The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-12-18
THE SULTAN AND BEAUTY.


Deposed Murad to His Sons.
1t has frequently been borne TO the
minds OF various leading statesmen OF
Europe that His Imperial Majesty Abdul
Hamld H.. Sultan OF Turkey, and thv
grace OF the Marquis OF Salisbury and
LORD Crorner, Suzerain of Egypt, is a very
snreWd customer 70 deal with.
He certainly has succeeded In hoodwink-
ing them and setting them at loggerheads
TOT 50 many years and with such neatness
ana precision as to command a certain
amount OF admiration. But a little story
comes this week in a private letter from
Sonstantinople which would go TO SHOW
that the sultan Is possessed of the foibles
or all mankind and that a pretty face can
do great damage to political schemes
That is one view Of the story. The other
fs that 1t only Illustrates the cleverness of
MS majesty In an attempt to appease his
political opponents. The story is given
here for what tits worth, but that it is
true is believed by no less an authority on
the intricacies OF the sultans mental at
utude than DR.. George Washburn pres
ident OF Roberts college In Corstantinople.
IL will be recalled that after the suicide
or, as most believe, the murder OF Abdul
Aziz Qrreverent American punsters have
suggested that Abdul Aswns is a more ap-
propriate name) in 1876 he was succeeded
py ms nephew, VINO AFTER
a few months was deposed on the ground
OF insanity by Abdul Hamid. The two are
brothers.
Ever since then Murad has been n close
prisoner in his palace. and all the conspir-
acies and Vaccinations of the young Tur-
key party have never been able TO secure
his release. His family have suffered a
like punishment.
Now. included in this family were two
daughters, mere infants at the time of
their fathers deposition. but who nave
since grown up into comely maidens. They
have had no education and saw no pros
pect of getting married, which is the only
object that any Turkish girl has in life.
So they got together. so to speak. and de-
cided to do something. This something
took the form of n petition to their i'm
perial relative setting forth the facts and
requesting some sort OF relief. The petit
ton called the sultan king of kings and
lord of lords, and stated in many fiowery
words that the petitioners were poor slaves
and had not even the few advantages of
other Turkish girls; that they had arrived
at q marriageable age with no prospects
OF marrying: that in general they were in
a pitiful state and wouldn't his imperial
majesty do something for them.
His majesty apparently had just sue
ceeded in retarding the evacuation of
Crete. or some sucn tnlng at tne expense
OF Europe. and issued orders that the
girls be brought before him. Now. when
the sisters came into the imperial pres
ence and unveiled. it took Abdul Hamid
about Ave seconds to discover that they
were very comedy. good to look upon, and
Abdul Hamid Is a man of rare Judgment.
His memory raked I'D some old Arabian
poet, and he decided that their cheeks
were like roses, that their eyes were like
narcissus blossoms. that their teeth We're
like hailstones. and that their tears were
like pearls. At any rate he ought so To
have decided IL he didn't. The sultans
manner instantly became gracious. He
COMMUNICATED the girls on their beauty.
told them that they should have everything
they wanted, and wound up by announc-
ing to their intense astonshment. that
he had decided TO marry them to two or
his sons. There were two very happy girls
In Constantinople that night.
That IL the story that is being indus
triously circulated In Constantinople, and
the unbelievers in the sultan's generosity
say that he has done II to appease MuraPs
followers. The thing that is agitating the
young swelis Of STEAMBOAT Is that they will
never be able TO see the girls whose beauty
has been favorably passed upon by their
imperial master.