The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1888-05-12
TURKISH WEDDING.


An woddinRs In Turkey, among
TurkA whsther In provinces or cities.
azs arranged BY old women and are
compllcefeA. tsdious Affairs. Tho BRIDE
groom holds ists several days 1t his
komo 1br his man friends, ana the
progressive bride ct her home with her
young ltiends-girls, Of course. Tho
nieAS boloss the wedding the married
wo1nen ol her acquaintance come and
at ~ married weman's dinner With
hse. which consists principally. as Sam
Wellee would say. Of . 'swarry" of leg OF
mutton and tximminga The next day
III bride 10 taken TO the bridegroom
houoo in . nodan chair, with = retinue
a s2avss carrying her wedding presents
On Rays on their heads. covered with
oolored tarlatan. The procession is
sometimes cuits imposing. Tho brides
lDuaale relatives are also there In the
new Aarsm until nightfAll, and they re-
tiro 70 tAelr hcmss. leaving the bride
e,tsIn0 On sort Of thronA, yelled. The
hrsda0ruoD b thon admitted. and he Is
10 throw himself ct the brides feet and
o0r hsr his wedding present Of some
handsome iewslry and beg her to raise
Aw vii and strike him blind by her
beauty. Sometimes he II struck dumb
BY hsr ugiinssA for he never looks on
her faco until altar the wedding.
When . bahia IL born in any house
there IL great rejoicing II II DO boy.
Dou u : girl The wife ID proud for =
mhile, but Turkish women are not good
wotheeA They are too child-like than
selves. Whom girl 10 born 70 Sultan
they Gxe ssvsn guns; when = boy. TWEEN
W-oaaI Ths boys die early; tho girls
are more apt 70 five- This 10 supposed
70 b . divine intsrposition OF Provi-
dsoce to prevent too many claimants
% the tAruuN. Babies are dressed like
nummIss In swaddling clothes for alx
months; then The boys are put In trous-
era somssimss In generals or colonies
uniforma regularly made.
When the Sultan takes wife no ccrc-
mony II considered necessary more
than 70 present his bride The new
Sultan inhsgits all tho widows and
slaves OF his predecessor. and every
year OF his reign. At the feast Of the
Ramaxan. he receives a new one from
his mother and takes any other girl or
woman to his harem who happens 10
strike bis fancy. Slaves who become
mothers arc instantly promoted TO tho
rank Of SultanA Six months before
the feast Of RamazAn the Waldo Sultann
orders that All tho young candidates BIO
brouRhs 70 hcr. and she chooses fifteen
and sometimes more OF tho lot These
ars Immediately put under diet and
training. and At tho beginning OF tho
great feast she again chooses, and this
tims the choice ia final. Al tho evening
Of the appointed day tho Sultan. upon
retiring. linda his new bride standing
nude, With folded hands and lowered
eyes At the foot OF his bod. After he
has retired she must lit tho bed.clothes
n The foot and crawl into bod in that
way ~ sign Of subsection.
Girls arrive At legal majority at .
years Of ago and are frequently married
At 10. Children Of IL and Is are Otter
ssou with babies Of their own. They
are old ut IS. The old Turkish womcr
have hard lot Of 1t. Beyond respec
for age which they contrivo to inspire
by tooth and nail among other wiye
younger than they, their lives are no
happy. SIi,l they AFRO provided for. AM
~ long a. man lives he feeds hi
family. ono aud all alike. Brookly
N00asine.