The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-07-31
THE KHEDIVE AND HIS WIFE.

THE KHEDIVE AND HIS WIFE.
After the Khedive began to realize his
true situation between Turkey and
| Great Britain, he determined on poll
means to the end he resolved on Euro
pean home. He has no harem. The
Khedivah, Ikbal Hanem, is ia lovely wo-
man of Circassian race. She was a
slave of the Valide Khedlvah; but there
are no born ladies, except Sultanas in
| the east. Beauty is what in the first
instance raises the woman from a low
to high estate To be mother of a son
places her acquired rang on a solid ba-
sis. The Khedivah has no young lion"
to boast of-only daughters; but her
rank seems permanent. ! never saw
more attractive woman. She has physi-
cal loveliness in a remarkable degree.
But what lifts her above other beautl-
full women Is her sweet gracefulness,
her light heart, her ready sympathy,
her soft radiance, her delightful pres
ence. One cannot hope to find In Eu-
rope such paragon of feminine per-
lection. When an Oriental woman Is
perfect she is as pure gold. The Euro
pean woman's gold Is ever mixed with
hard alloy. Mary Magdalen and the
Good Samaritan were eastern types
You do not find their like in our part
of the world, or in the United States
The Khedivah was brought up and on
a favored footing in the household of
Emenah Hanam, now her mother-in-
law The latter was also a single wife.
But there was always in her establish
ment an assortment of fair Circassians
and other slaves for providing concu-
bines. A woman who has been a wifes
slave cannot, l was told hope to be her
domestic equal as a favorite Unless ia
vor is shown by Sultan. 1t was when
visiting his mother that Abbas IIilmy
saw Ikba In the ante-chamber. To be
there implied high place in the do
nestle hierarchy. The lowest female
slaves stand in the inner court of the
Khedival haremilk or women's quarters,
those of grade above them at the foot
of the stairs The highest grades are
on the landing-place, and in the ante
rooms, and wear slippers, but no stock
ings. The others have bare feet
saw, In visiting an Egyptian harem,
some marvellous Abyssinians and Nu-
bians, who looked like dark statues,
and were draped in statuesque man
ner in long cotton scarves-their only
garment. They were innercourt dam
sells. Their unconstrained gait their
assumed air of mute, submissive re-
spect for the visitors behests, their
1.-THE figures, were poem. The Circas-
slams were UP stairs and had the beau
~ OF fair compilations, radiant, pen
ciled eyes and eyebrows, and fine fea-
lures. But they were less statuesque
less noble, than their tropical sistrs,
and perhaps their teeth were not so
strikingly beautiful
( The Khedivah was brought up from
her sister-in-law, Kadiga Hanem. who
was married a week before her to
Prince Abbas Hahn The Khedive's
love for lkbal was thought to be pass
ing fancy. But attachment grew
stronger with habit, and he formally
married her This gave her rank as
khedivah. She would, without, / be,
lieve, any marriage ceremony have be-
come senior wife had her first child !
been boy. The Hanem dressed in |
French style. She had staff of |
French maids, who could do up her hair |
a la Parislenne, and make her wresses
and bonnets. She wore a bonnet going !
TO her loge grillee In the theater, but |
the white muslin forehead band and |
chin band, yclept veil, when she went |
out driving. Hanem Ikbal to whom / |
was presented does not paint or powder
her face. Her complexion Is smooth as
camellia petal with the most delicate
roseate hues that come and go. But |
she likes European dress, and has Eu-
ropean servants and governesses for
her three daughters. She studies with
her children, and has an alert open
mind, and, | was told philosophical
way OF looking at things. The Khediye
dotes on the little daughters. They
were only mites when I was at Cairo.
If the Queen wanted to pay him atten-
ton that would go home to him. it
would be to send them some nice books
to their age.-Paris Cores
pondence Of the London Truth.
|