The new era. (Walden, Colo.) 1906-19??, 1908-11-05

ushered into the reception room and
paraded for inspection. While drink
ing a cup of coffee, the maternal eye
passes them in critical review.
1t is the husbands special privilege
IL he does 1t a third time she is really
free. Should he have exhausted his
stock of legal indulgences, however,
he can hire someone else to go through
the form of marriage with his divorced
wife: and the newly welded husband
with all expedition-that is to say. at
once-revokes the marital compact
and the first husband is thereby alb
solved from the divorce disabilities
previously incurred, is entitled to re-
marry his former wife, and divorce
her again twice or thrice If he de-
sires 1t.
BY this device he can avail himself
of unlimited divorces. The most
trifiing matter, even the spelling OF
meal. is sufficient to warrant a decree
absolute. l remember a delightful
bride being instantly divorced because
the husband, on lifting her veil for the
first time. found that she had small
tiesh-mark on the face.
On becoming Prince Samy's wife I
went to live in the palace of the sui
tana, who is sister of the sultan. The
palace is one of the finest on the banks
of the Bosphorus. Its exquisite suites
of apartments were furnished with
every modern luxury and comfort, but,
in spite of all, it yet remained a ver-
liable dungeon. Grilles (cafess) were
fitted to every window; and each night
the keys were turned in the locks by
huge eunuchs, as if they were gaolers
as. indeed. they were.
To speak above a whisper was dan
gerous, for it was impossible to know
what spies We're lurking behind the
arras, ready to pour reports into the
ear of the master, in order to obtain
some little remuneration as a reward
for treachery.
Try and imagine being Invested of
every form of personal liberty, and
made to dwell with numerous Circas-
sian slaves, each trying to sout-
vie the other in her endeavor to at
tract and retain the attention of the
only man she is permitted to see
When not thus engaged they give
themselves up to the performance of
duties which are really very light For
the most part they consist of attiring
their mistresses, accompanying them
in their drives-always in the custody
of the eunuch-and singing and dam
cling to amuse them; but they put
forth their greatest efforts to enslave
their masters, while still retaining
their former positions towards the I'M
fortunate wives. 1t is a trying role to
play; and the only hope of reward
which lightens the burden is that the
slave may some day be given away,
become the wife of wealthy relative
of her former master and SO help to
preside over the destinies of harem,
to be waited on by slaves of her own.
1t sounds, perhaps, somewhat anomal-
Gus, but it is none the less fact that
n slave only gains her freedom by
being passed from one state of cap
tivity to another.
Why, l wonder, do Turkish men
pima themselves TO the |,
fact that underneath the calm exterior |
which a woman has to assume there |
reigns passionate discomfort? The
harem is based on unreality, and |
its entire superstructure is fabric of |
Was there ever anything ,
so fiagrantly fallacious as the theory
that it is possible to develop and con-
serve the best qualities of woman's
nature by literally lettering her to a
group of slaves and guardians? The
attempt to make a woman lovable and
loyal by penning her up in an atmos.
phere of suspicion, and subjecting her
every movement to an outrageous
form Of espionage. is predestined to
failure; and fail 1t undoubtedly does. .