The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-08-14
HOME LIFE IN THE ORIENT.
how THE TURKS APPEAR IN THEIR
DOMESTIC RELATIONS.
odd Furniture and Features of Life
i'm the Hnrcns -Apartments OF
the WOmcn-.7IagiCS Spells.

dnople correspondent of the San Fran
cisco Chronicle, is double barreled, so to
speak, to allow for the strict separation
of the sexes. Between the haremlik, or
women's apartment, and the selamlik,
Inhabited by the men. there is blank
wall pierced by single door, the key of
which is only IN the pocket of the master
Of the house. The selamlik is the official
residence of the Turk. Here he receives
all visitors and spends his home business
hours, and to its bachelor quiet he re-
tires when the temporary CAPABILITIES of
the conjugal road jolt up his dignity in
manner little too heavy to be COM
Portable. But the harcmik is different
thing. No man enters there except the
owner, or an occasional physician. The
man who meets the wives of n native
friend in Turkey docs so in the selamlik,
whittier they have been summoned for
the interview. But lady visitors, native
or foreign, have free access to the apart
ments of the women, so there is little
difficulty in getting exact pictures of
their surroundings and everyday life. The
Turkish house is usually large, irregular
wooden structure, with court within,
and-whcre the master can afford ia
high-walled garden rambling up hill
In the rear. This Of course is dwell
ing of a wcll-to-do man. The poorer
classes live as they can in rooms where
the sexes mingle freely. Indeed, the
poor alone have 'homes" in the sense in
which we are accustomed to use the
word. and the poorer they are the more
closely do husband and wife come to-
gethcr in plans for their mutual support
and enjoyment of life AS the station of
the husband rises, the wife becomes
more and more luxury to be enjoyed
by him only when he has no more seri-
Gus business on hand, until, with the
sultan, the majority of his harem never
see him more than once or twice during
the whole course of their marital eXis-
tence. The seamlik is commonly small,
contains few rooms and is usually poor
ly furnished.
Everything a Turk can spare is spent
in identifying his harcm. This is always
large and roomy, with unexpected cor
ners and windows, and commonly Il
fountain or two pattering away in the
main rooms. The furniture, in Eu-
ropean sense, is uncommonly scarce, the
only approach to it being the long divan5
or sofas that run the four sides OF the
room. The walls are usually painted or
frescccd, and the upholstering is rich
both in color and in fabric. The floors
are of stone or of polished wood, and are
tempered to the bare feet of the fair in
mates by heavy carpets and rugs. Tables
and chairs there are none. Everybody is
expected to sit on the floor or a divan,
and all the meals are spread on the same
level. There are two bits of apparatus,
however, that serve to relieve the mo-
notonv, the invariablc embroidery. frame,
and musical instrument that might
easily be the missing link in the evolution
of the piano. Outdoors the gardens are
perfect masses of beauty, with rare plants
and shady walks and snug little summer
houses wherever there is bit of view.
And it is hardly to be wondered at that
the Turk is SO interested in constantly
adding to the attractlvencSs of his harem.
When he enters it and locks the door be
hind him, he practically shuts out every
care and trouble he has in the world.
Within its inclosurc he is rs near q god
as he can ever hope to be. While there
he never has to back up against a wall
and wait, with humble face and a chat
ing spirit, till some bigger man than he
passes by. And if he wants to cxcr-
else his temper by prodding up slave
with a club, there is no one to say him
nay. Everything done around him is
projected with the sole idea of his graft
tication and amusement, and there is no
slave in Turkey so rash rs 10 venture on
taking in business message to him from
the outside world. no matter how press
ing the communication might be. For
this last is the unwrittcn law of Turkey.
All Turks are comparatively early
riscrs, and generally soon after sunrise
the slcepcrs commence to stir, ana then
the master of the house stretches himself
and sits up and gets ready to make his
toilet. The women all vie with each
other in brushing mp the old man-one
bringing rose water for his beard. an
other towels, another holding looking
glass for him, and all busy as bees about
getting ready for the morning meal.
This being brought in by slaves, the
master breakfasts in state, no one sitting
in his presence but the four hanoums.
and no one eating but himself When
he has finished the women are served,
and the children come in from their
apartments for share in the food. Later
the slaves consume lAe REMAINDER, Wnle
those who have breakfasted already in
dulGe in coffee and a pipe. Then the
master puts on his street garments and
rctires from the harem, and its inmates
are free to follow whatever vocation they
choose for the remainder of the day
Some settle down to the inevitable
embroidery frame, and bend their minds
to the working of fanciiul colored
patterns. The bachelor minister has no
greater embarrassment over the number
of slippers he receives from the hands
of his fair parishncrs than does themuch-
married Turk from the plethora of en-
broidered vests that grow under the
fingers OF his loving spouscs. Others
among the women spend all day in the
kitchen preparing preserves and pickles,
of which all Turks are extremely fond.
thinking Of new dishes to tickle the
palate of their husband, and scOldino
each other and the servants-a pleasure
of which they never tire. Ediblcs are
left around in convenient places, and