The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-31

. Ek@r 10 NhrtsttanttS--FOOF MUSLIN
.Gpntributing Freely TO the 0cei-
atntau MoveReus-A Hudson River
COUNTRY HIonse THAI was BufIt for
A. Mosque. - -
~ Copyrighted. 1899, By she Auihor)
London. Dee. 1e.-In a. few monihs-Just
how manyeNlll depeIia on circumstances
the 4nikal Steps will be taken IN a vigo.-
ous and resolute attempt 10 via the Unit
ed States away from Christianity and in
duce il TO accept Mohanmedanism instead
a Jealous followers, the lat ser creed IA
Amegkea has Offered nifty acres Of Iand
5pE ne purpose Of colonizing MusIms
tEtfe, and = few weeks more win see an
AAfherican woman herself a convert 40 the
IsIante Naith, touring Mohammedan coun-
tries ana appealing for funds TO enable her
20 return to her native country and there
.expohnd the theories Of the religion which
y strains az drunkenness and swallows poly
gamy. This is Simply another, but great
e. branch OF Mohammedan plan TO con-
yere the English people which has founl
Oppression IN popular subscription
among the faithful abroad for the pur-
spose Of establishing $4,000 mosque In
4fpANyht ~ 10 0dIiettaAth' III VttNietAg tAE
same spirit III which benevolent persons
= in the two great English-sps akng coun-
tries send missionaries TO China and to
Africa. But whereas missionary socit-
ttssin American ana In England too. are
WON'T to complain Of a lack Of enthusiasm
among their financial supporters. but The
humblest Islam Is eager 40 contribute his
mite-aRd has contributed it before to-day
lin aid Of foreign miss.oEs." Although
most Of those who have this new move
ment in charge are more or less reserved
on the subject TO outsiders as yet, | have
succeeded ia having a long conversation
With Mrs. M. 7. Keep, a quiet little wo-
man, formerly Of New York, and happy in
her home life. who left America in pursui.
OF the religion that had caphvated her,
and IS now to return as its accredited and
trusted evangelist. She il Is who has
piaued curiosity as 20 her Identity for 50
long, while worshiping at the temporary
mosque which Hadiie Mohamnled Doulie,
the Mohammedaa teacher, has establish
ed In the Ellston Road here in London,
and this is the first interview which she
has granted, although not a few at
temps have been made 10 find out who she
was, how she came 10 adopt the faith Of
Mohammed, aud, moreover, &c she intend-
ed doing anything in the prophets behalf
Thoroughly in Earnest.
Mrs. Keep. who once lived on Fifty-irst
street, New York, and later on found a
home in an Egyptian harem, lodges in
West Kensington London. / found her
at home, IN neat litle room. with two
wax candles burning on the table. In her
youth Mrs. Keep must have been an at
traefive girl: she is now a mild-looking,
elderly woman, probably a bit past SO,
whlie-capped. gray-hared and dressed in
plain black gown. She is not at all
wild-eyed, but there Is no doubt that she
is thoroughly in earnest regarding the
work which she has undertaken She
sat down behind one on the candles and
talked briskly shading the light from
her eyes with one hand and leaning to-
ward the interviewer as she spoke.
Il was a widow and a good way past
the prime of life before 7 knew anything
of Mohammedanlsm," she said. Il was at
traeted to 1t through reading in the news
papers about the congress Of religions az
Chicago. / was interested specially in
the position OF Mohammedan women, for
II was easy to see that under that rehg-
ion alone does our sex know the real
meaning of womans rights in which 1
have always believed. / found that, ac-
cording to the Mohammedan law, a wo-
mans possessions are absolutely unaffect-
ed by marriage. and that among the Is
lamic people such thing as the mora.
DEGRADATION Of women is unknown. When
/ learned these facts l was a reporter on
the staff Of a New York paper but /
had some means and determined 10 know.
all there was 10 know about this faith.
got the Mohammedan Hedaya-printed
In four bulky volumes--aud read it, What
found there determined me to 90 10 In
dia and to study, and so ! came to Eng
land, Intending ,ater 60 continue eastward.
Ny means failed. however. and | remained
here writing for some of the London pa
pers. and for some that are published IN
Inda-the latter am writing for still"
Mrs. Keep tod an interesting story of
lone wornan's fight against big odds IN
London, and said that she had once baen
employed by an American agency While
she was working there, two Egyptians-
men--reached London, both unable to
speak English, but converslng huently IN
German. They wanted a guide about the
city, ard Mrs. Keep volunteered for the
service. and, as she expressed IT. chap
eroned" them during their stay. They
were brothers-in-law and held the re-
spective ranks Of pasha and hey. She
told them Of her inclination towards Mo-
hammedanism and when they returned
TO Egypt, they promised TO do what they
could in the way of giving her oppor-
tunities Of studying their religion. Ac-
cordingly. correspondence ensued as 10
the practicabiNty Of her going TO Cairo
and taking up her residence IN their home.
IN the course OF their correspondence,
the pasha'S wife, her future hostess, was
Invariably mentioned as "a great lady"
and the pasta as "thc husband Of the
great lady" 1t was. IN fact, one OF the
most influential Musims households in
Cairo. "the great lady being q princess
Ia her own right Il was finally decided
that Mrs. Keep should enter the estab-
hshment assisting the pasha's son in his
study of English and herself wrestling
with Arabic and delving into the tenets
of Mohammedanism under the instruction
of the "hoja." OF professor. one such be-
ing attached to the staff OF every wen
regulated Muslin household. Here she
resided for considerably over year.
HRrem Life.
Mrs. Keep says a great deal of non
sense has been written about the Muslin
harem and the calibre OF its inmates. the
very secrecy in which it is maintained
having. doubtless. stimulated The mag
nations OF The uninitiated She dismsses
as absurd the many tales Of horrors COM
nitted in the ''hafem," and says that the
popular impression that Muslin women
.ra a.naL.L L.na-L- INV l.-L ]. IL aE..-