The Saint Paul globe., 1900-04-22

The dovecots Of stamboul have lately
been Auttered by no less terrible scan
dal than the flight and clandestire mar
riage of a princess Of the highest Osmanli
rank. In fact, 1t Is a daughter of the
sultan himself. and favorite daughter,
too, who Is reported to have e1oped with
a Turkish poet. whose name is given as
Nedjar The young princess is styled
Nadeshda in the almost inarticalate para
graphs which convey the Ill news, and is
said to be accompanied in her desperate
step by daughter Of Osman Pasha, the
illuStrious hero Of Plevna. In face OF
such perturbing particulars 1t Is natural
to hear that his imperial majesty, the sui
tan. has been deeply moved by this IN
heard-of occurrence, which upsets all
ideas of Oriental decorum. and will t:e at
tributed universally by orthodox Turks to
the deplorable decay Of strict and proper
views upon religion and morals, and to
the diminishing opacity of the yash-
max, or face veil, which is used to make
such shocking events all but impossible.
But were they ever impossible? asks
Sir Edwin Arnold. in the London Daily
Telegraph, having been moved to write
this about the romance: DID palaces, any
better than harems or huts ever keep out
the little god who laughs at lock-
smiths, and is stronger than all uIemas
and fetwas? If anybody desires to COM
prehend exactly how such a thing may
befall. even in the precinctseof the august
Yildiz Kiosk itself. and in spite of eu-
nuchs. duennas, slaves, guards, and jeal-
Gus turbaned kinsmen, he needs only to
turn to that treasure house of Eastern
life and manners. the immortal '.Thou-
sand and One Nights" AS I myself came
upon the distressing communication re-
porting the escapade of her TOO suscepti-
bic royal highness, the memory returned
to me of story which probably describ-
ed almost fact for fact the very way in
which this last sadly subversive and ir-
regular affair has happened. Then I took
down from my book shelves a volume oe
the "Alf Leila" in Arabic, and ano,he
Of the excellent. though unfinished ans
lation which DR.. ]. c. Mardrus is now
making into French-the best version of
the eld-world stories, to my ruind. ever
| undertaken. Yes, here is the tale. besun
| We read, on the 1929 night, and entitled
( by that charming and inaXhaustihia
| A0SAohAA Lie 1ltSSOEy OF All Ben
| Bekar and the Beautiful Schams naah ,r."
| II 1 abTidge it here from these two YER
sions-the original and the Freneh-it will
supply, | venture to affirm, a fai hful ac-
count Of what has just been befaling In
these modern halls and alcoves watch
have succeeded to the ancient ones with
out much real transformation. Here is
the story, therefore, accurately rendered.
| although in some parts little condensed: :
At Baghdad. under the reign of the
| Khalif Haroun-al-Raschid, there lived
Abul-Hassan ben Tahir, young mer-
chant, very comely and rich. He was the
most fashionable of all the dealers in the
Grand Bazaar. Thus he was chosen by
the chief eunueh of the palace to furnish
| the favorftes with all articles, such as
| silks and Jewels, of which they had need
! and these ladies trusted entirely to his
| good taste and discretion. He never fail
| ed to supply with refreshments the
eunuchs and officers of the palace
who called to bring him orders, nor
to present them each time with gifts
| suitable to the rank of their mistresses
| Young Abul-Hassan became therefore al
! most adored by all the women and slaves
| Of the palace. so much SO that the khalif
| grew to know Of him and showed him ia
vor for his geod manners and pleasant
presence, and even accorded him free ac-
cess to the palace night and day Nay,
since tho young merchant had excellent
eifts In singing and reciting poetry the