The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1891-01-17
SECRETS OF ORIENTAL HAREMS.
Belief That Many English Women Might
BE Found In Them.

Belief That Many English Women Might
BE Found in Them.
Those who nave lived in h East In
cline to think that European women
could be found in most of the great
harems if they were searched. Review
ing the circumstances, it seems too
probable. If girls can be entrapped and
spirited out of sight, never to reappear,
by villains who have little money and
no influence at command, a Prince of
vast wealth would find it a very simple
matter to secure one or a dozen. The
thought is painful, but such POSSIBLE
tiles become more probable every Day,
as science makes communication easier.
Rejecting men may see another danger
here for the peace of our Indian Empire.
Some ten years ago W. Circassian
women escaped from a harem and took
refuge in the Embassy at Pera. The in
cident was squashed and put out OF
sight as speedily as possible, h Sultan
himself assisting, but the murmur OF
excited Indignation which arose in this
country wa II warning. If one of these
refugees had been English, or even Eu-
ropean, no man can guess the conse-
quences. That there are such in Con-
stantinoplc is scarcely to be doubted.
But no sound from the harem of the
renan or the purdah of Il great Oriental
noble reaches open air. In this nine
teenth century, just as in any other
since womcn were shut Up, they remain
at them mercy of their husbands or of a
jealous head wife, whom perhaps he
dare not punish. 1t is improbable that
dreadful scene occur in Turkey nova
days; those who nave lived there and
observed how strong is public opinion
within its narrow circuit may well in
cline to doubt whether the horrors told
by poets and rOmances were ever perpe-
trated. The secrecy of the harem has
limits among Moslems. Turkish wo-
men are at least as much inclined to
CAD about as others, and if any special
event occurs in any household it be-
neighborhood in the briefest possible
time. The Turks are tender-hearted,
also, to a degree which seems exagger-
atcd to the most compassionate of
Europeans. But the restraining cir
cult of public opinion is ~inpenetrable to
! the Ghiaour. All are lcagued to hide a
scandal or a crime from him. And the
! Judgment of neighbors, however strong
to repress evil conduct, has no authority
to punish the deed done.
1t is a most unsatisfactory state of
things at best-hardly tenable in this
age, when women even in Turkey begin
to claim their rights" when our own
correspondent" would flash the news by
-.... Al. -ll 1911 n
scandal came to light, and legions of
English people will cry Perish India!'
if that stands in the way of vengeance
when a fellow creature has been abused.
Where is hat Englishwoman who
nursed Prince Murad in the early times
of his alienation? Comfortable among
her own folks, perhaps, or rich and con-
tent in his dreary palace. But the ques-
ton used to be asked at Pera, what has
become of those Europeans who used to
dwell with Ismail Pasha unless society
at Cairo was misinformed? They, also,
we may hope, are comfortable or con-
tent. But it would be more satisfactory
to know.
II we may be tolerably confident that
women are not ill-treated in Turkey,
JueTt Is HO SUCH dSSuTdilcc III ItTSla, OF
India, or elsewhere in the realms OF
polygamy. Regarding India, indeed, II
is rumored that female slaves, at least,
are shamefully abused by some of the
great chiefs and feudatories. If conf,
dental reports Of the political agents
were published a terrible cutlery would
follow. There is no need to mention
names; the two worst offenders have
been removed-that is, we hope they
were the worst; and, we hope again,
their SUCCESSORS are another sort. But
so long as the purdah system remains
there can be no certainty that women
are not maltreated. They have less tc
fear from their husbands perhaps than
from inmates of their own sex in Q
higher position. Among h innumera
BILE benefits To be expected from the ad
mission of native ladies' to the medical
schools it is not the least, assuredly
hat intelligent witnesses, trained il
our occidental notions of woman,
rights, will get an opportunity of spying
the secrets of the purdah.-St. james
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