Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-10-22

Lately | was permitted TO visit
rich pasha's hurem. The pasha, who
had the regulation limit Of four lesiti-
mate wives and small army Of slaves,
lives at Nichantasz, Il wealthy suburb
OF Constantlnople. The road in which
he lives looks over the Bosphorus and
gives u glimpse of the Princes Isle
ono of the most beautiful views any
body might wish to see. Here there
are large white villas, built OF wood
and ornamcntcd with marble. The road
is broad and muddy. One side OF 1t
contains the houses of the Constants
nople aristocracy, the other their har-
ems.
HAS HIS EYE ON THEM.
The pasl,a, on looking out OF his WIN
dows, can see what his wives over the
way arc doing. The place is quiet and
the harem windows are unshuttcrcd
and uncurtained No inmate but II
slave would think of looking out OF
them, for the harcm inmate fully agrees
with the rules which keep her secluded
because she Is II Mohammedan before
all things. She dcspiscs the English
or American women. though she takes
an interest of a kind in our clothes,
especially If they are of many colors
But she looks down on and pi,ies us
because we are herctics and. therefore,
in her eyes, lost for ever. There is
no fear OF her trying to walk out of the
hurem unveiled. The idea would shock
her as much rs it would her hus-
band.
You arc doing away with your old
customs" said one of the visitors to an
inmate of the pasha's harem. Your
windows are bare OF shutters and YOU
have no eunuchs.'
THAT is because we can be trusted
without either" was the proud answer.
I'VE have shutters in the summer, not
10 keep us from looking out. but to pre-
vent the sun from coming in. No Curl
GUS foreigner can peer in from the
street. because, as you see, the windows
only begin on the second floor One
OF our own men would not dare to look
In. II he did a passer-by, stranger or
not. would Immediately punish him for
showing such disrcsncct.
Tho marble staircase that leads from
tho outside to the first floor opens into
an nntc-room without any furniture ut
al. On the right is the reception room,
with no hooks, no flowers. no pictures.
The furniture consists of number Of
hideons sofas and arm chairs uphoist-
cred In bright green and red velvet.
The mahogany frames have been 2ildeA
.hidcous softs and arm chairs uphOl-
stored in bright green and red velvet.
bigger ebony one ut the other. Tho
tables were bare OF ornaments and the
windows had not even lace curtains
- soften the light which fell full on
this terrible blaze Of green, rcd and
yellow.
SCARCITY OF BOOKS.
AS this particular harcm is one of the
most cultured and advanced in Turkey
I was surprised to see no books. But
found some afterwards In one of the
bedrooms. They consisted OF the worst
typo of French novel, n few comic pa
spcrs from Paris, with anything but Gull
tured drawings, and volume of Paul
do ISock's stories. Not one thing that
they read in this harem suggested
French classics or culture. ~
"Why do you let your women read
such RUBBISH" asked the pashn after
wards
"What does 1t mattcr?" was tho
answer Our ladies never sec any
body but women, and 1t gives them
something to talk about when they re-
cNNTS NlSltpTh. a-t..t .l.5. a..
The bedrooms were MS ugly us the
sittingrooms. The beds We're European
ana covered with silk countcrpanos OF
terrible color ana design a great deal
Of gliding and much red and green vel
vet played the chief pnrt In the deco
rations The only Turkish things We're,
as usual inlmodern haroms, the carpets,
Bright wooden mats stood under water
bottles and there were some wax flow
ers near a bed Each wife has at least
one, room to herself Where space IS
no object there arc pavllions for each
one; but this Is not usual In towns.
RULER Or THE HAREM.
Tho eldest wife Of the pnsha, who
looks so, Is 35. She had on an exceed,
jngIy tight -ntting silk dress with broad
green and black stripes. Her hair was
dyed n bright red. Like most harem
women whose faces become bleached
through constantly wearing tho thick