The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-10-18
HAREM WIVES SHOCKED.
Kadi's SignOra Interested in n Mod
ern WOman's Lingerie.

l New y Ofk w ORD puDnSneS by way OF IL
Illustrating the curious ideas of civilization
/ obtaining there.
Your correspondent had not been in the
harem of the Kadi of Tangier's citadel
ten minutes when the small army of many
cOlored beauties. 'signOras Legitimate
wives and slaves, asked her to undress,
exclaiming in French, English and Arab
ian that it would be no end of a joke to
see me in trousers, vail and burnus, or
bernouse, as the loose mantel of the Arabs
is called here.
Il knew they were dying to observe the
intricacies of the European toilet and con-
scented the more readily. as / had dressed
| deliberately for that very purpose fol-
lowing the advice of the proprietress of
the French hotel whose influence had OPP
ened the doors of the harem to me.
Il wore fashionable dress of change
able silk cut low in the front, the decol-
lete part being covered by lace. 1t was
all new to them. They touched and
smelled of the novel material apparently
thinking it's luster was produced by some
| outward cause The whalebones In the
waist struck them as no less grotesque
and when they came to unfasten my cor
| sets their establishment knew no bounds.
| Even the big sleeves, which half minute
| before they had admired so assiduously,
| lost interest
| when woman takes off her stays
| she usually gives little cry of relief. The
| day was very hot, and the act of casting
| off the modern coat of mail was, there
| fore, a general comfort. You should have
/ seen the glances, curiosity mixed with
! kiEcness, with which the harem ladies'
/ regarded my figure. Some of the holder
! ones pressed their ear against my side TO
| hear my heart beat, and then assured my
/ doubling sisters that my clock of life
| was really beating. They would not have
believed [ eXcgDt
The garters next attracted their I'M
| flesh just above the knee?' they asked.
all at once. it leaves a nasty mark
| The lady wears gloves on her feet
The latter announcement by one of
| the slave girls was followed by another
/ still more startling. Her feet have two
skins. one black and one white.
| stockings and stays are unknown in
| Morocco and so is the fashion of expos
| ing any part of the neck or shoulders.
miring my hose and corset and speculat-
| Ing about their usefulness the oldest
| signora undertook to point out to me that
| ii was very sinful and indeed horrible to
wear low-neck dresses. No nobleborn
| Arabian would think of doing that which
| the slaves alone were commanded TO do.
| Still herself and friends would be willing
| to try on my dress before the arrival of
| the kadi.
That gentleman's youngest wife, a
/ girl of fourteen, half Arab half Egyptian,
/ summoned up courage enough to attire
\ herself after the European fashion. She
was a beautiful creature, graceful, 1.-THE
| of figure, with fine eyes and hair and so
! little developed as to be able to slide my
| bracelet up under her armpits. Zuleima,
as they called her, threw off all her gar
ments except shift and trousers, but not
withstanding that. all attempts at button
| ing the dress in front were futile. Here,
then. was a figure graceful and classical
of outline, one over which artists would
rave and which connoisseurs would pro-
nounce perfect and yet it stubbornly re-
fused to submit to the dictates of Nine.
La Mode.
"All the harem women demanded to
know my age, shaking their heads at the
information given. No doubt they thought
/ was foohng them. They could not believe
that a woman of thirty-five could have
smaller waist than girl twenty years
younger.
But she does not breathe this French
woman said one of the slaves. Surely
she won't be able to eat with her things
on exclaimed another.
ITO put me to the test l was allowed
to dress again, after a little while, where
upon all of us sat down on the pink silk
shadow of the wooden balconies above.
1.-THE kadi's harem, to which have
introduced you, is the best appointed in
Tangiers, for the reason that its proprie-
tor one of the chief tax collectors of the
empire, is the richest man in town. 1t Is
situated in the midst of the works OF forth
fication on small hill overlooking the
narrows of Gibraltar. A donkey and guide
had brought me hither and a sentinel in
white mantle that seemed to come from
the property chest OF an American barber
shop had admitted us on payment of a
silver fVe-franc piece. The citadel, as far
as l can judge, consists of a confusion or
high and very thick walls, all cleanly
whitewashed. Even the buildings where
the officials live have no outside windows.
I'm the shadows of the balconies, Oh
small, silk-covered mattresses, the ladies
of the house were found, six full-tiedged
wives-'signoras, as they are called-eaca
attended by two or three female slaves.
All of the ladies were of the purest Ara
bian blood, with occasionally an intermix-
ture of Egyptian. They had small deli
cate features; the lines of their faces were
regularly drawn; their hair was long and
silky and their eyes were almond-shaped
THE ladies, according to the prevailing
etiquette, did not rise for moment or
when ] entered. and for a moment or so
l thought them TO be wax figures, so pale
and bloOdless were their cheeks and fore
heads. From the pallid background red
lips and deep black brows shone. At last
the oldest wife invited me to a seat among
them, and all at once began to jabber in
the tongues l was known to understand
French, English and Arabic. 1t was a
veritable Babel of voices, as the slave wo-
men, who live on footing of perfect
equality with their mistresses uncere-
moniously Joined in when they felt like
"Of servants there We're twelve or ff-
teen, representing all shades and differ
ences of color-ebony black, yellow, red,
girls were young and all pretty They wore
nothing but q sort of white pantaloons
and over them shirt without sleeves
made of transparent gauze. A few wore
a sash around the waist and a colored
cloth over the hair.
"Of course. first of all we discussed dress
and it is only just to say that the ladies
showed me all they had on before re-
questing me to strip as above related
The first garment she puts on Is a pair of
heavy satin trousers, gold embroidered
and lined with chintZ These trousers were
very wide around the upper part of the
leg, but narrow down considera bly, at the
knees, where they terminate. over these
unmentionables a long shirt of white silk
or linen or wool, with long sleeves full
from the elbows down, is worn When |
saw them 1 concluded that our modern
pun sleeves if a change We're wanted
might be reversed, a la Morocco, with good
grace and without anybody being the
loser, the same amount of material but
not so much room being required.
Then follow succession of vests three
four or more. all made of heavy silk lined
and embroidered, and finally number of
loose outer garments in the fashion of
very superior wrappers, with wide, how-
ing sleeves. Most of the signoras had on a
wrapper of gold brocade or heavy silk
and over that one of gauze or China silk
A girdle over a foot broad and very stiff
finishes the toilet. In place of II many
women wear sash and bind it three or