The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-11-26

i the slaves present him coffee, sorbets,
| preserves, clear fresh water and cigar
cites. It is only at this moment that
the slaves who serve these refresh
ments have an opportunity of APP
| preaching the sultan and appearing be-
fore him In all the splendor Of their
natural or artificial attractions. While
talking with the person upon whom he
has called, the Padishah glances at the
young and pretty hours who pour out
his coffee, offer him cigarettes and pay
him a thousand delicate attentions,
and his rapid looks show the impress
sion produced upon his majesty. II he
asks:
''who is that beautiful slave?"
What Is her manner" Or II he simply
says. That is a very fine blonde or
brunette" the slave thus designated
Immediately becomes a guieuzde. The
sultan at whose court the scene takes
place then orders the slave thus dis
tinguished to come forward and kiss
the fringe or the arm of the chair upon
which is seated the Chief of the Faith
full This act constitutes the official
presentation. As soon as this ceremony
has taken place the young girl at once
retires to a special apartment, where
she remains until she has an opportu-
nifty Of becoming an ikbai, or favorite.
THE LAWS OF THE HARBM.
When a slave does obtain this title,
she is officially recognized and receives
monthly allowance as well as a court
and private establishment She then
belongs to the aristocracy of the har-
EN-. and differs from the kadines or
legitimate wives only by the inferior
ity OF her style of living and the insta-
bility of a position due to the within of
sovereign. which a subsequent within
can destroy In an instant. In fact,
when the master utters the sacrament
tai formula: do not let me see her
any more at the palace" the discarded
woman must Immediately disappear,
taking with her the dowry, the furni-
ture and the savings that she has econ
onized during her weeks or years of
power. The hand Of these women thus
dismissed is eagerly sought for by the
higher functionaries, by the chamber
lains. or other personages of the pal
ace. for there is honor and profit in
becoming left-handed brother-in-law
of the sultan and having as wife a
person who has been on the best of
terms with the Padishah.
AS Wears and successors OF the
prophet the sultans have always dis
pensed with the marriage contracts,
witnesses and other legal forms of
Mussulman theology. A legal marriage
not existing a divorce Is, by this fact,
rendered impossible. On the other
hand the custom of the Ottoman court
does not allow marriage between a
simple mortal and a woman who has
been the wife OF the Padishah. 1t is in
this absolute principle that lies the
difference between the women who
have been favorites and those who are
called kadines. The kadines have a
more permanent situation at the pail
ace than the other women; they are
sure OF remaining there throughout
the reign. Even after the death of
their master they continue to have the
prestige which renders their person
sacred and forbids them to contract
new alliance. They are then trans
ferred to apartm in the old palace.
where they end their days rather sad
ly. In their new existence they are
strictly watched, and are only allowed
ito go outside the palace when Ii is abb
solutely necessary. While their master
was living they were submissive to his
jealousy; after his death they remain
faithful to his memory and obedlent to
his successor, whose duty 1T is to
watch over the conduct of his prede-
cessor's widows. Under the weight Of
this double jealousy their existence IS
spent in seclusion all the more severe,
according to their youth and their
beauty. They reconquer a little free
dom only at the age of So At that
sometimes gives them one of his kiosks
and allows them to live as they please.
The kadines who become mothers are
not obliged to undergo this seclusion.
They continue to live at the palace
with their arslanur, or little Hon. Nat
urally they are careful and constantly
watched. The existence Of the kadines
during the life of their master is not so
monotonous as might be supposed;
they are allowed to go out frequently.
and occasionally obtain permission
from the sultan's mother to spend a
few days in one of the imperial kiosxs
on the Bosphorus, where they amuse
themselves by receiving their friends.
Besides these promenades and excur-
sions the kadines. as well as all the
other women of the harem, pass their
time in receiving visits, making tapes
try work, dressing dolls, banqueting,
making music, and gathering around
them everything that can charm and
amuse. This style of existence ac-
counts for the large number Of musi-
clans. dancers and testers that are at
tached to the sultan's household. In
addition to these pastimes and light
occupations the kadines busy them
selves about the thousand intrigues of
the Ottoman court. Those who are
mothers already imagine that their son
is destined for the throne, and do all
they can to assure him this high place.
even to the detriment of the official
successor Those who are not mothers
exert all their endeavors to become
such and consult the professors of
magic and other queer personages con-
nected with the imperial harem. Con-
seuuently there is a great amount of
jealousy among these women of the
palace.
To California without Change via The
milwaukee,"