The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-09-02
HOME LIFE IN THE ORIENT.
HOw THE TURKS APPEAR IN THEIR
DOMESTIC RELATIONS.
Odd Furniture aud FcatureS OF Life
in the Hnrems s-AparlmcMts of
the WOMcM-Magic Spells,

Odd Furniture aud EcarureS OF Life
in the Bnrems-ApartmcM of
the WOmcn-Magic Spells.
The Turkish house, writes a Constan.
tinoplc 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
womens apartment, and the selamlk,
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 sclamlik 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 cqualiticS Of
the conjugal road jolt up his dignity in
! manner little too heavy to be COM
Portable. But the harcmiik is dillcrt Mt
thing. No man enters there except the
owner, or an occasional physician. The
man who meets the wives of native
friend in Turkey docs 50 in the sclamlik,
whittier they have been summoned for
the interview. But lady visitors, native
or foreign. have free access to the apart
mcnts 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-wherc the master can afford lt-a
high walled garden rambling up hill
in the rear. This of course is Il dwell
ing Of wel-to-do man. The poorer
classes live as they can lii rooms where
the sexes mingle freely. Indeed, the
poor alone have ''homcs' in the sense in
which we are accustomed to use the
word. and the poorer they arc the more
closely do husband and wife come to-
ccthcr 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-
ous business OF hand, until, with the
sultan, the ma iority Of his harcm never
see him more than once or twice during
the whole course Of their marital exis.
,encc. The sclamlik is commonly small,
contains few rooms and is usually poor
ly furnished.
Everything Turk can spare is spent
in beautifying his harcm. This is always
large and roomy, with unexpected cor
ners and windows, and commonly o
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 divans
or sofas that run the four sides of the
room. The walls are usually painted or
frescced, and the upholstering is rich
both in color and il 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 q 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 a 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 a bit of view.
And it is hardly to be wondered at that
the Turk is so interested in constantly
adding to the attractivcncss of his harcm.
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 as near & god
as he can ever hope to be. While there
he never has to back up against wall
and wait, with q humble face and chat.
ing spirit, till some bigger man than be
passes by. And if he wants to excr
else his temper by prodding. up slave
with club, there is no one to say him
nay. Everything done around him is
projected with the sole idea of his graft
fication and amusement, and there is no
slave in Turkey so rash as 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 carly
risers, and gene ally soon after sunrise
the slecpcrs commence to stir, and 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 up 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
tho slaves consume the remainder, while
those who have brcakfastcd already in
dulge in coffee and pipe. Then the
master puts on his street garments and
rctires from the harcm, and its inmates
arc 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 fancilul colored
patterns. The bachelor minister has no
greater embarrassment over the number
Of shippers he receives from the hands
Of his fair parishncrs than does the much
married Turk from the plethora of en-
broidcrcd vests that grow under the
fingers of his loving spouses. 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 scolding
each other and the scrvants-a pleasure
of which they never tire. Ediblcs arc
left around in convenient places, and
they lunch ut irregular intervals, as the
humor comes to them, no regular meals
being spread except in the presence of
the head of the house. In the after
Moons many of them 90 visiting, or to
the public baths. The latest favorite
finds work on washing day rinsing her
husbands clothes. This she does with
her own hands, lest in the prior washing
of them the slaves or the women of the
IIarem should have cast spell over
them which would supplant her in her
husbands affections The mental eXcr-
else of looking out for and circumvcnt-
ing of charms and spells is the hardest
brain work that the Turkish woman has.
She is so supcrstitious and believes in so
many kinds of magic that she has to
be very spry in order to get around them
all. And if she is not working to keep
off the spells set against her, the proba-
bililics arc that she IS concOcting some
charms on her own account that shall
harm rival.
1t is mistaken idea that the Turk is
:edate by nature. His gravity is
mask worn only in public. When he
| comes home ut ) o'clock he relaycs from
the fatigue of his dignity and settles
himself for enjoyment. Loose garments
arc assumed, and after supper the lamps
arc lighted and the dissipation begins.
At least one wife is always selected for
her musical ability and one or two others
for their dancing qualities. These &C.
:omplishmcnts they exhibit ad libitum,
and music is always forthcoming from
the musical IN ss ne link above men,
/ iinpoI Tho tpmpDrnrv fayNrifc COM