The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-06-16
PERSIAN HAREM LIFE.
h Princes Lucien Murat Saw and
Heard on q Visit TO ShIraZ-

What Princess Lucien Murat Saw ant
Heard on q Visit TO Shlraz.
Princess Luoien Murat has just oom-
pleted a long series OF wanderings through
India and Persia. On her way home she
paused at Constantinople long enough to
give q detailed account Of a visit she made
TO the harem Of the Persian Governor al
Shiraz.
We had spent ten days in a caravan
! journey across he desert said she
"scorohed by day and frozen by night, when
at last Shiraz became visible far across the
plain seemingly stepped In a blue haze out
of which the minarets and cupolas OF the
mosques glittered like gold in the sun.
AS We o into the city every one stared
at me-the unveiled woman. The streets
Of the City of Roses are narrow and hard
TO navigate. 1t was with difficulty that
we reached the palace of Abdul vi Sultan.
AS the gates opened a whole flock of
servants dashed out. They surrounded me
at once and led me along a marvellous alley
shaded with cypress trees. We crossed a
miniature canal whose limpid waters flowed
through a channel lined with blue tiles.
Wonderful flowers from peonies to irises
bordered it and the breath of wild almond
filled the air.
Abdul vi Sultan received me in a room
set apart for women. He poured a food Of
compliments over me like a rain of flowers.
He said he could not refrain from dis
tlnguishing by a personal reception the first
French woman who had ever set foot In his
palace. 1t really was contrary TO Persian
manners for me to be there at all, but he
undertook to conduct me to the Princess
Djarmileh.
we walked through a beautiful colorado
= whiohconnected the palace with the woman's
pavilion This led to a great room, the roof
Of which was supported by beautifully
sculptured marble pillars.
The walls we're adorned with great mir
rors and the floor was a mosaic Of glazed
tiles. Here were gathered all the women
Of the harem, ladies and slaves alike. All
were clad in the sable draperies which Per
slams still wear in mourning for Hussein,
the son of Ali, the founder Of the Shiite
sect of Mohammedans.
The dark stuff threw the fresh ROSY
faces of the girls into relief and added
to their beauty. But the costly jewels
which glittered in their garments seemed
TO NE to weigh heavily Oh theTn. and the
darkening of their, eyebrows with kohl
seemed TO me to give their childish faces
a hard and obstinate expression. Only their
dark melting eyes, yelled with long lashes,
seemed to me TO reflect their melancholy
lives of repression.
I'VE were seated on beautifully carved
wooden settles and copper colored slaves
distributed Persian dainties. There were
ices and sherbet and in front OF each Of the
ladies an exquisite tea machine OF silver
was placed. These had models Of Per
sepolis moulded on them in high relief.
Delicious bonbons were passed around
which left a delicate, faint favor Of roses
on the lips. There were also splendid
purple grapes and pomegranates which
seemed TO be filled with ruhies when cut. /,
The slaves peeled little pale yellow oranges
for us with their delicate hands.
"The expression OF the Pnncess's face
was Of restrained grief. In vain she tried
to control herself and conceal her agony.
Tears ran dow her cheeks and mingled
with the diamonds in her gown as she
turned her welllike eyes on her husband.
Later ! learned the explanation OF her
strange conduct. She had failed in the
chief duty OF a Persian wife. She was
childless and her husband had determined
to take another wife.
The announcement had been made TO
her only that morning and she knew that
her rival was already chosen and only
waiting to taxi her place in her husbands
favor, Even not knowing the sad story, |
longed to say, a word OF comfort to her;
but how could / in that throng. with the
guardians OF the harem watching?
- Persian treatment OF women is heartless.
On a visit to the Princess Nah Sultan
that she was lame. Later | inquired
to the cause. was told that some Yeas
before she had asked her husbands per-
mission to attend the marriage Of a friend
OF her childhood.
"He refused 1t, but she thought she |
could go surreptitiously and her absence
from the harem for a few hours would not
he noticed. Unfortunately her husband
made An unexpected visit TO the harem !
and discovered her absence. On her re-
turn there was a terrible scene, which her
husband ended by firing a pistol at her. !
at was hours before the eunuchs and
women ventured into the Prinoess's room.
They found her insensible. The bullet
had broken her thigh bone. She recovered.
but her leg was shortened.
Il thought these Persian women's lot
was most tragic. But as | tried to condole
with some of them in their gilded cages
the answer was always one Of commisera-
ton for me. One OF them put IL this way:
You poor European sisters. how we pity
you that you have TO see men the whole
day long. How much happier we are
in Persia since We see them only a little
while