The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1891-10-14
An Adventure in Cairo.

hOurs in the shaded rooms of the muse
un, surrounded By seated granite figures
with their hands on their knees the
coolest companions I know, heard
chattering and laughter These are un-
usual sounds in those echoing halls,
where uneonsciously everybody whis-
pers, partly because Of the echo, and part
ly also, !. think, on account Of the mystic
mummy cases which stand on end and
look at one so queerly with their oblique
eyes. Presently there came into view
ten or twelve Cairo ladies, followed by
eunuchs, and preceded by guide. The
eunuchs were las eunuehs generally are
hideous, though they represented al ages
from tall, lank boy Of seventeen TO q
withered old creature well beyond
sixty. The Cairo eunuchs are negroes F;
one distinguishes them always by the
extreme case with which they are dress
ed. They wear coats and trousers Of
black broadcloth made in the latest Eu-
rOpean style, with patent-leather shoes,
and they are decorated with gold chains,
seal rings and scarf pins. They have one
merit As regards their appearance know
Of but one-they do look clean.
The ladies were taking their ease the
mufiling black silk outer coats, which all
Egytian women of the upper class wear
when they leave the house, had been
thrown aside; the white face wells had
been lOosened, so that they dropped be-
low the chin 1t was the harem Of the
Minister for Foreign Affairs their car
riages were waiting below. The most
modest of men-a missionary, for in
stance, or an entomologist-wOuld, sup
pose, have put them to fight; but as the
tourist season was over, and as it was
luncheon time for Europeans, no one ap-
peared but myself, and the ladies' strayed
hither and thither as they chose, occa-
sionslly stopping to hear a few words Of
the explanations which the guide IA
woman also was vainly trying to give
before each important statue. With one
exception, these Cairo danes were, to
say the least, extremely plump; their
bare hands were deeply dimpled, their
cheeks round. They all had the same
very white eomplexions without rose
tints; their features were fairly good,
though rather thick the eyes in each
case were beautiful-large, dark, lustrous,
with sweeping lashes. Their figures, IN
der their loose garments, looked ike
feather pillows. They were awkward in
bearing and gait, but this might have
been owing to the fact that their small,
plump feet lin white open-work cotton
stockings were squeezed into very tight
French slippers with abnormally high
heels, upon which it must have been diff
fcult to balance so many dimPles.
The one exception to the rule Of bill
lowy beauty was slender, even meagrely
formed girl, who in America would pass
perhaps for seventeen probably she was
three years younger. Her thin, dark,
restless face, with its beautiful, inquiring
eyes, was several times close beside mine
as We both inspected the golden brace
lets and earrings, the necklaces and fan,
of Queen Ahhotpu, our sister in vanity
of three thousand five hundred years
ago. looked at her more than did at
the jewels, and she returned my gaze
We might have had a conversation.
What would l not have given to be able
to talk with her in her own tongue At
ter while they all assembled in what is
called the winter garden, an upstairs
apartment, where grass grows over the
floor in formal little plots. Chairs we're
brought, and they seated themselves
amidst the aerial verdure to partake of
sherbet, which the youngest eunuch
handed about with g business-like air
While they were still here, much relaxed
as regards attire and attitude, my atten-
ton was attracted by the sudden rush
through the outer room (where myself
was seated) Of the four older eunuchs
They had been idiing about; they had
even gone down the stairs, leaving the
youngest Of their number the task of
serving the sherbet; but now they all
appeared again, and the swiftness with
which they crossed the outer room and
dashed into the winter garden created a
breeze. They called to their charges as
they came, and there was a general
smoothing down of draperies. The eu-
nuchs, however, stood upon no cere-
mony they themselves attired the ladies'
in their mufling cloaks, and refastened
their wells securely, as a nurse dresaes
children, and With quite as much au-
thority.
I noticed that the handsomer faces
showed no especial haste to disappear
from view but there was no real resist
ance,; there was only sgood deal Of laugh
ter. 1 dare say there was much more
laughter-under the veils-when the
cause of all this haste appeared, coming
slowly up the stairs. II vas a small man
Of sixty-fve ar seventy, one Of my own
countrymsn, at.ired in linen duster and
a travel-wOrn high hat; his silver-haired
head was bent over his guide-book, and
he wore blue spectacles. 1 don't think
he saw anything but blue antiquities,
safely made Of stone.-KaTPer's Magazine
for October.