, 1888-06-14
THE WOMEN OF TURKEY.
Considered Utterly without Responsibility
Guests--At the Bath.


Considered Utterly without Responsibiuty.
Guests--At the Bath.
Turkish women are considered utterly
irresponsible beings, which accounts for
the constant watching they undergo.
Each woman in the palace, as well as
among the common people, mas her own
nyah, or nurse, who takes care of her
and waits upon her with the self denying
love of a mother; for an ayah takes care
of a girl baby and remains with her until
death. Besides the nurse she has other
servants and slaves, each having her own
particular duties; and Imagination can
not depict the utter abandonment to idle
ness which characterizes the Turkish wo-
men. They don't know how to kill time.
They rise in the morning cross and ex-
hausted IRON the impure air of their
sleeping rooms. They have no incentive
to look their best during the day, and
they consider their bath sufficient cleanli-
ness, unless some ladies from other
harems send word of a projected visit.
In this case they rouse themselves and
dress for company. No one comes I'M
awares, which would be the height of
impoliteness.
They receive guests with charming
simplicity, and act at all times like chill
dren, and with their unconscious grace.
When visitors arrive they are offered
first coffee, h sweetmeats, which are
served in crystal glasses, with two
other glasses-one full of little gold
spoons, and the other empty. Each
guest takes a spoon and helps herself
from whatever kind she likes best, taking
one spoonful and swallowing it. She
must on no account dip her spoon in a
second time, nor take more than one
kind, and hen must place the spoon in
the empty glass. Water is handed
around, and then cigarettes, while they
all that pleasantly and without reserve,
though rather noiSily. The women show
their babies, their newest jewels, or their
embroidery. Beyond this they cannot
go, for 1t is the limit of their intelligence.
When tho bascadine hanum thinks the
visit has lasted long enough, she claps
her hands for more coffee, and, no mat
ter how little time they nave been there,
h guests must go as Don as they nave
taken the second cup. This is never
meant ms IN impoliteness, but simply TO
show that some other engagement or
potent reason makes it necessary though
sometimes the bascadine hanum does it
TO vex the younger wives who would
enjoy the company of the guests longer.
But it is imperative.
NoTurkish woman ever goes out alone.
Either one of her children accompanies
her or a friend among the other wives,
for they often form warm attachments
among themselves, and they are always
attended by eunuchs-great, horrible
looking creatures, black and repulsive:
the more repulsive in appearance, the
more valuable us a bugbear.
The bath takes up 70 much of a Turk
ish lady's time, and fills so important a
place in her amusements md pleasures,
that it requires especial mention. The
finest bath, and the one frequented by
the grand ladies OF the highest harems,
except those who have their own baths,
is Backse-hammam, and here the one
horse coupes arrive, each filed to over
flowing with n wife, an ayah, a slave and
or two friends, and frequently little
girls over o. AT this ase girls reach their
majority, and are considered women.
They are often married at 10, though
usually not before IA or 10. AT 90 girl
would nave small chances for a husband
in Turkey.
The bath is constructed on entirely diff
ferrnt principles from those in this coun-
wy bl "hAA ~ llAalt ludlow, ana |
the heat goes between them and is not
oppressive. The air is kept pure by an
ingenious system of ventilation, which
still does not cool the air. Each sue
cessiyc room is hotter than the other,
and marble slabs are arranged to lie on.
Tho ayahs and slaves attend their own
ladies, and no other attendant touches
them. In the last room there is an i'm
mense fountain which sends a showery
spray of warm rose water over zach mar
bic slab On which lies a lady, while her
servants wash her with a kind of clay
called pilo, which raises q thick white
lather and makes the skin like milk.
While on this slab all superfluous hairs
are removed by means of strings cum
ningly twisted and held by teeth and
hand. After the bath is ended the ladies
go to a great room, where they give
themselves into the hands of professional
Harper in Demorest's
Monthly.