The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-11-04
EgRE'S ANOTHER STORY.
an Unprotected Female
at the Pyramids.
u;.. ssbrina Dawkins's Visit TO Grand
Cairo. and Its Consequences.
nv ANTHONY

dCeFNlDIlNh NONAN ~ - ~ NRAa 80 AANA
~ mvs,erious reality az that Of an Oriental city
We knew it was actually there. but had such
vsoue notions Of its ways and looksl Let any
one remember his early impressions as e
paudad or Grand Cairo, and then say II
This was not so. IL was probably taken from
,b. Arabian Nights. and the picture produced
vas one OF strange, fantastic. luxurious houses
Of women who were either very young and very
beautiful. or else very old and very cunning
hut in either state exercising much more in.
nusnco in life than women in the East do now
Of good .natured. capricious, though sometimes
tyrannical monarchs; and Of life full Of quaint
mysteries, quite unintelllpible in every phase,
and on that account the more picturesque.
And perhaps the Grand Cairo has thus filled
N, with moro wonder even than Bagdad.
We have been in a certain manner
At home at BaRdad, but have only
visited Grand Cairo occasionally. ! know no
place which was to me. In early years, SO de-
iishtfully mysterious rs Grand Cairo.
Rut the route to India and Australia has
changed all this. Men from all countries going
10 the East now pass through Cairo. and its
streets and costumes are no longer strange to
ms, IL has become also a resort for invalids, or
rather for those who fear that they may become
inyalids II they remain in a cold climate during
tbe winter months. And thus at Cairo there Is
Always IN ne IOunu n COValutTault UODhihLIDH VI
French. Americans. and of English. Oriental
life is brought home to us. dreadfully diluted by
Western customs, and the delights of the
" ARABIAN Nights =" are shorn of half their value.
When we have seen q thing II Is never SO mag
niAcent to us as when II was half unknown.
Il 10 not much that we deign to learn from
these Orientals. we who glory In our civilization.
We do not copy their silence or their abstemi-
business, nor that invariable mindfulness of his
own personal dignity which always adheres 10 q
Turk or to an Arab. We chatter as much at Cairo
a. elsewhere, and eat as much and drink as
much, and dress ourselves in the same old, ugly
costume. But we do usually take upon ourselves
10 wear red caps, and we do ride on donkeye.
Nor are the visitors from the West to
Cairo by any means confined to the male
sex. Ladies' are to be seen in the
streets, quite regardless of the Mahommedan
custom which presumes a veil to be necessary
for an appearance in public: and. to tell the
truth. the Mahommedans In general do not
appear to be much shocked by their efrrontery.
A quarter OF the town has in this way become
inhabited by men wearing coats and waistcoats,
and by women who are without wells: but the
English tongue in Egypt finds its centre at
Shepherds Hotel. II Is here that people con-
gregate who are looking out for parties to visit
with them the Upper Nile, and who are gen.
orally all smiles and courtesy; and hero also
are to be found they who have Just returned
from this journey. and who are often in
. frame Of mind toward their COM
panions that is much less amiable. From hence
during the winter. a cortege proceeds almost
daily to the Pyramids. or to Memphis. or to the
petrined forest. or to the City OF the sun. And
then. again, four or Ave times a month the house
Is filled with young aspirants going out TO India,
male and female. full OF valor and bloom; or
with others coming home. no longer young, no
longer aspiring, but laden with children and
grievances.
The party with whom we are at present con-
cerned Is not about TO proceed further than the
Pyramids, and we shall be able to go with them
and return in one and the same day.
IL consisted chiefly Of an English family, Mr..
and Mrs. Damer, their daughter, and two
young sons; of these chiefly because they
were the nucleus TO which the 9TH
ers had attached themselves as adherents:
they had originated the journey. and in the
whole management of 1t Mr.. Damer regarded
himself as the master.
The adherents were. firstly, NJ. Delabordeau,
. Frenchman, now resident In Cairo. who had
given out that he was in some way concerned
in the canal about TO be made between the Medl-
and the Red Sea. In discussion on
this subject he had become acquainted with Mr..
Damer: and although the latter gentleman.
true 10 English interests, perpetually declared
that the canal would nevs- be made. and thus
irritated VI. Delabordeau not a little-neverthe-
less, some measure OF friendship had grown up
between them.
There was also an American gentleman. Mr..
Jefferson Ingram. who was comprising all coun-
tries and all nations in one grand tour. as Amsri-
can gentlemen SO often do. He Was young and
good looking. and had made himself especially
to Mr.. Damer, who had declared more
than once that Mr.. Ingram was by far the most
rational American he had ever met. Mr.. Ingram
would listen To Mr.. Damer by the half hour as TO
the virtue of the British Constitution, and had
even sat by almost with patience when Mr..
.amer had expressed a doubt as to the good
working OF the United States scheme of policy,
which. in an American, was most wonderful.
some OF the sojourners at Shepheard's had
that Mr.. Ingram was in the habit OF
talking with Miss Damer almost as much as
with her father. and argued from that that. fond
IS the young man was OF politics, he did some
turn his mind 10 other things also.
And then there was Miss Dawkins. Now,
Miss Dawkins was an important person. both
As to herself and as to her line OF life, and she
must be described. She was. In the first place,
IN unprotected female OF about 30 years OF
lse. As this 4, becoming an established pro-
fession. setting Itself up, as II were. in oppose
lion 10 the Old-wOrd idea that women. like
green peas, cannot come TO perfection without
sticks. IL will be understood at once
what were Miss Dawkins's sentiments. She
considered or at any rate so expressed herself
hat peas could grow very well without sticks,
nd could not only grow thus unsupported,
1ut could also make they way about the world
Without any encumb rance OF sticks whatsoever.
She did not intend, she said, 20 rival Ida Pfeifer,
Ieeing that she was attached In a moderate way
o bed and board, aud was attached TO society in
manner almost more than moderate; but she
lad no idea of being prevented from seeing any
hing she wished 20 see because she had neither
Ather, nor husband, nor brother available for
he purpose OF escort. She was a human crea-
,ure, with arms and legs. she said; and she in
TO use them. And this was all very well;
Put nevertheless she had a strong inclination 10
asa the arms and legs Of other people when she
;ould'make them serViceAtle.
lnpersonM Miss Dawkins was not without attrae-
ION. should exaggerated III were to say that she
"as beautiful and elegant, but she was good look
ng. and not usually Ill hammered. She was tall.