Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-01-23
ABDUL HANDS, HAREM.
Who Its Inmates Are and The Life They
Lead.

(From book by George Dorys, son OF
one of the Sultan's former minister's
Few. nowadays, ere those pdshas who,
a- much by tradition as personal prrdi-
lection, indulge in the bartarous luxury
of a. harem. It goes without saying that
first among these privileged Beings Is me
commander of the faithful, Abdul liamid
H.. who in :aCt owns living Holle3tl"n
of the most precious specimens of Orient ii
bnnutv. The curic sity aroused by this
mysterious word hlrcm, the fugitive Wis.
ion is evoked of a fairy like and unknown
world, unfortunately is apt to make the
western mind forget all there IS cruel and
revolving in this Wholesale sciueStrdtion
of Young beautiful ard ardent women,
N, Sc charm. freshness and lives even be
long absolutely to che mastor-it melin-
chciv and dcformed old n, bomaniac.
',hc closest confinement, which renders
in,tlssiblc all communication with the
outside world, humiliating part to play,
understanding obedience to the most fan
taStic whms of q feared and detest"d
dcsrot-such are TIE sad conditions IN
which 800 unfortunatcs OF the seraG'io pass
their lives. The Yildz Earem is their on
tire universe. Thcv have been brought
there a. children, they are guarded there
like a wrttChad ara valuable herd of ca
tie. aud they live and u.e there. knowing
nothing of The world outside their prison,
without the slightest notion of what life
really is.
the harom contingent is recruited al
most exclusively among the several Narlc'
ties of the CircasSian race. the most beau
uful in the East, but It incl Ides also
srccimcns of the Syrian and Roumellpt
races. Choseh for tteir pracooious grace.
the odaiSques are almost all bought Mt u
tender aga 10y spe Cial ace nts IF the paia g
under the orders of the Yossirdli- ia hi
IL, lftfas.s .t.,
fcndi. Often, too. thu governors ol the
FRO, nco displaying a zeal that is d'@rp-
proved of nowadays by the civilized Turks,
abduCt beautiful young girls from Their
parents, ,r purchase them to present them
to the sultan. and the cousins and hntS
OF the sovereign also exert every effort to
find for him Iare toautics, and nisplHN a
friendly rivalry in seeking the pearl most
worthy to present to him during the Bal
ram festival
When they cross the threshold 81 the
palace new recruits admitted to the i'm
IeIial harcm must abandon ana torgct
ovcrythirg-thair parents, their relatives,
thor homes, their very names. Existence
begins anew for them. a special training
in all the arts of pleasing is given to each
newcomer by the Zach Kalta thcad sla'c)
under the supreme control of the Nalile
Sultana.
'lis course of instruction is quite spec
ial. and is intended solely to develop in
the young beauties of the seraglio every
art calculated to Ilcasc the most bias"
senses. Grace in department, talk and g s.
tlre, melodious singing, attractive lam
ing, poetic and picturesque speech go
uUent gentleness of expression rNthing
in short, that art can add to the r2unHl
charm of woman is taught 10y oriental cN-
loricncc t. innocent lcautN in the a,ad-
envy of love
Generally this special instruction lasts
two years. and is terminated by "A solemn
cNamuati, n. presided over by tn" Valid
Sultan4. Each Of her pretty lmpils must
then be rrnfci mt in the manner of waiting
uron the sultan and serving MIN with his
favorite beverages. She must be familiar
With his preferences. ris antiquities. his
Cupii"cS and his maiiaS lcfor" she * pc"-
nittcd to consider herself "A member of the
harcm. EVa1 tn n it may be long helCr.
she attracts the imperial notice She na+
300 companions in the harem pusscsSiug
Tie Same beauty, having the same amli'
tiur. and among hor rivals there are SOW
eral favorites. Moreover, outside rivals
may enter the lists,
Abdul Harid prefers pretty AMI grace
full women to those of regular and striking
lcIIty. In this his taste differs from H. [
IF most orientals, who have a prcdiccton
for majestic and heavy forms. Lac Sulluu
l. feared rather than loved by his udIlj
qucs. He Is, however kind and att"ntiv.
to them when his mind is temporarily fire.
from its usual anXictiCs and worries and
1t such times he has even succeeded in in
spiring some of them with feelings of al
fcotion.
At tmts he condCsCenl Is to enter into
conversation with his faNorites, with whom
he fas no difficulty in I@sSng fot man
oi great brilliauCy. They ar, all druseN
ignorant women, and the superficial oduca-
tiOn they have received renders tEtm
,hildiShly naive. He ontcltainS them with
the political news and gossip of the day
and tells them anecdotes of foreign courts
of which he is very fond himself, and Thu
is the only idea of history they pOSS, So.
Eancng in all the forms that it as
sumcs in the Orient. is very popular ~ tn,
harem, and is the principal mode of
uscment-Turkish dances to the ac-
commandment of timbrels tam bourines. oi
"a chorus of languOlcus VI ices, ana cir
Cass IAN, Egytian and Arabian dances. Tn,
fayorites often huG amusement in IL,
dancing of their slaves Otherwise tho\
sr-nd their tine in childish pursuit 5
/ Dlaving with mechanical dolls or thC\
anillso themselves by initiating the erie.
of animals. or else they Will smear In,
faces of the nAgress attendants with flour
and Dut them up tc all binds Of trick; al
,xcito them TO uusrrel among themselves
They ali love swcctn,rats. tobacco
flowers perfumes. esEccjally musk an(
violet of which the Sultan is parti ,ul,rI,
fond Thcv ador, ANGER cats. paIrot I
i,,,o, ,oeoo cordc a. a e,tuuosti,,o ,+nr