The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-07
QUEEN OF A HAREM.
Pretty American Girl Who Fell in
Love with the Pasha of Tangier.
New York Special.

New York Special.
The most interesting student in New York
is little Mrs. Haider, the youngest member
of the woman's law class of the New York
University. The most interesting story
Mrs Haider has to tell-she referred to it
briefly in a talk before the law class and
told it in full to reporters that Of an
American girl born in Brooklyn anu now
the favorite wife in the harem of the Pasha
of Tangier. Morocco.
"Of course" said Mrs. Haider to the re-
porter, men are never admitted to the
harema Women sometimes are, for the in
mates welcome anything that breaks the
monotony of their lives. My husband Sc
cured an invitation for me to. visit the
harem of the grand pasha while we were
in Morocco, and on my first visit 1 noticed
a most lovely woman who did not look like
an Oriental You know the ladies Cf the
harem never rise to receive their visltCrs.
but lie upon embroidered touches dressed
in the costumes we are familiar with trCm
pictured scenes in harem life-gauze trous-
ers and wonderfully embroidered little jack
cts and silken shirts. They pass their lives
while indoors during the daytime smoking,
eating sweets, chattering with each otLer
and embroidering, but they always recline.
when L approached the singuarly beau
tiful woman who looked SO different f! ON
the others my guide whispered, This is the
reigning favorite.' l stopped and asked the
lovely creature if she spoke any Gf the con-
tinental languages, addressing ner IN
French She replied with an euculnting
smile that she spoke French and Eugisn,
but no other languages. Then L asked her
II she was French, and to my astonishment
she said, No, l am an American. | then
addressed her in English ard she seemed
quite delighted to talk with me in her own
tongue.
She was the most beautiful girl have
ever seen, far more beautiful than airy
Oriental woman could ever discover Sne
was exclusively dressed. Her couch was
covered with superb embroideries ard her
cushions of pale yellows, blues, pinks AID
sea greens, velvet and satin, heavily en-
broidered with gold and silver, made e
sumptuOus background for her rare laautY.
She wore trousers of pale green tissue,
very full and gathered about the ankles,
but they were completely covered by Ter
rich heavy robes Her slippers werJ IN the
floor near the couch. They We're OF Turkish
shape Of pink velvet, embroidered in gold
Her gauze shirt, a garment all Eastern
women wear was pale pink, covered with
wonderful spangled work in gold. over this
she wore little crimson jacket embroidered
with jewels and gold and silver thread, and
about her waist a broad scarf Of white
tissue heavily wrought with silver was
wound several times and knorred al The
SIDES, the long ends magn.icadtly I'm
broidered and finished with heavy silver
fringe.
Il,
with bronze-colored wavy hair, dark, lus-
trouS eyes, whose shadows are accentuated
by the cosmetic all Eastern women use so
freely about the lids Her figure is ex-
quisitely modelled and beautiful, and, by
the, by, she was the only woman in the
harem who was not obese. Her skin is
transparency fair, with just faint color
in the cheeks. Her features are perfectly
regular and her scarlet lips opened to re-
veal most beautiful teeth, white, even and
perfectly shaped. When she smiled she was
irresistible.
ut was easy to see how Stella had in
fatuated the Dasha, but / could not re-
press my curiosity to know how this beau
tiful woman ever came to be an inmate of
an Oriental harem. The first day | had
only been able to speak with Stella for a
moment but l managed to make a second
visit, and this time devoted myself to the
American lady of the harem exclusively.
had imagined all sorts of dreadful plots of
which she had been the victim, and was
ready to assist her in escaping from her de-
grading slavery. So when | met her the
help her and to confide in me if she were
unhappy And what do you think she said?
beautiful teeth, and. nesting in her, cush--
ions dangerously, sai0: Why, my dear, l
wouldn't change my position for that of
any other woman in the world. l am per-
fectly happy-as happy as a queen
But, cried in amazement, how did
you ever get here? Were you abducted or
the pasha's people. You couldn't have got
her any other way. Then she said, oh,
you are quite mistaken. l Will tell you all
about it. I the daughter of q Brooklyn
merchant. My father was a widower and
was in the habit of making yearly Euro
pean trip. l accompanied him twice The
second trip we came to the far East. While
we were in Morocco-and quite incidentally
the Dasha saw me, and (here she hesi-
tated and smiled, we'll, he fell in love with
me. l cannot tell you how l became aware
of the honor he showed me, but l deliber-
atey chose my life here as his wife. No,
don't think my father broke his heart.
hear he has married again. OF course,
hear nothing directly, l do not wish to-
:" I have been the favorite of the harem
ever since l entered it. more than two
years ago, and l would not be anything
else for the world. Nothing would tempt
me to resume my old life of an American
girl-and a very fortunate American girl
at that. No, indeed, L prefer to be queen
of the harem. If you call it slavery. I
prefer slavery to the existence of free
born Yankee as 1 remember it, and every
one to say 1 was a spoiled girl too. Don't
pity the American wife of the grand
pasha. It's mere waste of sentiment!