The morning times., 1897-02-07

thoughts are mainly centered on her clothes,
which are often exceedingly elaborate and
beautiful, for there is DO distinction of
dress between the child Of two years old
and the woman of twenty. The same gar
ments, jacket, blouse andtrousers, are worn
by both, and the most splendid jewels and
embroideries are as freely lavished on the
one as on the other.
1t may be truly said that in Turkey a
girls face is her fortune. Not unfrequently
an exceptionally beautiful baby will be
sold for quite a sum to one OF the larger
harems, for the Turks are fond Of adopting
| children, and when this occurs every kind
OF luxury is showered on the plaything Of
| the seraglio.
1t is a.mistake to suppose that a Turkish
| girl of good birth is ignorant and unculti-
| waited. French, German and English gov
ernesses often form part of the regular es-
| tablishment, and in the sultan's family
French women have played for many gen
| erations an important part. The Turks are
passonateIy fond of music, and every
| Turkish lady can play at least one musical
| instrument. But it may be added that no
| Turkish girl OF good family is ever taught
| dancing, this recreation being leftto slaves.
| and each harem boasts OF regular corps
| de ballet, VINO amuse the master OF the
| house and his friends The ordinary Turk
| ish lady does not know what dancing means,
| and never has an opportunity OF finding
| out.
Many of US think of a harem as full,
melancholy place, whose inmates spend
their time in eating sweets and in perform
ing their toilet. Nothing can be further
from the truth Every harem in COnstanti-
| IL. ,f.ai -
gossip. The slaves, the eunicns and the
| hundred and one attendants of both sexes
who come and go freely are sure and swift
sources of information, and too often
town scandal is known TO all the children
of the harem before the master Of the house
has heard of it.
Properly speaking, there is no Turk
| ish girlhood, for, by the time the little
! Heymineh or Sulama is thirteen years Of
age husband has already been found for
her, and everything has been prepared
for her removal to her future home.
When a girl attains a marriageabie
| age, the old women, who act as matri-
monial agents in Turkey, Immediately
| begin to bestir themselves, in order to
find a suitable husband. 4 the girl is
exceptionally ugly, her parents offer a
expect to receive something in exchange
for so precious a gift. In either case,
however. the agent is well paid by both
contr acting parties for the trouble TO
which she is put. The marriage cere
monies are many and elabor ate, but
the bride-elect is only present at the
actual marriage service. Once this is
over. she is taken in state to her bride
| hD while no nrpSifpS
the wedding festivities.
Probably the most trying day in a Turk
ish wornan's life is that Of her recep-
ton into her husbands house. She is
greeted by those of his wives who are
in future to be her companions and rivals,
and whilst he is amusing himself at
being congratulated on his good for
tune, the unfortunate bride is being
| openly criticised, and made to feel mere
uncomfortable than she would otherwise
be. This is all the stranger when one con
siders the extreme courtesy with which a
foreign lady is received in a Turkish harem
AnEnglish or an American woman who las
been permitted to pass through the sa-
cred portals is greeted with a smile. urged
! to stay, and treated as a friend.
No occupation whether business or pleas
ure, is permitted To interfere with the re
| ligious duties of a Turkish woman. 1t Is a
| common occurrence to see the daughter or
the sister OF the sultan alight from hei
carriage, and when her slaves have spread
her prayer carpet, kneel down, closely
yelled, but within sight and sound of the
crowds that surround her, as calmly anC
quietly as though she was shut up in one
of the gilded chambers of her own seragliO
At all times of her life the Turkish lady
devotes the greater part of her waking
leisure to her toilet, and it would be diff,
cult to overestimate the importance OF the
bath. The seraglios of the sultans and OF
the leading pashas always contain very
elaborate bathing hall, rivaling in luxury
the Roman baths OF the ancjents. The bath
may be called the terrestrial paradise oil
the Eastern women, and it has become a
national institution-a kind OF club where
everything is discussed. A Turkish girl
instead of asking her friend to tea, ask
her to accompany her TO her bath, andeyer
those ladies who have every bathing ap
pliance at home often spend hours at TIT
luxurious public establishments which
abound in all public towns.-Boston TRAY
! eler.