The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1906-11-30

anu LNInSS OF a masquerade bail StDr
and We didn't look half bad when tn
crowd of shieks and things formed
crescent around the sultan, who sat i
a sort OF BARRIERS chair with an awr
Ing over it. and they sounded a heW
gag or something, and about dO2e
pretty fine looking females, dressed lill
the ballet in vaudeville show. cam
IN and began to dance before the sui
| tan.
Dat stood it first rate until a girl go
on the carpet baretoOted and begaI
one OF those wilIoWy sort of dance
that nearly broke up the Chicago fair
when people left the buildings tllet
with the work of the worlds artists
in all lines of progress. and went tC
the Midway in body to see Little
Egypt but when this dancer waltzeC
up to dad and wigeled in a foreign Ian
guage. dad s2shayed up to her and
couldn't hold him back.
he was just getting warmed up tc
balance to partners" when a frown
came over the Sultan's face. and he
looked cross at dad, and then the
heWgag sounded, and the girls seat
tered out of side door, and dad want
ed to follow, but | held him by the
coat, and 1t was over. | think those
girls were the only ones in the whole
harem that were good looking.
Dad breathed hard little from his
exercise, and said he was ready 10 in
spect the stock, and the sultan de-
tailed tall negro, with face dried
up like mummy, and we started out
through the harem, dad pulling the
long hair on the side of his head over
MS bald spot, and throwing his Shout
ders back and drawing in his stomach.
to make him look young.
Well, say, there is nothing about a
narem, much different from keaDine
house at home, except that. there is
more OF it. The idea people get of
harems is that the women are all
young and beautiful, and that they sit
around a swimming tank and play
guitars and keep the flies off the mar
VINO owns the place. while he smokes
he vile Turkish tobacco burning in a
through section of rubber
nose, and goes to sleep like a China
nan smoking opium, and that they
rink rare wines and dance with ban
lies on their legs and ropes of pearls
IN their necks and arms.
have seen alleged limitations of a
turkish harem on the stage, with
American girls doing the acting, and
would make you feel as though YOU
Would invest in harem when YOU got
I'd enough, but, gee. when you see a
eguiar harem, run by an up-to-date
'urk, you think of the Mormon apostle
'ho has 40 wives of all ages, from 20
own to a 16-year-old hired girl with
halrlip and warts on her thumbs.
his harem was like a big stock barn
the states, with a big room to ex-
rclse the colts, and box stalls for the
lferent wives and their families TO
we in and do their own cooking and
Tashing.
instead OF sitting by a bath plaving
harp, the poor old wives stand by a
and play tunes on the wash
GARD, and scrub. and take care of
hildren. thought the custom of
children was an American in
but it is as old as the apas
'r saw Turkish mother grab ND a
MID that had lifted a kitten by the
I'll, and take it across her knee and
I've 1t few with a red hand covered
TN soapsuds, and the young Turk
elled bloody murder. Just like an
merican kid, and then sat down on
knees, so the spanking wouldn't
urt, and called it's mother names in
language | couldn't understand but
knew what the child said, by instinct
ad started to interfere, because he is ,
member of the humane society hut
Ie unique that was showing us around ;
wed dads life by pushing him along +
'fore the woman got a chance TO 9
ain him with the washboard. g
The women mostly had on these .
lggy Turkish trousers, like the :
'uaves wear, and a Jacket and !
cloth around their heads and =
ey acted as though if the next y
cal came along all right they would q
IN luck. We saw a few woman :,
city white and they were Circassian g
ayes, with big eyes and hoops in their
rs and little different clothes nm .
It there were none that dad would .,
y at an auction. or at a bargain sale - -
they were marked down to 80 cents :. -
don't think | ever saw so MANY T.,
ildren, outside of an orphan asylum ~ -.
about the same size and all LOOKING ",
actly alike. They all had the same y,
ady black eyes that look as Though n n
y were afraid of getting caught in