Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-03-01
IN TURKISH HAREMS.
MONOTONOuS LIFE LED BY THE
WIVES OF THE WEALTHY.
Few Household Duties for the Very Poor
to observation-disclosures of Circassian
SIaves-The "VaIide Suitana"-Bad
state Of Society.

to Perform-Influence of Circassian
SIaves-Tbc "VaIide suitana"-Ba,i
,
9'a'o Vi "'S'
The only listleSs and really idle women one
| ,naats in This rountrv are either the wretch.
eaI,, noo,. an. tbs innotes Of tho serarlio or
ss,,1'. I'll. ,,o,I,,,,, t,or.,,, III, L,tt.,.
i.''' =, ~
| espcC'aHy luo Souns ai''o"s 'ieii, ,o'''
bitterly ot the lhohouohy OIL their hie' i"o
beautiful and sprightly young Girls-daugh-
ters of high government otiicial-recently
discoursed most eloquently to us Of III" de-
| liEhtful freedom of their life when Ut their
summer home on the BoSphorus "lierr,'
| said they, I'VE can ride ON horS' back III the
| lovely country or row over these bright
waters and are almost us free as other young
| ladies; soon, though, when we return TO our
town house, we can only go out in close
| carriGgc or when wrapped like mummy in
| a yashmac or ferczic," These young Indies
| were being educated by English and French
governesses. Sometimes, | am told, these
women rebel en- massC, and nearly discard
the close vel or some other 'regulatiun'
raiment, and little notice is taken OF 1t until
there is some scandal evolved and reported
to the sultan. Then the screws are tishtencd.
| am told that even in the harcms Of the
wealthy the "hOnoum' chief LADY, often
spends the morning hours huSlly engaged
with her domestics and slaves i'll the COM
monest household duties, in order to relieve
the tedium OF her life OF sccusiun. They
must always have the consent of the lord of
the household before they can go out, even
for a short call, or to any of the sylvan re-
treats where they SO delight to picnic with
their friends; but, judging from the great
number Of veiled women we see abroad on
ENrf.
must conclude such consent is seldom with
held Though they have always to submit
to being attended by lynx eyed eunuch,
they still look cheerful and care free, sitting
about on soft rugs, eating sweetmeats slipping
coffee or smoking cigarettes, chatting with
their neighbors.
The very poor have rarely many household
duties to perform. Their children are not
allowed to occupy much of their time, but
are sent to the mosque school or turned into |
the street to amuse themselves with other |
children Of their class The actual needs Of |
the family are easily supplied, for a loaf or |
two of the black bread of the country, the |
price of which is regulated by the govern |
ment and Is very cheap, and few pounds of |
grapes or olives also very cheap, are for |
them quite sufficient daily bread l." and two
or three simply fashioned garments consti-
tute the needful raiment. There is no set
ting to rights of rooms, other than the roll
ing up and slowing away in closets of the
pallets on which they have slept Therefore
the mistress of house is soon at liberty to
curl up in a corner of her divan with her
needlework and beloved cigarette, if the
Weather is nclcment, or if the day is fine can
Join some group on a grassy hillside, and
spend the entire dav in the most frivolous
gossip. with their children playing about
all Ia Of |
childhood.
1t seems evident that Turkey took a viper
10 her breast when she gave the Circassian
refugees a foothold here, for these people
furnish much of the stuff from which the
most daring of brigands are made, and who
can measure the power behind the throne"
these outlaws command, when it is so well
known that many fair Crcassian slave has [
l lover whose strength cannot be estimated. |
tOl. James Baker is authority for the stato- !
nent, in a work published about ten years ago
that "the Circassians i'll European Turkey
ire estimated ut 200 900, and arc the terror
If their ncighbors, whether Turks or Chris
ians Their depredations go unchecked
through fear of reprisals Their interest at | {
nigh quarters, through the introduction Of | {
heir beautiful girls to the principal harems d
# Constantinople and elsewhere, is SO great '
hat it is found difficult to get convictions
gainst them They know their own power, 7
md unless stringent measures are taken to /
top further immigration and TO enforce the n
aw more strictly over those already colon
zed, they must prove great bar to progress
or many years to comen Thus we see that
ven the scourge of brigandage is in meas
re supported by the weaker sex. |,
But there are yet more potent powers be- N
ind the throne The "valide sultana," or
lltans mother, is possessed of great inlu-