The times., 1898-09-11
MODERN CAvE-DWELLERs.
housekeeping I'm the Oldest Home,
Known to History.

Housekeeping I'm the Oldest Homes
Known to History.
The most beautiful woman l saw in my
buffalo beside mud hovel. where we
had drawn up our horses. She rose as
We drew near and stood watching us,
more curious than frightened. She stood
as still as statue. and her white veil
was thrown back i never saw a more
beautiful face. The eyes were large and
dark, the nose was that of an Egyptian
queen, and she held herself royalty.
From childhood these Turkish women
bear burdens on their heads and they
walk baIefooted with free swing. and
their bodies develop strength and grace
not found in cities, but in the wild places
of the earth.
Our Armenian interpreter came up
presently and said that it was best not
TO stare too much at the woman; she
did not mind, but the men did in other
mud novels!
Tell her ] wish to buy some of the
milk" / said.
He explained but the woman gestured
No looking toward the sun.
She won't sell any milk now, said
the interpreter; 1--WE must wait until the
sun has set
But that will be an hour" 1 said;
why can't we buy the milk now? Say
that we will pay her price"
Then came more interpreting. but the
woman clucked her tongue. lifted her
chin in the air and walked away with
the milk. When Turk clucks his tone
and lifts his chin, the negative is abso-
lutely final
she is afraid of the evil eye If she
lets you have the milk before sunset.
As soon as it is dark you can have all
you want"
ATT hungry as we were after a days
riding, We had to wait; money would not
induce that woman to change her mind,
although she was one OF the poorest
women in the world. She did not know
how poor she was; she did not know how
beautiful she was.
| found out that she lived with her
husband. her children, her chickens and
the other members of her family. includ-
ing some dogs and sheep, In cave up
the side of the hill that had been hollow
ed out of solid rock by cave dwellers
thousands of years before. We were ap-
preaching the White Valley now, where
are fifty miles of these rock-rooms that
date from the dawn of history.
In the morning L took the interpreter
and climbed up the hill to see this strange
home The husband was working with
some bags of grain. getting ready TO put
them in the ground against the winter.
The woman was helping MIN. But at
my approach she fled into the hole of the
cave, and would not come out. / knew
better than to insist, and, paying no more
heed to her, motioned the Turk to stand
against the wall, and held up a piastre,
-four centsl. For a pias-re a poor Turk
will do almost anything, so he stood
against the wall by the entrance to the
cave, and / made ready to photograph
him. delaying purpoSely in adjusting my
camera.
And presently the woman did just what
1 expected-came out to see what was
doing to her husband. And she stood
there in the morning sunlight, at the op-
posite side of the cave, holding a naked
child on one arm and looking like some
splendid Caryatid, so silent was her pose
and so fine. But her face was veiled now
all save the eyes, wrapped with white
cloth, which she drew tight across the
mouth with one hand. Never shall 1 for
get the dignity of that poor woman. that
wild queen of a cave, nor her yellow
trousers, full at the hips and going down
in narrowing folds to be caught tight at
the ankles, nor the wide, red sash that
bound her waist. nor the bare feet. not
LOO Sib&li, BuL pcIltCkr siS size utlu lAS
little child she looked like Madonna.
SO 1 took the picture they not knowing
at all what / was doing. They had never
heard of photogra ply, nor of railroads,
nor of Europe nor of Christianity, nor of
anything except the happenings in that
mud-hovel hamlet in the heart of Asia
Minor.
Then gave the piastre to the husband
and went inside the cave. 1t was clean
enough, save for the sheep dung at one
side, where the animals lay. There were
shelves and brackets followed in the rock
wall, and on these rested some little
earthen lamps, urn shaped. like those the
Romans used. At one side was rock
fireplace, under an upward passage
through the cliff, that served for a Chin
ney. A fire was smoking here, and a
broth stewing in stone vessel.
How do you ive2" ! asked the man,
through the Armenian.
I'VE sow and reap, we drive the bull
locks round and round on the thresh-
ing floor, we fan the chaff. and what
the tax-gatherer leaves. that we eat
We do as our fathers did
So spoke the Turk. and his wife
stood there holding the little one. never
moving
Have you nothing to eat but that?"
l asked, pointing to the stew.
I'VE have grapes, and sometimes
chicken. and once in many days goat S
flesh We do not complain. 1t is as
Allah willis"
And the woman, what does she
! cor
"She drives the buliocks over the
| threshing floor and miiks the buffaloes
and bears me sons. Co. he said to her.
and the woman bent low and passed
| into a second rock chamber at the back.
! the harem of the cave.
| How long have you lived here?"
Allah knows. a long time.
''Will you always live here?"
| THAT must be as Allah wills
When we came outside l gave him
another piastre, and wished him good
luck, but he spat on the ground and
went back into the cave.
why did he spit on the ground?" |
asked the Armenian.
Because you wished him we'll He
is afraid that will bring the evil eye
upon him. They do not like to have a
stranger wish them well. Besides. you
have blue eyes, and those are the worst
| kind
| So we went our way, leaving these
cave-dwellers in their strange isoia-
| ton.
| .Tn&f