Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-09-14
A Fam DIPLOMATS sunnwDNnss /.
How Lniia R'i>ia Won nSr Way to
the Heart of the Late Suitnn.

inc ttutc
The late sultan OF Morocco Is re-
ported to have had more than 5000
wives, and 1t IL therefore little
strange that one of them should have
been able to make her way 20 the SUI
preme place In the affections OF her
pOlygamous lord and master. and 10
achieve In land where she WINS a
stranger vast power and Influence.
Her name Is Lalla RKia. which
means"The Brilliant Charmer" u name
given her by the fond Muley NISSAN
In the nrst days o, his passion FOR
her. when she had just como over the
dusty ana dangerous roads from Tan
giers 10 the mystical city OF Fez.
brought by a merchant OF beauty"
as slave dealers are sometimes called
In Morocco.
Lalla R'Kia is clrcassian, and is
now In her S5th year. Unlike many OF
the women OF her native mountains
when they come to MI the harcm OF
the Turkish or Egyptian magnates.
she has not taken on that undue
plumpness which Is thought SO great a
charm I'm the Orient, hut has remained
as willcwy and graceful as when, a
young girl, her foot was fleet upon the
Circassl0n hills.
Like most OF the Circassinn slaves
brought down TO the markets OF Con-
/
broken at the fate OF seoluslon and
seml-servitudc which awaited her.
But she had a bright wit MS well as
dazzling beauty, and peculiar mag
netism, and when. one hot morning
fifteen years age the old slave trader,
| BralchR, a rich Arab of Tetouan, who
goes annually 10 Turkey In search OF
new beauties for the Moorish Arabs
/ asked her II she would like TO become
an Inmate OF the Sultan OF Moroccos
4 famous palace, she eagerly said Yes
cd Brnicha was so cnntiva'od by the
! girls charms and her many accompli h.
I mentc--onc OF which. oddiy enough,
was considerable knowledge OF music
| and an ability to play great many
/ Of the western airs on the piano--that
| he secretly resolved TO keep her FOR
| himself
But no sooner had the Sultan yet eyes
upon her than he OWNED her value,
and the modest expression Of his wish
that she should grace hls hRrem was
/ quietly aequiesced In by the old ipcr-
| chant, who knew that a refusal would
be equivalent to the loss OF his busl-
ness In Morocco thereafter.
The late Sultan was disposed II not
to adopt European notions. at least to
give them a quiet trial In tho privacy
OF his secluded palace.
II was not long before Lalln R'Klh
had told the dusly Moor OF the beauties
Of western music and had managed to
have piano brought ON muleback all
the way from the coast, TO be set up
In her private apartments
The skin with which she dashed on
the variations to some old fashioned
operate airs on this instrument OF
Frankish invention completed the con-
quest which she had. begun to make.
The young Abdul Azlz is really but
child He has not yet completed
his thirteenth year. His father was tho
color of new bronze statue, The son
has the delicious and delicate white
ness OF the circassinn ripther.
But he ~ feeble and melancholy, ana
u Is said that he wept for two hours
before his mother could induce him
TO make the grand entry into the
palace court yard on the court house.
cnpari.oucd IN silver and gold ccre-
monlal harness and sheltered under the
sllkcn parnsol carried by gigantic
grooms.
Although the mother did not appear
IN this ceremony II " certain that her
sharp eyes followed every detail OF
II through the lntticed balconies, from
which the women Of the harem looked
down upon all onlcial ceremonies.
She IL already wedding out the hnrcm
Of the late and luxurious Mulcy The
son. under the Moroccan law, inherits
from his father his 1000 wives. and ~
Obliged TO support them IN becom-
Ing style until their death.
But he II also allowed to have a
harem Of his own Of equal Importance
with that OF HIS predecessor and Lalln
R'Kia is now engaged In picking out
2OOo beauties 20 langulsh IN the palace
gardens and the breezy corridors which
overlook marble fountains and old
coift yards filled with olive and
cypress trees, until their master shall
choose from them one or several ia
vorites.