Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1892-01-09

men 70 send their shop girls to the
harcms with goods for sale, or dresses
TO be tried on. These girls, generally
French Levantines, bright and taking
in manner and appearance, sometimes
catch the fancy of their customers.
and as it is a common iallacy of the
Turk that person gifted in one capa-
city mast be equally so in every other.
ghop-girl will often be engaged as
nursery goyerness by some semi-en-
lighened banum anxious to educate
her girl la Franco.
Utterly unfit both as regards knowl-
edge and character to undertake such
duties, these girls impart to their pu-
pills little beyond slight knowledge
Of the French language and taste for
novels OF the lola school. The impulse
to extreme hightiness which results
has brought Frank education into
disrepute, and checked the move.
ment, still in it's infancy, for
the better instruction of girls,
the Turk generally being ipnor-
ant of the world and Judging every
thing by his own limited experience,
| i he serious Mussulmans are shocked
at the leyity Of the girls brought up in
the new fashion. and to perceive in ii
justification of their objection to
Christian teachers. while the ardor of
the progresslonists has been damped
by the unforeseen consequences Of
haste.
To obviate this prejudice and pre-
vent the corruption OF Mussulman
girls, a Normal school was founded in
STEAMBOAT in 1870 by Sayfet Pasha, a
polished gentleman and accomplished
scholar, who was the minister OF pub
lie instruction at that time. The plan
was TO take girls who had left the
Rushdieh schools and give them a
strictly orthodox education which
would fit them Tor teachers in second
airy girls schools and for governesses
in the harems Of the rich.
This. however, is not the only effort
that has been made to raise the
standard of education. In Constanti-
nople and some of the larger towns Of
! the Empire secondary girls schools
have been founded. The subjects taken
| up in these schools are the same as in
+, the Normal school No European
| language, it will be noticed, is taught
| IN any of the girls schools.
The pleasures of Turkish girls are
extremely simple and limited Shut
out from that limitless world of en-
tertainment which the literature of
civilized countries opens up to the
European child directly she can read.
with the exception of festivities in the
harem, on red-letter days, her pleas
ures consist in an occasional picnic or
ACCOMPANYING her elders on the visits
which occupy such large portion Of
Turkish ladys time
On household festivals or great re-
ligious feasts wealthy people wall often
organize entertainments on a very
elaborate scale. Gypsy dancers or a
troupe Of clowns with some sort of
pantomime or show, are engaged for
the occasion. and the neighbors, rich
and poor, are invited TO the perform
ance. The Turks being exceedingly
hospitable, a friend of the hostess
is fee to bring all her sisters, and
her cousins, and her aunts. with
their families. on such occasions.
These are high DAYS for the
Turkish girl-for her elders, too
though an English child of ten or
twelve would think the entertair-
ment very poor performances indeed.
The dances are at times rather grace.
tut, and the music when one is used to
it--eyerythlng depends upon your
being used 10 it's not always eXcru-
clatlng; but the coarse, almost brutlsh
humor of the pantomimes. would be
decidedly distasteful TO Western
audience
A more pleasant side OF Turkish girl
life is that which may be seen any day
in early summer, at the Sweet Waters
of Europe or some other favorite resort
on the outskirts of Constantinople.
The family will set out in the morning
and, spreading their rugs in some field.
srend the day there doing nothing
and apparently very well contented
with the occupation. The women squat
on the ground with their feet under
them in that peculiar manner to which
they are indebted for their handy legs.
II is not romantic, but truth compels me
to state that all Turkish girls ulti.
mately become handy legged; the fine.
well-made women one occasionally
meets in Stamuoul are mostly Circas.
slams. A few cakes and some rahat
lakhoum or other sweet suffices for
both young aRd old.
I'm This CanEury