The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-07-20
ABBAS OF EGYPT.


Progressive Rule.
Chicago Journal.
The Khedive. whose tour in Europe is
exciting so much interest, is still on the
sunny side of thirty. He was educated in
Vienna, has a charming personality and
his intelligence is altogether of a higher
sort than that of his father, the Khedive
Tewfik. He has but one wife. and is under
stood to be devoted to her and to their
children-four little daughters, and a son
and heir just four years old.
But all is not sunshine even in Egypt.
There are wounds to pride that gall sharp
ly and plots and jealousies that are forever
lurking in dark corners. If head that
wears a crown lies uneasy. also must
the head that has to bethink itself how to
steer through such troubled seas as Turkish
politics. Egypt is legally dominion or
Abbas, the young Khedive, inhabits his
fathers palaces, his cipher is on the uni
forms OF the Egyptian regiments, his Will
is supposed to rule in civil and religious
questions, but the real lord of Egypt is
the gray-haired, blue-eyed man who speaks
so rarely OF public affairs, and who knows
more of the land of old Nile than any man
since the days of Joseph the patriarch.
Abbas soon saw wherein lay the best hope
for his country and himself, and now
Lord Cromer has no more ardent admirer,
no more willing helper and Seconder than
the young Khedive.
Abbas has visited London twice before
once in his boyhooG and again in 1900 He
vastly admired one of London's well-known
society beauties, declaring she reminded
him of his wife, the Princess Hanem. Hel
beauty would also shine out in such a robt
| as that of your ladyship," he said, wlstful.
| cure just such thing? Who could provide
the exact counterpart of what so enchants
me at this moment?
answer esR be no Sesign my
SELF Then, catching the sincere disap-
pointment in the Khedlve's face, she added:
IF your Highness will permit, shall have
real pleasure in sending this very dress to
the princess. Could she honor me by wear
ing it?''
1t would have been an outrageous speech
to a European potentate, but the lady knew
her ground. The offer fell in exactly with
Oriental ideas. To give what has been
personally used by the giver is the loftiest
style of compliment.
The young Khedive was sincere in his
| thanks, and his dark-skinned wife delighted
his eyes many a day robed in the English
peeress's graceful garb; In TACT d ne SAID
was until / saw ii shine in the light al
Cairo
The pronounced chubbness of face and
| fullness of body which marked his High
ness's figure in his other visits have been
mellowed down in the interim, and he is
| now a far more graceful potentate than IN
| his beefier days.
Abbas used to devote a good deal of time
| to the toilet, and was looked upon by the
younger generation Of Egyptian exquisites as
a preux chevaiier. He made rule In the
| old days that he would receive no one al
| the Abdin Palace unless attired in a frock
| coat and a top hat. the very same rule that
| King Edward made the other day for the
visit to Ranelagh, which did not come of
When a high and mighty representative OF
| a certain British interest turned up in less
| formal attire young Abbas declined to see
| him, and he has had to suffer for his fas-
tidiOuSnesS ever since.