Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-02-19
In IMPERIAL HAREM,
Mrs. Lew Wallace Describes the Sui
tan's SeragIio-- Enchantress
of Many Lovers.
Daughters CT Love Who Spend their
Days en- CushiaDs Of Ross-Leaves
In Coal Psrfumsd ChsMbsrs.
"A Barge that Rivals in Gorgsousnesa
that of Cleopatra.
20 pyIighted, lsss }

written fer the Gazette.
i. Through AGO years the Turkish hous
royal has had urbToken linesl male dc
scent without q lateral branch. at o.
9 Seraglio Poiat .hiriy successive Sultan
r held thier sEmptuous state till sbou
: forty Years sgo, when the chaio @
palaces bordering the Marmors WAS burn
ed and the court was removed to Ytldiz
on the heights beyond Pers.
Beautiful for situl'Ion Is YildiE
Pslsce Of the S'sr. Built nobly 10 parl
Of many hundred acres, 1t overlooks al
smphitnestre of ststely cities will
domes, towers, miusrets, castles. islands
seas, feets, and in the fairness Of the dis
+ tsnca the MysiHn Olympu,-. panorama
of vivid color aud varied movement with
out e peer on the globe. What St
Jsnies Pslsce Is to London is Yldiz tC
} the Turk-the center Of interest In Con
stautinoplei she well-gusrded, "the en-.
chantress OF many lovers"
Barracks have been added till 1t Il in
reality q citadel, and there beats the
thesrt and plots the brain OF Islan. With
in tbs walled enclosure are osks OF
marble and gold, outhuildinRs, stsbles, a
military GIMP and battle-ground, cypress
groves, uushorn forests, gardens with
every kind Of singing bird; 8 miniature
city with the delights t the country as
well--S fortress and sanctuary. The
least attempt of 81 una,horlzed person to
enter tia buildings appropriated to men
Is punishable by death. II would come
as lightning sIroke should any try to sp-
prosch the forbidden rooms into which
one man enters; the uncontrolled, ire
| sponsibs master of hundreds of women
Among them are no family distinctions,
no reco, de, no questions of ancestry,
hereditary titles or names. All have
startC d from the same l-yel, ed n one has
be- n 4 slave bought by the mother or
sisters of the Sultan, educated to her
position, and presented to him on the
third day Of the Feast OF Beirsm, the
Night OF Destiny, when the Koran de-
scended In silver roll from heaven. Nor
sre they msrried to him. The PSdishs,
oeipg above law, cannot submit to mstri-
monial bondage. SiEca Otaman, Illus
trlous 70 Dder Of the empire bear
ing bis lame, girded or the
sword, which 10 The imperisl sceptre,
but two O tomsn sul(ans have mar
RED. Or Ihe mates we call WIVES only
four hold the highest rank. All have
been hosen for personal charm, sud are
in the bloom OF youth; by far the larger
number ere from .Circsssis, the sncirnt
Ctochis, from whose pslace gardens
Grecian heroes stole their brides IN the
dim centuries before the Had WAS writ
ten.
nSei1Ation is bewildered by thought
of such an array Of beauties set in psl4tisl
epleRdors.
They live for one sole purpose-tbe
study Of pleasing him who has lifted the
sllvery feet OF
THESE DAUGHTERS OF LOVE
from the mlre aud rested them on cush
IONS Of ross-leaves and eIder-down. Ia
stead Of grinding toll, they enjoy the
sweetness Of rest; one cotton gown Is ex
changed for bright raiment and jewels
rare; for black bread and goats milk,
they have suppers for Syharltes, honey OF
orange A1Ters, the sherbet OF Siolets and
sugsr. Each odalisque has her kiosk,
her court, grand q :isls, boats lined
with sstlD, gilded carrisges, and trained
servants shod with clippers Of silepcr,
Who minister 10 them in cool, perfs uaed
chsmosrs. The career depends on their
own tsct sad grace. By these gifts tue
rsgg~d beEgar msy succeed TO the highest
rank, ana compel illnesses to kiss the
ham of the garment.
One will In the hsrem Is supreme as .
providence or destiny. To this power,
before when great and small are but
Dust, Is yielded absolute submission |
SAYS Jsnilla (the Bxalfed,) teaching the |
newly arrived bsI.li (Pnk Tulip and !
Beneish (Wbite Ftol-O: 'Snould the
prince at MONDAY say 1t Is nignt, declare
your feet are wet with dew and that you |
behold the moon aRd the stars ~
Ia February new palace WAS ordered. |
IL June 1t WAS completed ard furnished
touutaios playing, casceded dsshing, |
nightiDgales nesting among roses in
bloom. We know how the Turks furnish. |
La the summer pslsce Ons room
is hung with psie blue SILK, |
another with Broussa ssti1, tapestries |
Of India aud brpideries Of Persia. There |
are no pictures, they encourage profaui- |
tv; no statues. they lesd to idoIstry. !
The Prophet (he rests in gloIyi) was a
hatsr Of idols. 10 the day OF Judgment
pictures and statues will rise and q 1ck |
rouup the artists VINO produced them and |
call on the unhappy makers 10 supply |
their creatures with souls.
Humanity is unchnpgesble; the King |
Of hundred kings, the Shadow Of GOO |
upon Earth, must bsve his preferences |
and natur5lIs the reigning favorite makes |
the most Of her brief season Of command. |
Doubtless tesrs, clsmors, pouting, work |
the came results In onstaatinopIe tnst |
they do in Washington.
TIE LUXURIOUS HARyM
may have some dull Corner where the
discarded f.vorite may weep neglected |
while her victorious rivsl sweeps By in |
triu nph. The Turks are tender in the |
extreme to animals and children, and we |
must believe they are also gentle toward
women. Sometimes the caprices Of wives |
have been costly as the Sultan to the
empire. Sultan IbTahim allowed bis TO
take what they pleased from shops and
osz1Ars withou. payment. Ose hour
complained; she did not like saospipg
by Daylight; aud at once the sovereign
issued an order requiring merchants
to keep their shops open all
right, AID to have enough torches |
burning to exhibit goods 10 afvep-
tsge Another. wno aame means Little |
Bit OF Sugar, whispered 10 lorsuim that |
she wanted TO see him with his beard !
fringed with gems. The Lord OF lords
wss adorned accordingly, and made
spectacle OF himself thus tricked out |
Enormous treasures were levished on /
ia fho dsva nf 2lllar,0n 4