Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1893-04-08

rid of us both. My brother Ali was
handed over to some dervishes at the
Mosque of Yeni CHER, and was sent to
Constantinople.
The slave dealer to whom was taken
was woman who knew nothing of our
language, so that l was obliged to learn
Turkish in order to understand my new
mistress. Numbers of customers came
to her, and every day one or other of my
companion slaves went away with their
new owners.
Alas! my lot seemed terrible to me.
l was nothing but slave, and as suca
had to humble myself to the dust in the
presence of my mistress, who brought lis
up to be able to listen with the most i'm
movable expression on our faces, and
with smiles on our bps, to all the good
qualities or faults thst her customers
found in us.
The first time that | was taken to the
selamlik deception room) was ten years
old. was considered very pretty, and
my mistress had bought me costume Of
pink cotton, covered with floral de-
sign; she had had my nails tinted and
my hair plated, and expected to get a
very good price for me. | had been
taught to dance, to courtesy hunbly to
the men and to kiss the ladies' feradje
(cloaks), to hand the coffee (ghile
kneeling) to the visitors, or stand oy the
doors with my arms folded ready to
answer the first summons.
l felt very agitated on finding myself
among the other slaves who were waiting
for purchasers. Most of them were poor
girls who had been brought there to be
exchanged. They had been sent away
from one harem and would probably
have to go to some other. My heart was
filled with vague kind of dread of l
knew not what, when suddenly my eyes
rested on three men who had come there
to buy some slaves for their Pasha. They
were all three leaning back on the sofa
discussing the merits and defects of the
various girls standing around them.
"Her eyes are too near together"
said one of them.
"That one looks ILL.,"
"This tall one is round backed"
shivered on hearing these remarks,
while the poor girls themselves blushed
or turned livid with anger.
"Come here, Felikuaz," called out my
mistress, tor was hiding behind my
companions. / went forward with low
cred eyes, but my heart was beating
wildly with indignation and fear. As
soon as the men caught sight of me they
SAID something in Arabic and laughed,
and this was not lost on my mistress.
"Where does this one come fromT'
asked one Of them, after examining me
attentively.
"She is Circassiau. She has cost me
a lot of money, for bought her four
years ago and have been bringing her up
carefully, She is very intelligent, aud
will be very pretty. Biz elmay quite a
diamondD," she added, in a whisper.
"Feliknaz, dance for US, and show us
how graceful you can be-"
drew back, blushing, and muir.
INJURED, There is no music for me to
dance to-
THAT doesn't matter at all. I'll sing
something for you. Come, commence at
once"
bowed silently and went back to the
end OF the room, and then came forward
again dancing, bowling to the right and
LETT on my way, while my mistress beat
time on an old drum and sang the air of
the yassedi dance in hoarse voice. Ia
spite of my pride and terror my dancing
appeared to please these u en-.
1--WE will certainly buy Feliknaz,"
said ono of them; chow much will you
take for herr"
Twelve kesatchieS; not fraction
less"
The man drew large purse out of his
pocket and counted the money over to
my mistress. As toon as she had re.
ceIved it she turned to me and said.
You ought to be thankful, Feliknaz
for you are, the hrst time you have been
shown, bought for the wealthy Said
Pasha, and you are to wait upon charm,
ing Hanoum of your own age. Mind and
be obedient, Felikuaz; it is the only
thing for slave"
l bent TO kiss my MISTRESS hand, but
she raised my face and kissed my fore
head. This caress was too much for me
at such moment, and my eyes lied with
tears.
The men laughed at my seusitiveuess
and pushed me toward the door, saving,
"fouve got soft heart aud face of
marble, but you will change as you get
older"
The old slave woman had told me the
truth. My new mistress, Adile Hanoum,
was good and kind, and to this day my
heart is filled with gratitude when | think
of her.
Allah had certainly cared for me. SO
many of my companion slaves had, at ten
years old, been obliged to go and live in
some poor Mussulman's house to do the
rough work and look after the childrepO