Middletown transcript., 1899-08-26
Ia VISIT FROM THE FIAREM.
TURKISH WOMEN PROVE TO BE HARD
TO ENTERTAIN.
TRIALS OF AN ENGLISH WOMAN WHO RECEIVED A
PACHA'S WTvES-A CALL ABRUPTLY ENDED

i. The bride pulled on ard off her shor
: pink kid gloves to display her rings t,
4 mt; played with her bracelets and hsl
a jaw elled watch. calling attention to tht
/. fact that it ''ticked" and vas wound
from the handle, | noticed that it was
, sew, raj hours behind the timepiece on
. the console table. s 9 patted heI
dress with her palm; adjusted her neck
! lace; fidgeted in her armchair; pointed
; with her furefnger TO objects in the
room, and screamed to the inlerprele er
for explanations of their uses, etc.
OF course, l tried to make my visi-
tors welcome. But did not succeed
Generally speaking, my conversation
did not interest them, and sometimes
it even disp. eased, as when spoke of
meeting the Pacha. Thtn the first
wife's face flushed darkly. "She won.
ders foreign ladies speak to men, ex-
planned the Circassian. The girls
French was feeble. struggled des-
perately to say pleasant things through
her To my guests, but perhaps she fall
cd to understand. or perhaps my effotts
were altogether mistaken. The con-
versation dragged frightfully in any
case.
turned to beautiful illustrated
book, precious gift from an art loving
friend-but the guests cared little for
it. Worse; they threatened to spoil It'll
The bride attempted to turn page
with a mOistened thumb. The second
wife held beautiful plate hard-pullr
ing it till | thought she would tear it.
| hastily proposed an adjournment to
the Belvedere; but the guests recoiIed |
in horror when they saw the corkscrew
staircase. Moreover, they would not
venture up any stains without the black
extiuguishers. "They say they were
very we'll in there, )" said the interpreter,
pointing 10 the door we had just come
through; 81 we returned to bore each |
other in lbe drawing room.
The boy began to smoke. This made !
me cough. The Circassian suggested |
that he should ''divert himself ON the
balcony" and henceforth he oscillated |
between his others side and the win
dow.
Coffee and sweetmeats came at last. |
They made a slight break in the
tedium. Having had no success when
tried to amuse the guests, I left off |
showing them Bessie's pretty china,
photographs and bric.a-brac. I also
left off taking through the Circassian-
determined that they should take their
turn at making conversation"
After pause the second wife with
very large French fondant in her
mouth spoke to the Circassian, who
said to me:
''She wants to know your age."
Next they discussed the answer a.
mong themselves, and then followed
another irksome pause. The silence
was broken only by sounds Of sucking
or crunching sweets and smashing
sugar sheels full of rose and orange
water. THE boy loved this destruc.
tive process.)
Another question came: SIS your
cousin still older than youP' followed
by the discussion, in Turkish, of nv
answer.
In close succession came: care you
married?" "Are you not sorry not to
be marriedp" ''Are there parrots in
Englandp" ''Do you like chocolate
better than any bonbon?" SIS Lon
don as large as Constantinople?"
"Why don't you wish to be married?'
''Should you say the boy was twelvefr
"What do you do when you are in the
house if you don't smoker" "Would
you imagine that the first wife is as
old as yourselfp" (The decrepit old
woman, only thirty-oneD twas 1 not
a professor?'' Had ever heard
Of indigestion?" They seemed At last
really pleased by my having "heard of
indigestionp' "Could tell them Of
cureT fear my answer, "Eat no
sweets, take great deal of exercise, "not
only annoyed, but also offended them.
Apparently professor aud doctor
were with them synonymous. My
visitors now piled me with questions
regarding ailments. These queries fell
as fast as the Circassian could frame /,
them. And now / began to feel that
being bored was not the worst possible
infliction.
Two stricken hours by the timepiece
on tie console table since the party had
entered the room and no earthly reason
whytwo more should not drearily elapse
before the thought Of moving should
enter their heads.
Jumped to my feet and unrolled
Bessie's embroidery before them. It J
did not interest them. They asked
languidly why my cousin ibid it her
self. She could pay some one to make
much more elaborate pattern" !
To stave off the subject OF diseases I
cudgelled my brains again for some.
thing to say, but felt numbly stupid.
Suddenly the interpreter said, point
ing to the first wife: 'sShe wants to
know, as you are learned lady, why
we had that wonderful snow last week,
Why had We not ramp,
Here was topic like breath of
fresh air. know can give nice
little meteorological lecture. Have
not made meteorology interesting to
the tiny children at homer Why
should / not amuse adults and boy :
OF twelve2 Alack, mol The bride
pointed bere and there about the room,
and clamorsd for explanations to the
interpreter through whom themeteor-