The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-11-20

to turn ones back on q lady is IN offense
that no gentleman would think Of COM
hitting. 1 am not in the least alarmed.
Put you say he has punished his wife.
What has he done to her?S
''Oh, yes, he has punished her. ]
heard both her and her mother wailing.
and the eunuch told me that the Bey
had said to her: Il divorce YOU tscics.
and had ordered her to her country
place on probation for six months, when
he would decide whether or not to mals
the divorce absolute, repeating it the
third time. Nothing but the prayers Of
her mother has prevented him from
divorcing her at once and absolutely.
''Then come with me, will pay him
q visit, and, after having explained my
conduct, having shown him as Chris
tan and q gentleman that I could not
turn my back on q lady. l will intercede
for the poor woman"
IAN right, Your Excellency; I thinb
that is the best course to pursue"
l drove at once to the house of the
Bey, where I was met by the eunuch
with many salaams, professions Of
friendship, and the assurance that his
master was not at home. "That is all
right" said l. slipping a ten-franc piece
into his itching palm, II will await his
return" l was Immediately invited
into the house, given a cup of coffee and
pipe. and overwhelmed with polite.
ness, while the master was produced
after SO brief delay as to assure me
that he had been at home all the time.
Talk about French politeness! 1t Is
no more to be compared with that of ar
Oriental than mustard seed toa pump
kin. The old Bey was as suave and OBJ
sequious as if l had been the Khedive
himself. Although he would have beer
pleased to throw me into the Nile, he
actually embraced me, and declared
that he and his household were my
friends and slaves. As we slipped our
coffee together made Achmed explain
that, never having lived in a Mohamme-
dan country before, Twas ignorant of its
customs, and that in Christian lands it
was regarded breach Of civility to turn
ones back upon lady, especially upon
the wife of great man and an esteemed
friend. He professed to be more than
satisfied. begged me never to think Of
the occurrence again, and vowed that
no other physician should ever cross his
threshold while remained in the coun-
try.
l then tried to put in s word for his
wife, but, while he smiled, bowed and
looked the very picture of amiability, he
told Achmed in Turkish, knowing that
did not understand the language. that
If another word was said concerning his
harem. or if was informed of the
threat he was then making, he (Achmed)
should receive the kourbashe and be sent
to the SOudan, a region which in Egypt
is placed upon the same plane, with the
''bottomless pit" but as regards climate
and billet de retour.
l could learn nothing respecting the
fate of the unfortunate wife, and
never saw or heard of the Bey again
while l remained in Egypt.
1t seems that with many women the
mouth and the back of the head are the
pieces de resistance, and that the face is
yelled for the especial purpose of guard
ing their features against masculine OBJ
servation, this exposure being regarded
as the ultima thule of pollution, espec-
tally If the woman be wife.