The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1886-12-11
TURKISH CHILDREN.

will break out into mischief. They must
also have variety in their entertainment.
They must be petted. The philology
of the word "pet," signifies it. A child
soon tires Of one kind of diversion. He
must find something else. The Turkish
child is no exception. Whether running
about as I see him here, in his little
baggy clothes, over which is a sort of
dressing gown, padded with cotton, made
out of cheap prints, highly colored, gen.
orally red; or munching sweetmeats in
his satins and silks, tassels and gold laces,
with his little cane strutting by the side
of his yelled mother, over the green at
the "Sweet Waters" near the Palace Of
Ghiocksouyee; whether he be rich or
poor, of crockery or porcelain-he is of
the same "earth earthly" as the American
bad or good boy.
He ls. perhaps, more plastic in the
hands of servant or slave. This person
age Is often put to the use of all his wits
to make up stories wonderful enough to
fill the imagination of these inchoate
Sindbads and Haroun-al- Raschids- these
children of Bejazet and Suleimsn. Gen
orally such st cries refer to boy or girl
of their own age as the hero Perhaps
the hero is some Arab cowboy of the
desert or plain! In these narratives,
there are battles with the enemies of the
Faith in which millions of Christians are
slain by handful of Moslems. The
hero has slaughtered most Of them. Rob-
berries, incendiarisms, murders and pira-
cies are committed by the enemy of the
heroic Mussulman, who cuts them down
with his crescent shaped scimitar. In
these stories the bad Unbeliever is pun
ished ultimately by the good Moslem.
The tale winds up with the immunity of
the true believer; nay, with reward in
proportion to the number of enemies
killed; reward in paradise OF rare
beauty and delight
With such stories, we do not wonder
that the Turkish child should grow into
bigoted man. We do wonder that in
his contact with other nationalities
the constant encroachment on Turkish
domain in Africa and Europe, that when
he comes to mans estate, his early train
ing 80 little affects his natural tolerance
and urbanity.
There is one occasion on which the
Turkish children are taught to be respect
full and obedient; that is, when they are
brought in presence of their father and
mother. They learn to approach their
parents in the same humble attitude as
the servants; for instance, as soon as the
child is brought in, he must approach
them with his hands upon his stomach.
On coming nearer, he must take their
hands and kiss them. After this, he must
withdraw some three or four steps and
stand with his hands on the stomach and
not seat himself until he is permitted.
On this account the little Turk likes
better to be with the servants than with
his parents.
If the "child be father OF the man."
then the Turkish child is not SO bad after
all. considering the provocation and
allurements to be otherwise. In places
where the Turk does not mingle with
those of other creeds and nations, he
may, if ignorant, be naughty. He may,
as child and man, beat, or abuse with
facile stick or tongue, the children who
are alien to the commonwealth of Islam.
He sees the servants about him subdued
to the son of their master, and as he has
no communications outside the only sur
prise is that he does not become more
absolute and arrogant. Upon the whole,
I am yet to meet Turk who is not gentle.
He is more polite than the French; and
more sincere in his politeness. The
Turkish peasant is good sample of the
uncorrupted stock; and he is sober and
simple person. Daughters marry Young
and their housekeeping is a model OF
cleanliness compared with the squalor
and dirt of other Oriental races and
homes. Their vices are from alien
sources; their virtues are from the teach.
ing of the Koran, and their hospitality
and courtesy are among these virtues
Hon. S. S. Coz.