Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1896-02-21
PIN THE ORIENT.
,S5ount ola Visit to Their Glass
Rooms In Constantinople.
little Turkish Lassies Are Neat, Even Il
They Are a Bit stupld-They DO
Not Know Much of America
Manners and Customs

QulJe dS Interesting dS Tue TURK
ish harems we're three Turkish girls
schools which saw in Constantine
pie, thanks to the efforts of the same
girl interpreter with whom l visited
the former, says writer in the New
York Post.
The first school, the largest Turk
ish one for girls in the city, is shah
by building in the heart of StamDul.
Albeit my guide had come provided
with a permit in order to facilitate
matters, the Turk who guarded the
entrance let us in only after long de-
liberation and remonstrance, and on
our way up the rickety stairs we
were stopped by various teachers,
who likewise asked the object of our
appearance and looked at our per-
NIT. These examinations satisfac-
torily passed, we were welcomed
with great warmth and shown every
consideration. The lady principal
of the school being i'll, we were
taken charge OF by the head teacher,
the daughter of a. pasha, who un-
fortunately spoke only her mother
tongue. She had delicate, most in
telligent countenance and answered
all my questions rapidly, except
those in regard to Ne school curric-
ulum. 1t would take from three to
four days, so she said, to give me
the desired information, which would
have to be written out.
Escorted by body guard of In
terested teachers, we made the round
of the classrooms. The first floor is
given up chiefly to the primary de-
partmeht, which comprises four
ffths OF the girls. The whole build
ing is of most primitive kind, yet
the rooms were far better lighted
than is often the case with schools
in more civilized countries. The pu-
pills. VARYING in age from five to
thirteen years, all looked uncommon
ly clean and neat, and, although they
belonged exclusively to the poorer
class, l failed to detect torn or
frayed garment among the whole
number. They were, however, notice
able for dullness of expression. Some
wore very gay, others equally dark
colors, and all were engaged in study
ing primers or writing on states.
Common benches far outnumbered
the desks. In one room a middle
aged Turk in European costume,
with a fez, was giving lecture on
physics to quite large class of pu'
pills whose ages averaged fourteen
years. These girls, like the teach
ers, wore full national costumes OF
every color-that is, a feradje or
cloak, and a piece Of cloth or muslin,
which covered the head and Shout
ders. None was yelled. One Of the
scolars was catechised for my edit
cation and illustrated what she said
by drawing circle around cross
on the blackboard. What this sig
uifed / could. not make out, nor could
the interpreter obtain a satisfactory
explanation.
On the second floor, where the ad-
vanced pupils were, we were taken
into an elegantly furnished room in
which sat Turk in Turkish costume,
and young woman, the man princi-
pal and a candidate for a teachers
place, whom he was coaching for her
coming examinations. In another
room we saw the embroideries made
by the pupils, most of whom were
attending classes in the other rooms.
One was class in geography, which
l was asked to question. They could
tell me the European capitals and
knew something of Asia and Africa;
but although they had been study
ing geography for several years, all
they could tell me Of America was
that 1t was neither very warm nor
very cold there. The study Of
America and Australia will be in
Guided in the next two years course.
The girls varied in color from Cir
cassian white to ebony black, for no
color prejudice exists. All the
scholars bring lunch with them,
which they eat at tables on the
ground floor. Recreation hours are
spent indoors, Notwithstanding that
there is nice garden.