Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1888-02-17
,,ee IN The HAReM.
ps.,.Isn Ideas OF the Western world ~
TO an Eastern Instttution.


Tn theory the Moslem classes his
womenkind with the holy OF holies OF
Mecca The innermost shrine OF his
temple and the rooms with iatticed
,vindows are both called by the same
name of Harem or Sacred. The
.nortment is harem and the ladies
who live in it are harem for all but the
lord and master. He may enter at will
but generally announces his coming be-
foreband. so that he may not run the
risk of meeting feminine visitors who
are probably the wives OF his friends
Tn we'll regulated houses the husband |
intrudes only at fixed hours. per-
haps Tor short time after midday pray
err. and does not else favor his harem till |
he retires to rest. Home life. such as
we understand it. can scarcely be said |
to exist for the Mohammedan. The |
man lives in and at his work outside,
and the woman among her slaves and !
friends in the harem. The most inter-
esting view of the home life OF the
harem is when it is considered as
the cradle in which Eastern
manhood is reared. Schools Of
any kind are few and meagerly
patronized, and boarding schools are
unknown. A few boys are sent to
Paris. Constantinople or Syria to be
educated, but the majority grow up
among slave girls and servants, seeing
a great deal which they ought not to
see, and learning very little of what
they should 1t is small wonder, then,
that the better moral qualities. if any
were ever Unborn, are rapidly obliter-
ated, and the boy grows up to the
man saturated with vice and effemi-
nacy. The women occupants OF the
harem are the wife or wives and the
female slaves Perhaps on no subject
does greater misconception prevail
than on this harem slavery. The field.
however, is too wide one to be
touched more than incidentally.
The name of slave as applied to the
Georgian or Circassian girl is mis-
homer. She occupies more the posi-
ton of friend, or at least OF lady's
companion, if she does not, as is often
the case, become an adopted daughter
of the house. She is well and some
times cxpensively dressed, and shares
the small amusements of her mistress
at the theater, the moolid or the prom
enade
The principal diversions of harem
life consist in the visits of friends and
of pernicious class of trading women.
who hawk about articles of dress and
gewgaws from one house to another,
retailing the latest gossip and scandal
with their wares, and assisting the
, ladies to get into all manner of scrapes.
Wise women, who tell fortunes by
cards and lamentations, are also in
great demand, and their Vaccinations
are, as rule, believed in by the ladies
with much the same delightful and
n blind confidence as is given by farmers
y daughters to the mysterious prophecies
II Ct the gypsies. Now and then condign
' punishment awaits these hays, as in
the case Of the notorious Ayeska, who,
- several years ago. was called for one
= night hustled into a carriage under
pretense of Wis ting great harem, and
10 has never since been heard of. But,
d as rule, their sorceries, evil eyes and
- charms are perfectly harmless. and
when there is nothing better 10 dc
C they are called in to beguile the heavy
hours. Nor must the men singers bt
II left out in the catalogue of delights O.
e the harem-a delight, nevertheless
u which is but sparingly INDUCED in, ant
can only be enjoyed to the full wher
l. the harem's lord is away.
e A notion seems generally prevalen
20 in Europe that if only the harem door
were opened rush for liberty woult
lg Immediately take place, and many ar,
es the sympathies wasted on the supposed
er prisoners of the Mohammedan mar
riage tie. In reality, both men ant
women consider their state far su
+. perior to that of Europeans. The mai
argues thus: you are slave iron
a the moment you marry You can no
8 60 out to lunch or dinner or to you
friends without taking your wife wit
you. You can not even leave he
o alone tor few hours without givin
=. an account of yourself. Such a stat
q of things would be unbearable to me
"A / go where like and she goes wher
"a she likes. l pay my servants to loo
q after her, and am sure that she is nc
s flirting with other men when am nc
g by her side. You are never sure {
= this" etc. This is his line of argr
a ment
81 The woman says: my religion fol
9 bids ME to look upon other men tina
81 my husband. If changed my religio
perhaps | would like to mix up wit
3 every fellow l came across, but so lon
J, as am a Mahommedan I detest tn
Is thought of it. l cover my face fror
% the sight of the world, as your wome
"a cover their bodies As to bein
% watched and guarded, it is a compl
"a ment which shows how much my hui
y band cares for me. If he were t
~ leave me to do what l liked, l shout