The midland journal., 1906-04-20
an6 good will may come at last even
to hunted deer.--SubI-b Life.
NO sPINsrERs IN TURKEY.
Every Girl Entitled to Husband, No
Matter How Ugly She Is.

Every Girl Entitled to Husband, No
Matter How Ugly She Is.
"Old maids are unknown in Turkey,
and the word 'spinster' has no equiva'
lent in the language of the country
said Mrs. L. Parks-Richards in de.
scribing to a roomful of women at the
Waldorf-Astoria, New York City, the
Rights and Might Of the Women OF
the Harem."
'In Turkey every woman counts
among her sacred rights the right to
a husband" said Mrs. Richards,
whatever her social position and per.
sonal attractions. Even the slave
girls, after seven years Of service,
are given their freedom and presented
with a husband. 1t is the mans mo-
ther who usually picks out the girl
for her son, going from one harem to
another and looking over the girls,
for it is the right Of the Turkish
mother to select her own daughter-ln'
law. And the girls that are not chos'
en- are somehow supplied with nus
bands through their parents diplona'
acy.
Sometimes this system, which
seems to be in favor of the plain and
unattractive girls-since the bride
groom does not see his brides face
till she is his-results in tragedy. l
know young officer who owed pro,
motion after promotion to his COM
manding officer. Finally his chit.
said: would like to show my appre-
citation by bestowing on you the hand
of my daughter The young man was
greatly elated until a friend happened
to ask him. Has your commander
tried to work his ugly, chicken-eyed
daughter off ON your
"Well, the officer extricated himself
from his engagement to his chiefs
daughter and thought no more OF mar
riage for a while. but at last hlS
friends selected a nice girl, as thSs
said, and he went through the D1isss-
riage ceremony, matter of four days.
Then, plucking off her veil, he looked
to find his bride not Turkish girl
at all, but a Kurd. You're ugly
shrieked the disappointed bridegroom,
'hideously ugly. 1 won't have you!
But he already had her. The only
thing left for him to do was to get
divorce.
Divorces are easily obtained in
Turkey, and husbands and wives can
remarry three times. If then, after
the husbands anger has cooled, he
wants to marry his wife fourth time
she has to go through the formality
OF marrying another man, then OF
being divorced. After that her orig
inal husband is able TO marry her. This
custom has given rise to profession
Of proxy husbands, who are generally
blind and feel no qualms relinquishing
their brides after the legal processes
have been satisfied.
"The Turkish woman, according to
the speaker, sis pre-eminently a wo-
mans rights woman. Her rights, and
especially her legal rights. are more
clearly defined and more rigidry ee-
forced than in many more advanced
countries"
One thing the Turkish woman may
count on at all times-protection.
There are no ogling men at street
corners, no impertinent youths to in
trude upon her when she stops to look
in shop window. She is never
spoken to-" Mrs. Richards said that
for man to speak to Turkish wo-
man on the street would be as much
as his life was worth. Even brothers
do not greet sisters, or husbands
wives.