The National tribune., 1889-09-19
TURKISH FAMILY.

ing about on tho green fields Only tho best
turnouts have black. faced eunuehs sitting be-
side their liveried coacEimen and somo Of the
pretticst women were unattended by any but
those of their own sex. The thick walls which
were formerly used 10 hide the faces of the
beauties of the harcfn have become very thin
in these modern times. and they arc now made
Of the finest Gauze, with meehcs 20 large that
you can see every feature and every tint OF tho
complexion through them. Tho Turkish
woman iS fond of Aue dresses and she wears a
silk cape or shawl. covering the back Of her
head aud the whole OF her clothes, making her
body look like a bsiioon with n string tied
about its middle. These walls begin just below
ths eyes. aud they leave "A wide strip Of fore
head and tho eyes bare The Turkish eye is a
very seductive one and 10 is wonderful how
much friendly feeling and how many coquet-
ish Rlances the fortig1er can get from these
eyes in a drive outside of Constantinople. The
passion for flirting Is quite rs strong in tho
East as In tho West and providing the eunuch
be not looking nor any acquaiutances In sight,
the harem beauty is by 10 means averse to
smile from foreigner. The hippopotamns
whip of tho eunuch. however, has the right 10
strike the man who speaks TO the ladies under
hia charge, aud watery death in the Bospho-
rus would be approved by public sentiment as
a reward for the wife who failed in her duty TO
her husband No man is supposed 10 address
woman on the streets OF the city. Husbands
are hardly expected 20 speak 10 their wives,
and the lady of the harem, il she has peruiis-
sion 10 leave tho ionsr goes rs she peascs She
visits the establishments OF her friends, aud
pays and receives calls from those of her own
sex as We do. She is supreme in her own part
of the household establishment. Every Turk.
ish house has It's saIemik aud It's haFcmlik The
first consists of the rooms of the men and the
second OF the apartments belonging To tho
women. In the best-regnlated houses the hus-
band does not enter the womans apartments
when he knows hc Is not wanted, although no
has a legal right 20 go in at any time. / am
told hy men who have lived long in Turkey
that tbs hen pcckcd husband is by no means an
unknown quantity in some of these Turkish
houses. aud the law Of Turkish marriage and
divorce is such that the woman often has q
lever upon the man. She has tho entire right
to her own property, and If she brings the
money into the family she is not averse 10 tell
ing her husband 40. She has moro power in
the courts than our women have, and she can
sue aud be sued, and even enter q suit
against her husband in regard to her own prop
erty. She has also the right to dover from
her husband He must give tho half of this
upon marriage. aud the other half he must pay
to her in ease she is divorced. II she dies she
can leave her property as she pleases. and when
she marries he has To buy the wedding gown.
Divorces are very common in Turkey on the
part of the men. They very difficult to
be obtained on the part OF the women. If
man wishes to be divorced ho has only to tell
the woman l divorce you,' aud to pay her