Telegram-herald., 1888-02-26
THE TURKISH HAREMS
T-e oooRs OF FoRslOOIN sooss-
ars. Lev Wsli@es Writes Of sh@as Car
dsAs whsEs sizhtis s.lss ass sad
k0sbfag waters cool tie AsE -fsrA-
Isk ws1nsn xnd CesEns<kss-B@sA
Rooms Vi Al@b@stsE-fsss-
lag Ihs nans.

The word hzrem means the holy or san.-ti-
FED. and 10 . genera sense ls giyen 10 any
skog Es<alsAfly hAllo~od l sss long While
lasFuinz thai ne nAIns applies V tke sEaaelols
ilsclesssd court about ula~Qsss; not barred
pFis0n bat eo1lsecT zted ground, rsYesed a. .
s4AetuATy However blank s4sd bars the re-
snalnder of the house may b>-and usually is
the forbidden rooms ara vel furnished 40
eording 70 Aoslem fancy IN which u copied.
as far - possible, their ide4i paradise an
adorable palace with = thousand windows,
aud bsfore every window sparkling foun-
Lsin-
Free light abundant space. shady gardens
where the nightingale sings among the roses,
and rushing waters eool tAs air. These ara
the lQxUrlss which foreshado@ the golden
pleasure felds kept for tbs faithful b. the
hOuriS
The women, old and young, assemble in
the sacred rooms, with the children and at
tendants, and they are the center Of the
world 10 the home keeping Turk. who cares
nothing for travel and never emigrates His
spare time and money are spent there, and
the wife Is, in the tender Arabian phrase,
the keeper Of her husbands soul.
Turkish houses are much alike The en-
trance is through double door, large enough
for horses aud carriage. Beyond il is
swing screen, suspended like q gate which
hides the vestlbule, or court, when the
street door opens Two outside staircases
appear, one leading TO the mems apartment,
the other 10 the womens At the first land
ing the visitor finds the black aga or guard
before the door OF the apartment 70 which
only one man is admitted, and which is for
hidden 10 the sight and thought or ali men
save that one
There is no special place to eat or sleep in.
A low divan, running round the wall of each
room, is made bed by night, the clothes
being kept in presses by day In imperial
palaces the coverets are of Lahore stuffs, en-
broidered with colored silks interviewer with
pearls and turquoises, the sheets are Of fine
cotton barred with stripes Of silk like satin
ribbon. The pillows have silk and gold. and
during summer mosquito nets OF Tripoli
gauze, spotted with gold, are suspended by
/ gilt hoops over the sleeper. Nothing gayer
! or daintier can be imagined. Formerly
cashmere shawls served as spreads" for the
. beds of the rich.
| The small round mirror, framed in velvet,
is always at hand for toilet use and the lay
ing on of cosmetics is so deep TINT il is
named face writing" Turkish women
understand the arts of repairing the ravages
| of time, and their toilet service is varied aud
/ effective.
| Every Turkish harem has its bath rooms,
three in number, If the owner is well to do.
| The first is square, chiefly OF marble dn the
sultan's palace, Of Egyptian alabaster),
lighted from glass dome. a large reservoir
built against the outer wall, with an opening
into the bath, contains the water, half OF
which is heated By furnace below it. Uo;
| air pipes throw intense heat into the room
fountains lead the water from the reservoir
and here the rubbing process is conducted
The second room Is less heated and furnished
only with a marble platform holding mat
tresseS and cushions, where the bathers re-
pose after the fatigue of ablutions too many
for description. Here they smoke cigarettes
eat fruits and sweets and finally wrap them
selves in soft burnouses ard pass to the outer
chamber, where they drowze aud doze OF
downy couches till they recover from tks
steaming heat and the languor that follows 9
long, warm bath
Besides these, there are public baths where
women spend many hours in gossip and th,
passive enjoyment OF being thorough,
rubbed, brushed, combed and perfumed.
once met famous lady bought with {
great price by a high officiE. of Stamboul
She was a Georgian, think, with hair o
reddish gold-the sunbright treSscs OF Medea
ivory white skin, eyes black as death, th,
antelope eyes Of the poets The faintest lin,
of antlmony drawn on the lids at the root o.
the long lashes added TO their luster and th,
witchery of her glance.
She wore the yashmak and, rs only ladie
were present, begged her toremove it 50
might see her unveiled loveliness. She com
piled without affectation of tirnidity O
blushing and returned my gaze with snilin,
serenity, too well used 10 open admiration TO
embarrassment | cannot recall her name
il was something which being interprets1
might mean Tulip Check. A rivierer Q
pearls lay on her ncck-snow on s3ow-an,
the exquisite mouth was very Cupid's bow
Ny princess must have been a peerles
maiden ten years before, now, unhappily
growing stout as eastern women usually do
the result of the luxurious living and Inucl
eating of sweets Her manner was soft an
gracious, her aspect tho reposs Of suprcra
content.
The seclusion OF the hareTn eives muc
time for discussion, and many a question O
grave import is there debated. The wome
are well informed in politics, fond OF in
triguc, and 20 artfu that our missionary, Dl
Dwight. Of ConStantinople, writes: "An
one who has a private scheme to advance,
policy 20 dcvelep. an Office 70 gain o. TO lyeeT
, n boy 20 provide for, or an enemy % crust
sends his wife 10 the harora Of a grandce.
Women hero bring about the most astounc
ing results.
Their maurer is ceremonious during fol
NAL calls, and they stiu kiss the hem Of n
garment In deferencs u age or superiority
7 In familiar places they have = sweet frani
: ness like unframed young girls, and liste
with interest 10 accounts of cur WAYS ~ h'
ing, how 70 keep house, do great charitie
manage the chgrcbeA 'How hard the
say IN tender pity. that life may be goo
for you. but would not be at ell good for u
You are made for work. We are made Il
love this suits rs best So they lean. lac
on the silky cushions. taste the conserve
rose and Of ounce, light their cigarettes an
, srs hsppv-S0san T. WAllaos in New YoE
! / Word.
& When Potatoes Are pone.