Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1901-10-24

Alem, who was to be the object of
signal honor
Great was the emotion of the young
Circassian girl, who had little dreamed
of ever rising to such dignity Her
mistress FASTENED 20 make her take
the traditional bath, and surrounded
by her slaves superintendent the toilet
herself. Perfumed and adorned with
sumptuous ornaments, the bride-elect,
thinking she was dreaming, got into a
superb carriage, and escorted by
eunuchs on horseback arrived at
Yildiz, where Immediately the yalide
sultana summoned her to her presence
and gave her the customary instruc
tions. However, notwithstanding the
precipitation with which they had
brought her TO the palace, it was only
on the fourth day that Meste Alem
was ushered into the presence of the
master.
Whether his caprice had passed or
the young girl appeared less beautiful
or he no longer recognized her in her
new attire, he frowned on seeing her,
| and said in an abrupt and angry tone.
| That's not the one; send her away"
Trembling, burning with shame and
hurt to the inmost recesses of her
dawning pride, raised one moment so
high to fall so low and in such a
brutal manner, the poor girl was
taken back to the Princess Zekkie.
She became melancholy, pinned away
and soon died.
According to the religious law no
| Mussulman may marry more than four
| legitimate wives. In addition to these
four wives he may have as many
SLAYER, djarie, as his means permit
concubines whose children are as
those of the wives. According to very
ancient custom the sultan never mar
ries girl Of high rank, but selects
his four wives only among his slaves.
If it happens that among all his
slaves the sultan takes a fancy to
one in particular the latter becomes
gueuZde, literally, she who has struck
the eye. The gueuzde is promoted to
the rank Of ikbal, glorified. If the
ikbal gives birth to child she be-
comes kadine, or lady, and takes rank
as princess in the harem. She then
occupies. a special apartment and has
a large ST tie of slaves and eunuchs
attached TO her person.
But the kadine is not yet wife and
can only become Sc if a vacancy
occurs by the death of one of the frs
I four wives of the sultan, and if the
latter is willing to honor her with the
title of kadine consort. 1t would b.
natural to suppose that the sultan
possessing 50 well populated
seraglio, would be the father of a large
family but such is not the case. The
number of his children is relatively
small being actually only 10.
Imperial Spies.
Above all the kadines is the validt
sultana, who is a sort of feminine re
Election of the sultan. She reigns
absolutely over the harem. A kadint
may never under any pretext leave thC
the case of an odalique or mer,
ikbal who has had no children The
latter may be presented by the sultaI
to favorite or to some great per
sonage, and in this case natural!
occupies the first place in the haren
of her new master Often tn,
Padishah makes a gift of this kind Il
get rid of 4 woman of whom he is tireO
or whose presence in the palace seems
useless to him; sometimes. however
a more sinister design is hidden under
this gracious favor.
More often still these women are
distributed among the harems of sus
pected persons and charged with thu
wretched duty of spying. If it hap
pens that the woman becomes attach
ed to her new master and does no
carry out her instructions she lose.
harem. To be able to return into "the
garden of felicity and be in favor
there she must render services. This
in the slang of the harems, is called
getting your passport.
Sometimes Abdul Hamid discovers
for himself what he desires to know
For instance, having noticed one day d
young slave who was washing the
handkerchiefs of her mistress. !
kadine, he took a sudden fancy to hel
and had her brought to his presence
He promised her the rank of princess
on condition that she reveal to him
what the ladies of the harem thought
of him. Thus encouraged the neH
favorite lid not delay in Satisfying
her masters curiosity and told him
that the Kadine. her mistress, thought
him old and foolish Edited. Abdul
Hamid placed the young slave above
her mistress. now disgraced, saying:
Thus will act toward all those
who have not in their hearts what
they have un their lips"
The se~agliO of the Sultan Meiid
was formerly the theater of indescrib-
able orgies, the women being badly
looked after and having no hand to
! restrain them. His successor, Abdul
Aziz. jealous as a tiger introduced re-
u 49,. -.