Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-10-10
FRANKS OF HAREM FAyONiT1S.
They Have No Respect for the Prop
erty Rights Of Visitors.

city hISDlS OF VISITORS.
A correspondent writes:-'I was
very much amused by the story in
last weeks Modern Society of rhe
lady who visited Mr.. HuSsein's harem
in Constantinople, and l could not
help thinking that she had much BET.
ter luck than myself, when, thanks to
the wife of the Dutch ambassador, |
was allowed to enter the mysterious
love-nest Of a very high parsonage Il
the same city The place was a per-
feet dream of loveliness; all around
a square yard paved in marble and
mosaicS were small retreats. glitter
ing with the most lovely stuffs of
those pale and undecided shades
which are only to be found in the
east. In each one color was pre-
dominant, and tan vases of the most
graceful forms were filed with
flowers matching the draperics or
forming with them the most happy
contrast. Enormous square boxes in
colOred faience, scattered about, con-
huge thick leaves, half hiding the
most fantastic mauve, pink and red
blooms.
ION our arrival the great eunuch
crossed his two arms on his breast
and opened the cedar and mother-of-
pearl gates of this enchanting fairy
palace. where some twenty women
were adversely occupied: some rec,in-
ing or lying on cushions and rich car
pets, some sitting in silver baignoires
and splaShing with their jeweled
hands a perfumed water, milky and
colored like opals; some arranging
flowers in their hair some tanning
themselves with feather screens, etc.
Most of them were young. small, with
long eyes and well-cut features, the
beauties of the Caucasus evidently.
The older ones looked heavy, almost
| typsy, and l never in my life saw
such horrid hanging chins and un-
shapely fat arms. They were mon
StrOuS.
1--WE were scarcely in, my friend
and myself, when all the ladies began
! the most unexpected antics; some
gathered in a corner and giggled
some ran away and hid themselves
/! behind their curtains, looking at us
with wide-open eyes like frightened
does; some-the more bold ones-sur-
rounded us and danced joyfully, as
If delighted to see something new at
last. We were very much amused
and began to smile and gesticulate so
engagingly-a great impudence, no
doubt-that all Of a sudden the whole
troop was besieging us, a regular as
sault; one took my bonnet off my
head and put il on her black curls;
another deftly unlocked my cape and
went away with it, while a small one,
kneeling before me, busted herself
unbuttoning my high boots, tickling
me all the time and convulsed with
laughter
when l looked at my friend she
was almost fainting, and no wonder.
Three young ladies-two of them
dressed en- Venus sortant de ronde,
their plump little bodies dripping
water on the floor, for they had
jumped out of their baths-had sue
ceeded in tearing off her light muslin
blouse and were trying to unlock
her stays amid roars of laughter.
Happily for us, the splendid gates
Wee opened again and a stately
woman, superbly dressed, entered the
apartment preceded by an eunuch and
followed by two girls in white wool
garments. She saluted us gravely
and looked with slight frown at the
scene before her. Then she shrugged
her shoulders, a scornful smile curled
her lips, which were painfully red
with paint, and she said a few words
to her attendants. Then she walked
ON without granting us a second look.
She was, we beard, the beloved and
legitimate wife Of the master of the
house.
''We had entertained the vain hope
that, thanks to her, we should be
able to recover our belongings, but it
was a mere Illusion: all the fair
robbers had fled away and hidden
their stolen treasures. l had lost one
boot, so, according to the precepts of
the gospel, l gave the other, and half
naked-myself walking in my stock
ings, my friend without her gloves,
looking as if we had just had a fair
fight with our husbands-we regained
our carriage, not knowing quite
whether we should laugh or give vent
to the very bad temper which was