The National tribune., 1901-06-06
VISITING A TURKS HAREM.
This Turk Has only Nine Wives, but He Ism {
Through Marrying Yet
Indianapolis Sentinel.)

Indianapolis sentinel
Mrs. NJ. \. Crosley. of this city. wife Of
the pastor of the Central Universalist
Church. while in Turkey recently-a coun-
try which she has visited 20 times and
more-enjOyed the rare experience of being
admitted to the luxurious harem of a
wealthy official.
''The first thing to do" said Mrs. Cros-
ley, If one wishes to see the inside of Il
harcm, is to secure n permit. or, as foreign
ers like to call it, an invitation. Knowing
that we would be welcomed to the home
of the official, our whole party went there
in carriages. | sent in my card by the
servant at the door and it was carried to
the first wife. who is really the head of the
household. BY and by word was sent
back by the servants To admit us and we
were brought into Il reception room.
'Our party consisted only of women. as,
of course, no men are allowed to enter
the harems. In some homes eunuchs are
employed to take charge, but only female
servants We're used in this home. While
we were admiring the beautiful furniture.
the coverings of which were of silk, heavi-
ly embroidered, the officials wives came in
to meet us. There were nine of them and
they ranged from n woman apparently 30
years old to the last wife, beautiful dark
girl of 16. They were dressed in the
loose flowing robes of their country. the
lower part of the costume consisting of
wide trousers gathered at the ankle. The
trousers were so full, however as to have
almost the appearance of skirts.
Our clothes at once attracted the at
tention of the women, as we were, | be
lieve, the first party of foreigners they had
ever really come in contact with, although
they must have seen others as they passed
through the streets in their closed car
riageS.
''They took off our bonnets and ex-
amined them curiously and we had to ex-
plain how all our garments We're made and
worn. Any piece of jewelry at once caught
their attention and in return they showed
us their ornaments, many of them of great
value.
Through an interpreter, lady, had re-
membered to take with as, we cOnversed
quite freely and pleasantly. 1t is the Gus
tom whenever foreigners call on the native
women to take them presents and we had
come prepared in this respect. We gave
them beautiful flowers, bright colOred rib
bons and other gay presents we knew
women would like to have, for strangely
enough feminine likes in regard to pretty
things seem to be the same the world over
1T is the Turkish custom to offer every
one cigarettes and of course they were
presented to us. We all took one, for to
have refused would have been serious
breach of etiquette. We were also asked
10 SMOKE Ine HaSnUCn, Il KIND OF pipe
where the smoke is drawn through glass
bowl filled with water into the mouth by
means of long lubber tube. The Turk
ish women divide their time between their
needlewOrk and the naghlich, or hubble
bubble as the English call it
''One of the wives, Il beautiful Caucasian
woman, could speak French tiuently, and
this made our visit more interesting. as
several of the party could thus talk to her
She invited us to go over the house and
pointed out all rooms, including the dining
rooms of the wives and also of the mas
ter of the house. This latter room was
fixed up so that the husband might enter
tain great many of his friends at once.
All of the wives never gather with him in
the dining room, however, as Turkish Gus
tom DEGREES that not more than one wife
shall share the husbands meal at a time
with him.
Just as we were leaving the harem the
Caucasian woman took me to one side and
asked confidentially if l knew some beauti-
full girls who would likely suit her hus-
band. as he desired another wife. / told
could not make a selection and that l
feared no American girl would wish to be-
come the tenth wife. This answer, al
though intended as jest, was taken seri-
ously by the wife, who was not able to
understand this aversion to being chosen
so late.
"Girls in Turkey are married very
u and 10 being the usual
ages. The girl who is not married by
the time she is 16 is looked upon with