The Washington times., 1907-08-18

PetS on the HOOr Ike faithful GCa8.
on the alert at the first call. II is not
necessary 20 say that the most raci-
ant OF the beauties are always assign
ed 70 this duty. Their future destiny
depends upon the caprice OF the SOW
ercign, and we may readily imagine
with what zeal the gueuzles pay court
20 the Suitan-mother, who. compelling
fate. - able with a word TO elevate
them % the pinnacle Of fortune.
often, alas, the night of love has o..
tomorrow. and the icbal who does mel
become a mother ends her monof0-
nous and weary Gays in some kiosque
Of the palace. or u may be that TIE
Sultan. weary OF her presence. bestows
her as q wife on soTne favorite. with
a handsome marriage portion But -he
kadine can never be the wife Of an
ether She must content herself 20
die with only the remembrance CT the
imperial favors. She has. however, the
supreme hope OF a magnificent re-
venEs when her son shall become a
man. for then she may legltimately
intrigue for the khalifate. and the sad
and deserted kadiBe Of today may be-
come the all-poEerful Sultan-moth-r
Of tomorrow.
II is a great mistake 10 suppose that
the harem is a prison where all the
women languisn IN despair. The Hfe
OF the Musuiman woman - not one
cf slavery and suffering. as Christians
have been taught 20 believe With
very rare exceptions the woman Of
the Orient does not consider herself
q Victim and would nct change places
with her sisters OF Europe.
For one cultivated woman among them
there are a thousand whose intellectual
level does not rise above that OF an
American girl OF twelve years old Ac-
-ustcmed exclusively 20 association
with their own sex. the soo3ety OF men
T. Irksoms 20 them II Is etiquette and
boredom. which they hold IN special
dislike. Naturally they lack the charm
of western women which comes from
N. rningling OF the sexes IN society
They arc loduac;ous. gs.e-nandizlnE,
and lazy. while the men arc coarse and
vulgar.
Thev enjoy intensely little pleasures
nv which we. IN our fevorish civiliza-
ton. set small store. Their dainty col
lafions OF confections, OF fruits, Of
cakes. OF tea and coffee. served on 1T
lie tables covered with gOld-embroid-
cred cloths. give them an exquisite
pleasure. Then there are the visits
which aTord q delicious abstraction
for their Idle life. The stream OF
arreeab bic visitors coming and going Is
regular and constant Very frequent
lv they remain til the next day. The
Nfussulnnan's home Is a hOspItable one.
and there are often more beds kept
ready for guests than there are for
the family. Their drives on the Bos-
phorus. their Shopping in the bszaars
OF STEAMBOAT and Of Pera, are not
among the least Of their pleasures.
Becoming freer and freer every day.
some Of the present generation have
advanced 80 far that they Sc out with
out wells. like the women OF Christian
nations.
But none Of these pleasures Of outing
are permitted 10 the favorites Of The
Sultan. They may go out with the per
mission OF the SuItan-mother. but
when they do, the smallest details Of
the drive are regulated beforehand ana
no change IN the order is permissible
The greatest license which IS allowed
them Is granted by the joint consent
OF the Sultan and his mother. II con-
sists IN allowing them 10 spend q few
weeks with q small retinue OF their
own selection at one Of the charming
villas on the BOsphorus. where they
nay indulge for q while in the f1u-
sion that they are free.
These excursions which were fire.
-
tan have been almost entirely discon-
tinusd by the present ruler. Abdul
Hamid. who lives in constant dread OF
assassination He fears that some OF
his women may get poison or a deadly
weapon turing these excursions and
cut short his days
The old Turkish style OF female an
parei has now gone out OF use. Euro
Pean modes reign supreme in the
harem. and on the occasion OF gala
day ot reception you see nothing diff
ferent from what you may see at a
court ball IN Paris or Vienna. This
change OF style Is a misfortune FOR
those women who are no longer in the
flower OF youth The old dress was
graceful and concealed their form: the
modern dress exposes II. which is a
pitv. when women are too thin or en-
bonpoint
But this Is not the case with the
young ones. They are naturally ela-
CANT IN form and often more beautiful
than Western women. With their
white camelia compilations. large eyes,
varying I'm color from a tender blue 70
the deepest black; their thick eve
brows caressing the cheeks. their
shapes nodded like Greek statues. the
young Turkish girls, whether Circas-
slams or Armenians. are exquisite A
vOluptuOus grace exhales from their
caress accentuated by the poetry Of
the Turkish language. among the no
blest in the world
After thirty the picture changes
They have now become splay-foOted by
a vegetable life. obese by excessive
eaing and the abuse OF fatty foods.
their skin stretched and fabby owing
10 their long hot baths. their look
vaguS and uncertain. and their express
sion stCUid for the lack Of Intellectual
occupation There IS nothing more de-
Ceptive than the looks OF an Oriental
woman. which. under the appearance
Of vOluptuOus flashes. hides the calm
repOse OF a ruminant animal.
The Sultan does not know everything
that takes place In the palace. Ms
signature IS not always asked when
ali execution or ar assassination is re-
solved on by the Sultan-mother and