The Forrest City times., 1903-11-06
THE KHEDIVE AT HOME.
Ruler of Egypt Is a Man of Advanced
Ideas and Is Faithful to
tue Koran.

The visit to Great Britain of Abbas
Pasha, khedive of Egypt, inspired
good deal of literature about him and
his interesting country. naturally, since
England has a larger stake in Egypt
than has any other nation. According
to one book, Cairo and the khedive,
by Mr. G.. NJ. Fem. this ruler, who was
born in 1874 and came to his throne IN
1892, is an open-minded man OF high
culture and intelligt nee, says Youth
Companion.
When receiving the diplomatists III
audience, he can converse in Enellsh
with the British or United states MIN
listers. and in French with the repre-
sentative of that republic; and Re is
as much at home in German as in the
language spoken by the representative
of the Ottoman empire or in that most
difficult of oriental languages, Arabic
in which he is frequently obliged 10
discuss intricate details of policy
The khedive's advanced ideas are not
confined TO political affairs. Although
he is devout son of Islam, ne has chosen
to renounce some Of the customs OF his
race. Thus his wife. the khedivah, to
whom he is devotedly attached. is the
sole partner of his life, and the oriental
love of ease, luxury and display mas
little expression in his habits
He is an early riser, and never in
dulges in the afternoon siesta. He scru-
pulously abstains from wine or spirits
as the Koran commands. What is more,
he is a total abstainer from tobacco
probably for the purpose OF setting an
example to the youth among MS peo-
ple-and this in land where every
bod. smokes cigarettes from morning
till night.
Like many other men who "shun de-
lights. and live laborious days. Apbas
Pasha finds time for variety of en-
ployments. Not only a ruler. states
man, a lnguist and soldier, he prac-
ticesfarming and stockraising, and takes
a keen interest in mechanics. One OF his
favorite pursuits is to purchase and re-
deem waste and desert lands. trans
forming them by drainage and irrlga-
ton into rich and fertile fields.
BY way of pastime the khedive will
mount the engine and drive the tram
which runs through Montaza to Ras-el-
Tin; OF on other occasions he Will de-
scend into the engineroom OF his steam
yacht Mahroussa. and manipulate the
levers during one of the voyages that he
often makes.
1t would he too much to expect that
even so liberal minded a Moslem as the
khedive should set aside all the preJu-
dices of his race; and so, although the
magnificent salons Of his palace are
thronstd with foreign visitors ana
guests of both sexes on the occasion OF
balls and receptions, the khediyah is
never present. However, she is not en-
tirely shut off from the gayety OF such
assemblies.
One of the windows of the grand ball
room opens into the domestic portion, so
to speak. of the palace. heavily
cushioned, throne-like chair occupies
the recess behind the window. This is
the khedivah's chair. from which she
and the khedive's mother can witness
a ball-themselves unseen because OF
the trelliswork with which the open
ing is covered Seldom does a Moham-
medan woman come any nearer to TAX
ing part in a public assembly. and the
khedive's subjects would bitterly re-
sent any suggestion that she should