Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-11-10
LIFE IN THE HAREM.
The women of Egypt-A Life Of
GREAT splendor and Total tdle-
ness-Pity for the Women of
civilization.
tRose Eytinge in New York Star.

You tSh IL liltIt 10 io'iS nv So
Egypt, that old, old land of science, le-
gend and superstition, OF sensuous color
ing, of semi-barbaric splendor, OF Isis and
Osiris, of Cleopatra the magnificent, and
the mysterious pyramids-is there any
hone-life there? No, certainly not, as
we understand it. OF course, the people
there must eat, drink and sleep III
obedience to the memorable laws OF our
common humanity, but there can be no
domestic life where there is no woman at
the head of the household, and the
Egyptian women are mere utilities.
There is no middle class, SO that they are
| divided into the two class extremes OF
high and low.
The high life is that of the hareem, as
they call it, and not harem, and is much |
better known throughout Europe than
that OF the lower-class Egyptian women.
During my residence in Cairo i was fire.
auentiy admitted to the harem upon the
invitation of the mother of the Viceroy Of
Egypt, Ismail Pasha, father Of the pres
ent Pasha. Ismail was the Viceroy, or
second in distinction to the Sultan OF
Egypt. The Pasha was SO afraid OF being
poisoned that his mother cooked all he
ate, and for that purpose she accompanied
him wherever he went. Poisoning is
the favorite method in that country of
getting rid of an obnoxious person. 1t is
much more speedy and infinitely less ex-
pensive than State trial.
THE LOT OF WOMAN.
With the exception OF the viceroy's
mother / never knew woman OF high
position to know anything at all of the
culinary art. used often to spend a
whole day in the harem and never saw
any OF the women doing anything useful.
They are very seldom taught to read or
write. Conversation is generally carried
on with a foreigner in French through the
aid OF an interpreter. / soon picked up
} Arabic enough to converse with them
| without aid. They live in great splendor
and total idleness. They have no pic
. lures in their palaces and possess no for
, eign or native literature. They never
, sew, or even embroider, and their only
} recreation consists in seeing girls dance
: and in listening to some barbaric music
, or in stories told them by some old wo-
D man in true Arabian Nights style.
/. The Egyptian women are fully devel-
!, oped at the age of Is and old at 30. Their
II forms are usually most exquisite until
$ fat-that bane of both men and women
in high life-destroys the delicate beauty
OF their outlines. The upper portion OF
their faces, eyes, brows and foreheads,
are wondrously lovely, but the lower
4 part, below the nose, is ugly, badly
nately for them, they are enabled to con.
Il ceal these defects by the veil they wear
,s So far from being disconnected with theil
!, lot, the women of Egypt have the utmost
u pity for their civilized sisters, especially
II in matters OF the heart. They say oul
s husbands can care nothing for us, OF
they would not allow other men to look
;, upon our faces, and think that civilized
- women possess no modesty to go un
n yelled.
IS AS the men do the cooking and tn,
N main part OF the sewing in Egypt, it i.
If easy to see why there is no employment
s. for women. Except in rare cases, thei
is intelligence does not exceed that of al
is American child 10 or ~ years of age
IS Therefore, the men, although themselves
IL not much superior, still have hardly an,
e respect for them.
s, DINNER IN THE HAREM.
Is Let me describe dinner in the haren
le when a guest is present. Their tables ar
always circular and about a foot and
Or half in height. They sit like dolls aroun
TX them on cushions. The old, inactive an
he fat once down, have to be pulled uy
rs They serve but one dish at a time, an
III that in Il large circular salver OF silver
n brass or sometimes gold. They have n
'r forks, knives or spoons, but each dip
IN two fingers OF the right hand into the dis
y, and takes out bit, the meat having bee
he cut into small pieces in the kitchen.
:s they wish to particularly distinguish
rs visitor they select a dainty piece and pac
NJ it in her mouth. Ii would be an insult
IN betray any feeling but delight at such
or mark of favor.
A great dish for n FEAST and one whic
III few Christian women have ever tasted.
lg that OF a lamb roasted whole. After Tia
y. manner OF nest OF Chinese boxes, eac
oil smaller than the other, the lamb is stuffe
NJ with whole turkey, the turkey with
$, chicken, the chicken with pigeon, tn
'a pigeon with quail, the quail with
a becatica, the smallest bird known excer
10 the humming bird. 1t resembles OF
De reed bird intaste and makes Just moutl
~ ful The lamb is roasted over slow fin
=; until it is cooked to shreds and melts int
ed one as it were. The Egyptians have n
1d systemized way of eating, no set time 70
n meals, but keep up continual munchin
wv oil sweets, OF which they have gres
no variety unknown to us, and all sickeninl
~ sweet to a European palate. They us
he honey Tor sugar.
Is, In an Egyptian kitchen there is tot,
40 absence of what civilized cook woul
~ consider in dispensable in the way ,
IN cooking utensils and appliances. Ther
n is no dresser upon which to arrange tn
y dishes; there is no sink nor runnin
Up water, nor anything like our cooking stoy
rs or range, but upon one side of the kitche
ks there is erected structure of masonr
IL which resembles n great square shelf wit
deep drawers, the openings to which ar
US on the top. This queer object is Ill
~ Egyptian range-the openings are cha
n coal furnaces, and as they are discor
~ nected, cook can have a dozen fires, O
10 only one, as he desires. | have often bee
y atonished at the excellence and delicac
pa OF a dinner cooked upon one of these rud
~ ranges.
y,
a. Only Slight Unpleasantness.