Again
and again have rumors reached Delhi
of General Wheeler's daughter and
other European ladies being kept in the
haroms to which they were dragged
during the Indian mutiny. But soon the
scent is Lost. IL there is any truth in the
gossip it is certain that the objects of it
are just beyond the chances of recov-
cry, for wherever the harem owner in
trodnces TO his guests he takes care to
make an exception in favor of bis Fer
ringhees. But if silly damssls err
through ignorance and love Of lazl-
ness, what is to be said of women,
reasonably well educated, who c.lmly
to crafty ambition, to spite som ebody,
or from some vagus idea OF "the ro-
nance of the thing" themselves
in cold blood to an Eastern Potentste2
The unhappy Mrs. Digsy, after varied
marital experience, espoused the dirty
Bedouin camel driver, Aijuel of the
Mizrab. What her opinions were shs
kept to herself; for, a pariah among ser |
Lord Elenborough's quondam |
bride felt sour to all the christian race. |
1t may be that this hatred 10 shared by
and constitutes their approach to
hsppiness of-the weak-faced woman
who have chosen to bo harem Britons.