The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1888-04-06
Lovely Slaves in Egypt

Saturday Review.
The Circassian is a little tair.haired
lass from a far village in Turkestan.
Her father is a robber or a herdsman,
and she will perhaps be princess.
The Prince Charming, whom the gov
arness is always looking Tor, but who
never comes is very strong poten-
tiality in the future OF the white slave
girl.
One day a bearded and venerable
old Turk arrives from Stamboul, and
picks out our little girl. She is n not car
ried away by force, but gold is count
ed out and sine is perched on q mule,
and bids goodbye forever to barbar-
ism.
The purchaser takes every imayin-
able pains with her education and ap-
pearance. She is taught to read and
write. to dance and sing, em-
broitler in silk and play the gui.
tar, and further initiated into all the
mysteries oi the toilet. When she
has grown into budding womanhood
the dealer lets his best customers
know that lie possesses q treasure al
most priceless, and her virtues and
beauties are detailed with the usual
! Oriental exac,eration. Finally. some
roya' princess or rich pasha's wife
expresses u wish to see her, and extra
care hav,n. been taken with her bath
and dress, sbs is presented for inspec.
tion.
| From long preparations; and jeal.
ous guarding from the sun she has n
skin white as milk, and her mt
urally beautiful type OF face is adorn-
ed with The Usual tints OF kohl to the
eyebrows and cycl;,shcs and rouge to
the full red lips. Her csquisitcly-
shaped nails glow with heniia, and
her own luxuriant hair is cntwined
with ncsles OF silk (ior he Prophet
curses "women who Join their own
hulr to that OF another, or that of an
other to their own till it reaches her
ankle in an uneven number OF tails,
an even number being forbidden. She
gives samples OF her accomplishments
musical, gymnastic and otherwise.
i, Accepted, she is at once clothed with
q rich silk dress, and receives pres.
ent Of necklace or bracelet MS an
earnest OF favor before she Joins her
fellow slaves.
Beyond assisting her mistress in the
toilet, accompanying her in her
drives. end handing her coffee and Gig
arcttcs. she has little to do. She Is
an ornament al aptefidago rather than
q servant. A household such us one
oil these Circassans would enter would
contain IL crowd OF men servants and
black women do tine work, and per-
haps ten to twenty other girls like
herself, and u very gay time they have
| together.
The great ladies are very fond OF eX-
channin. visits and giving musical Ell
tertainments. at all OF whlc, some of
the slave girls attend. When she goes
out with her mistress in HE natty lit
tie brongl,am, almost the only differ
cEcr between the lady and her maid
seat.
The girl is dressed i'll a way TO do
credit to the house she bclongsto, and
often sparkles with Jewels. chattin,
freely with everybody at the places
she visits, and enjoying herself as fully
as any OF the emancipatcd. When lie
time comes for her to be married
her owner chooses ~ suitable
hush and gives IL rich dover, and
many OF tho marriages OF slave girls
eclipse in magniticence those OF even
the wealthier classes. The erst-whllc
bareiootel, ragged little Clrc,.ssian
from Turcomans Land j.; now q
princess or pasha's wife, with slaves
OF her own; but she would laugh if yotf
suggested TO her that there was any.
thin. degratlii: in their position or
had been in her OWL.
The degradation and the hardship
are simply ideas formed in ignorarc.
OF the fncts and dcondtions OF Oriental
domestic life, and have no place in
reality. OF course there is another
side to the picture, but even that is
not IL very dark one. The girl may
fail under the displeasure OF master
or mistress, and will get punished.
She may he locked upfora few hours, or
if her mistress is hot-tcmpercd, have
her hair pulled and receive Il soundin.
Lox on he ear. Perhaps in very rare
or extreme cases II severe bcatin. may
be administered, but the same might
and would often happen in ease oi I.
said servant. a reconciliation, how.
ever, shortly akrsplilce and the peace
is cemented with u present oi q new
dress or trinket.