Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-11-20

never known a civilized career. the RIGHTS
enjoyed by women in her ancestral land
she Is satisfied with her lot as are oriental
women generally. The two Greeks are
sisters, presented to Ismail when very
young by the sultan of Turkey. and there
Is no reason to believe them discontented
with their fate. At any rate. after the
deposition of lsmail. when he removed
with his household to Naples, any ami all
his wives had liberal opportunity to desert
their husband Only one is known to have
taken advantage of the privilege, and she
was an Arab, now married to merchant
OF Gaeta. lsmails polygamous mode of
life. it may be mentioned here, caused no
end of trouble in Naples, and it was
In Difference to Italian public opinion that
the s!ltan required the ex-khedive to
take up his abode under the shadow of the
porte.
The sultan of Turkey, Abdul Hamid. al.
though admittedly man of unusual in
tetllgenc and, for a Turk enlightened
ideas as t his imperial duties, continue
to be emrently Turkish in his domestic
circle. White, or to speak more correctly.
european women form the majority in his
marriage list, and quite a scandal was &C.
casloned not long ago when an appeal
was made to friends in England by a well
known English actress of the lower grade
who had tried life in the harem and got
tired OF 1t. The sultan does not keep his
wives prisoners. The influence of west
ern civilization is felt in the recesses of
the imperial palace, and the women en-
Joy a liberty at which, twenty years ago,
the chief of the faithful would have stood
aghast. Each lady has her day for receiv-
ing friends, and her name appears on the
outer door OF the apartments reserved fol-
her use. She goes abroad in the streets,
attended, of course, but not without tie
chance of admiring and eeing admired
More than one tragedy in Constantinople
IN recent years has testified to the
truth OF the latter part of the above sem
tence.
DOUBLE TRAGEDY.
Abdul Hamid had no fairer inmate OF
his harem than the mother of the Princess
Saline. Of Bulgarian origin, this lady at
tracted the attention of "a Turkish pasha.
who took her by force from her parents and
made her birthday gift to his imperial
master. Her original name is not known.
but her Turkish name signifed the Pearl c,
Light, or something to that effect. The
intrigue that led to her fate has been clear
ly told, but general gossip in Constanti-
nople is that she smiled on a young Hun
garian officer then in the service of the
sultan, and who had exchanged his an
cestral religion for that of Mahomet. It
also appears that for six months the couple
met at intervals outside of the palace. A
rash remark of the young officer aroused
suspicion and be was arrested without
ceremony and compelled 10 confess, Turk
lsh fashion while two executioners each.had
one end of a bowstring which passed
around his neck. When no more admis-
slons were to be extorted from hiul the
bowstring completed its work and the re-
mains of the victim were thrown to the dogs
IN secluded suburb of Constantinope.
As he had long before abjuro1 his Christian
allegiance, nothing could have been done
for HIM ~ the way of intercession, even
had warning been received of his intended
fate. AS for the Pearl of Light, men
whispered 20 one another with pale lips,
that about midnight on the day that her
admlrer met his doom, boat shot out in
to the ROsphorus fro 4 the water-gate of the
sultan S gardens, and a sack containing a
burden, and heavily weighted, was drop
ped into the mOOnllt waters. The Pearl of
Light was never seen again among the fe-
n ale consorts of Abdul Hamid
The Persian shah, Nassr-de- dine, created
amusement during his first European tour
by his readiness to marry any cookbook
ing woman to whom he was introduced,
from the princess of Wales to a chorus girl
When he attended the theater in London
he expressed his desire to transfer a whole
troop of lightly clad dancers to his pre-
serves at Teheran, although after using an
opera glass he was willing to leave several
at home. The shah did not carry off any
English women. but a sprightly French
girl, Charlotte Duprez, whom he saw III
Paris, IS said to have followed him to
Persia at his personal request. Nominallv
she was eng ged as tutor for the shah 5
favorite daughter, Tadjes-Saltaneb
Really she was added to the list of wives.
After a wear stay In the Persian capitol,
Charlotte returned to France and went
back to. her native village in Maine with
a good sum of money to her account
According to her story, Nassr-ed-0ine treat
ed her well, indeed too we'll for the peace
of mind Of the senior wife, a lady with
a difficult name, who recently became
blind and travelled to Vienna with vain
purpose of having her light restored.
The lady by all sorts of pretty tricks and
prosecutions made life unbearable for the
French woman, who at last secured a
leave Of absence from her reluctant lord on
the pretense of visiting her aged parents,
promising to return after seeing them.
Charlotte had seen enough of life in
Persia. NasSr-ed-dine's generously made
her independent, as fortunes go in rural
France, and she settled down to the quiet
village life she had deserted only at the
dictate of necessity. During his recent
visit to Europe. the shah made many in
quiries for his French wife, for whom he
evidently still retained sincere attach
ment, but the inquiries met with no salts
factory response.
The sultan of Morocco is not by any
means reformer, but he is one of the
shrewdest politicians in Africa, and, while
keeping European powers at arms length,
he has no desire to give any of themes
pecially France-an excuse for hostility.
Scharaf Pasha was much astounded when
his majesty, instead of extending the foot
of good will, ordered him placed under
arrest. Marie was restored to her father,
who, supposing she had been carried into
the desert, had given up all thought of
seeing her again, and Scharaf only saved
his life by the prompt surrender of all his
property.
Double Engagement Rings.
Among all the pretty customs connected
with the plighting of a lovers troth by
the aid of ring, none is more beautiful
than the ancient Scotch habit of commem-