Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1894-10-01


able Turk" is not only himself utter
ly averse to any eXertion, hut has
the property of being able to COM
municate his aversion in this partic-
ular to Others, and il is only a ques-
tion of time when all with whom he
comes in contact become like him;
not exactly, perhaps, but sufficiently
so for the resemblance to be recog-
nzed.
To strangers it is matter of the
utmost astonshment how lazy a
Turk can be, and how repugnant to
the Turkish intellect the idea of any
sort of eycrtion can become. In the
land of the Sultan nobody runs save
on the most urgent provocation, and
when walking is done it is under
mental protest. Sitting is better
than standing, and lying down prefer
abe to either. To one who has
never tried it, the Turkish plan of
sitting presents difficulties that are
not easily surmOunted. IL the first
place, Western knee joints seem to
lack the power of adaptation to cir
cumstanCeS that characterizes the
knees of the Orient When seating
himself according to the formula
in such cases made and pro-
vided, the Turk will first cross
his legs, then, by gradual
and graceful gradations, and not too
rapidly, will allow the weight of his
body to descend upon them until
firmly settled Oh the floor or divan,
where he is not only solidly estab-
lished, but has before him an impro-
vised table, on which he can deposit
his pipe and tobacco, his glass of
liquid refreshment, or even utilize as
a writing desk. His knees are flat on
the ground, his whole picture one Of
solid cOntentment and comfort The
man from Western climeS tries it and
finds his knees sticking out at an
acute angle anything but graceful
or pleasant, while in ten minutes his
back will ache in the most distres.
sing manner, and the pains in his
legs and feet will compel him to rise
and walk for relief. But to Turk.
squatting cross-legged on the ground
is the acme of satisfaction; he will
remain in this position all day long,
and then rise and shuttle off in his
awkward slippers as though stiffness
of the joints were an unknown quan.
tity.
The national posture has an i'm
portant effect on business. or what
passes for business, in the land OF
the true believer, for, as far as posi-
bic, everything is done sitting down.
In Turkish bazaar the shops are
all small, to accommo late the husi-
ness to the posture that is preferred
to all others. OF course if the Turk
could transact business lying down,
he would like that even better than
sitting, but the impracticability of
such thing is recognized even by
the Turk himself, so, perforce, he
sits, and adapts his shop to himself
in such a way that when Allah sends
a customer the shopkeeper is not
obliged to get up to wait on him.
His whole stock in trade is within
reach Of his hands, and when any
thing is wanted he simply reaches
UuU duu etGD II, lanes dllOIllpT WIFI
of his pipe and waits for the GUS
toner to buy. If the latter does so
well and good; if not, no change is
observable IN the demeanor of the
merchant: he is not visibly eiated by
a good day, nor visibly depressed
when there are no customers, for
Allah is great and will send bread
somehow" His fatalism is the
secret Of his equanimity, for be
is perfectly convinced that if
Allah means for him to get
rich Allah will send him the custom
els, while if Allah has determined
that he is TO be or to remain poor no
amount Of eXertion on his own part
can Illustrate the DEGREES of fate.
The same philosophy influences his
dealings with his customers. If they
are to buy, it is kismet. and there is
no need for him to exert himself; if
they are not to buy he will have
wasted his labor, 50, Allah Bismil-
lah, let them alone, And he does il,