The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-02-28
and body move in pleasant accompani-

Light to your eyes," says one.
Long life to YOU" says the other
and so they go their way.
| And in Armenian and Greek villages
etiquette requires all women to rise
from the doorsteps where they are US
ually sitting whenever man passes
even a stranger. This is "out of re-
spect for his masculinity," as they ex-
press it.
Shaking hands Is not common in
Turkish salutation, nor is the uncover
ing Of the head, this last naturally
enough, since most Turks have the top
of the head shaver and keep the feZ on
constantly, both indoors and out 1t
would be regarded as a breach of eti-
quette for a Turk to remove the fez
when making a call and even when
praying in the mosques they keep their
heads covered.
l have been impressed by the great
| respect shown to old age in this coun-
try. A young man will often take an
| old womans hand in his two, and,
bending forward, kiss her cheeks; ana
a traveller on the road raely fails TIC
greet some venerable wayfarer: Peace
be with you, pilgrim father AS for
| the parents, they are supreme in every
household, no matter how great theh
age, and the eldest son becomes a ser
want the moment his father enters the
room. An American missionary gave
me charming instance of this hlal
devotion
On one occasion he was a guest at
dinner in the house of a prosperous
and unusually intelligent Turk, a man
| over 30, and the father of large
family. In the midst of the meal, While
the host was doing the honors with all
grace and talking with particular
charm, his own father, stately, white
haired old man, appeared at the
threshold. Immediately, without any
embarrassment, but doing the thing as
a matter of course, the son left his
place and his food unfinished and sta
toned himself outside the door, like a
servant, While the patriarch replaced
him at the head of the board. Nor did
the son enter the room again to join
in the conversation until hidden to do
so by his father.
/ l remember passing through the
bazaar in Caesarea one day, when a
| tumult drew me to a crowd blocking
one Of the passageways. A Turk was
beating an Armenian in a manner that
seemed outrageous until / learned the
cause
What has the Armenian done?" /
asked
He struck his mother" answered
the interpreter, and pointed to a poor
old woman who was huddled in cor
ner, weeping.
| A Turk considers it his privilege to
beat his wife or his daughter when
ever he feels like it, but to lift hand
against his mother puts him beyond
the pale. At least it does if he i'll treats
her when he is grown man and she
is old But for a boy to strike his
mother or slap her in the face is looked
on as thing Of no consequence.
What would you have?" the mother
will say. Il am only a woman"
And this brings me to a feature of
Turkish politeness that is far from ad-
mirable. Men here rank their wives
and daughters so far below themselves
| that they are actually ashamed to
speak Of them, and never do so if they
can avoid it. a Turkish servant, for
instance, in the employ of mission
ary-and he was rather an enlightened
Turk--on his way home from a long
journey was met by his master some
distance out of the city. The servant
knew that his wife had been seriously
Ill and was anxious to learn about her
present condition. But, instead Of ask
ing how Fatima was he said: Can you
give me news of Ais sister," Ali was
his brother-in-law, and in this round
about way he was able to avoid any
direct mention of his wife. Needless
TO say that to ask Turk about his
Wife would be a gross breach of ETH
quette, and should you inquire the
number Of his children he would reply
without counting his daughters In
his mind they do not count If you
really wished to know the entire num-
Der Of children in his family you would
get 1t by asking him: How many
spoons do you swing?" And then he
would tell you the number,
Wherever you go. coffee is the newt
able accompaniment of Turkish polite
hess, and the traveller can get his
nerves wrought up to a bad state Of ir-
ritability If he accepts all that is offered
him. Though the cups are small the
sweetish, muddy beverage has its po-
tency Whenever you make a call, cof-
Zee is offered to you, and you frequently
get 1t in shops while looking at things
Fancy in America the head Of a bust
ness house stopping his work to drink
cup OF coffee with a prospective Gus
TONER, yet it is an everyday occurrence
III Turkey. and If the customer buys
nothing, why, never mind. Still it must
be admitted that the coffee is usually
an inducement to purchase. A point to
be remembered here is this, that po-
liteness calls upon the one receiving
coffee to suck it with a noise; should he
drink it quietly, the one offering it
would think that he did not like it.
Perhaps the elaborate minutiae Of
Turkish politeness may be best OBJ
served in the complicated ceremonial Of
lady's call upon another lady. Let
them be Greeks, Turks or Armenians,
what happens is about the same. If
the call be al house of quality the
ladys outer garments will be taken by
servant in the vestibule. A Turkish
lady will leave there the charchaff, or
Moving silken garment that covers her
whole body and the yasmak, Or veil,
that covers her face. Also the boots or
red or yellow leather with pointed
turned-up toes, that she wears over her
soft slippers. As she enters the recep-
ton room all the ladies present rise
from the divan, and one after another
bid her welcome. And to each one she
replies: Il find you Well" Then the
lady of the house escorts her to the
place on the divan BETTING her social
rank, and all the others look on in ST.
lence. II the caller sees a child about
she does not fail to express her belief
ho+ he 1.