New-York tribune., 1909-09-18
THE TURK At HOME.
An agreeable Book on OSmanh life
and Character.

HOME LIFE IN TURKEY. BY Lucy NJ. J. Gar
nett. Illustrated, l2mo. pp, 29s. The Macmi-
Ian Company.
Mrs Garnett has studied Turkish life. social.
religious and domestic, with care and without
prejudice and has produced useful and gener-
ally interesting account of the people their tn
stitutions. customs and beliefs. She takes what
is, on the whole, an admiring view. even bestow-
ing encomiums on the now deposed Sultan. 20
whose unhagging industry she attributes most
Of the progress made by the empire during the
last thirty years. The chapter on the denizens
of the palaces, written while Abdul Hemid was
still in power. contains many details Of his daily
life-details which now Of interest mainly
as illustrating the tastes and occupations Of a
Turkish Sultan in the twentieth century. We
are duly reminded Of his blind belief in the
gypsys prophecy that he would reign long
as he continued to drink the water of certain
spring IN the valley of the Sweet Waters of
Europe" The sealed jars Of water from that
spring were brought TO him every day and he
drank no other-but he probably now thinks Of
that gypsy as a highly desirable candidate for
boiling oil.
Optimism has not been possible TO the oh
server Of the outrageously corrupt and unwieldy
administrative methods OF the Turkish govern
ment The army OF subordinates who have
barred approach to every important official
peror until their palms were crossed with silver
could hardly have lived without the bri5es.
Their salaries have been absurdly small and the
payment of them irregular. Sometimes it has
not been the underling alone who has suffered.
Il have personally known" says Mrs Garnett,
"heads OF households holding the rank OF pacha,
and consequently entitled TO high pay. at loss
how to meet their butchers and bakers bills"
ks,a
some provincial treasury. When. after many
pleas, such an order is secured II is not made
out upon any particular treasury. so that the
impecunious official must perforce take it 10
professional discounter and accept third
half Of its face value:
For not only this functionaIy but also the pro-
vincial governor whose treasury il IS made
ince through whose hands the haUGle (order) must
pass before final payment in fun by the treasury
ing half or third, OF the sum of which the un-
fortunate officer is thus muctea stories are rie IN
nous bribes being received sand vast sums appro.
seem to be much the richer for these transaction
The author thinks that. in spite of the new
constitution, it will be a long time before the
Oriental changes his mode OF procedure. She
admits. however. that It has already brought
about important changes for the better in the
administration Of justice. There is room and
to spare for reform in the provinces. where the
small agricuturist is the prey Of his landlord
and Of the imperial tax farmer. One Of his
grievances is a peculiarly exasperating one:
when the grain has been cut he may not re-
move it from the field until the tithe collector
has been pleased 10 come and inspect the crop.
no matter what weather may threaten or what
depredations be committed by the immense
focks Of birds that robbng the peasant of
his profit" But this and all other impositions
Of those above him he bears passivey, it is
said and with dignihed resignation. He is an
honest sober well meaning and hard working
SOUL and morally and physically the backbone
of the Turkish nation"
II the author does not see so much TO praise
in the Turk of the towns she does not fail to
point out the extreme sobriety and consequent
orderliness OF his environment. There are few
disturbances in the streets. and more civilized
peoples might with advantage initiate the cour-
tesy and amabity with which Turks in a
crowd make way for one another. The stiffest
rules of etiquette govern the social relations OF
all classes. Some Of these apply to the coffee
and cigarettes which accompany every business
transaction and every official interview. as well
every social function. The Occidental reader
must note with envy that the Turkish mode of
preparing the beverage makes it at once de-
lici0us and harmless. The exceeding personal
cleanliness or the Osmanlis and their temper
ance insure health. Q Would that the Western
nations would adopt that system OF baths which
blesses every town and city! Kindness TO ami
mails is another Turkish characteristic Of the
laudable sort. Perhaps this is due not more to
native gentleness than 20 the extraordinary pa-
tience which. among other manifestations
ignores the question OF punctuality. ION the
majority Of Turkish railways" says Mrs Car
nett. there is but one train day up and down
the line, and intending passengers will arrive at
the station when they may happen 10 be ready
and. seated on their baggage. patiently wait for
the next train"
There is a good deal OF culture among the
higher classes, but the general primary educa-
tion is poor. We arc told that the Turks stin
prefer beautiful manuscript TO q printed book
Lettef writing is not popular, and business and
social messages continue ito be conveyed by