Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1913-10-23
THE HAREM HABIT.
Constantinople, Sept.

world, and according TO the Turkish
religion she has very little In the
next. From the time girl Is
about twelve years old she must
keep her face covered from the
sight of men. II she belongs to the
poor folks she is little more than
laborer, II her family is upper class
she is almost a toy. There Is no
such thing as a family or a home
as we understand the words. The
women do not eat with the men and
often hardly see them. One part OF
house is called the harem, or the wo-
mans place, the other the selamlik
or mems place. Only the father or
husband can go into the harem and
he can do so at any time except
when there are women visitors. 9th
er male members OF the family or
men friends of the man OF the house
never see the faces or talk with the
women Of the harem. The woman
only leaves the house when given
permission and then is always at
tended. She can put in her time
with embroidery, gossip, cigarettes
candy and coffee, but she must not
lcok at a map-and get caught at 1t.
Polygamy is not merely a Turkish
custom. 1t has been common In the
orient, and even as wise a man as
King Solomon had enough wives to-
ruin anyone but monarch with a
fat bank account. / am told poly
gamy is not near as general in Tur-
key as 1t was. That is because 1t is
an expensive habit. The mainten-
ance of large harem is as depict
ing to the pocketbook Of the boss
of the harem as 1t is to keep a sta
BILE OF race horses in our country.
But the possession of several wives
is considered an evidence Of wealth
and standing. AS near as I can fig
ure 1t out. to have harem in Tur-
key is about like having an auto
mobile in Kansas Every man has
one who, can afford one and good
many have them just to keep. up
appearances when they can't really
stand the expense. Sultan Abdul
Hamid, who was deposed five years
ago, had a large collection of wives.
One way for anyone who wanted a
favor to stand in with Abdul was
to give him wife. He actually had
some wives whom he never met. And
Abdul had a habit Of rewarding a
good friend who had loaned him
money, or killed some one for him.
by presenting him with bride.
q &A
There is no thought of marrying
for love" among the Turks. When a
young man reaches the age of about 1
eighteen his mother goes wife-hunt- {
ing, reports to father and son what {
there is in the market, and they pick d
out the best match possible. The
bridegroom does not see the bride
until after the ceremony. y
That is one way to get married. y
rhe other way is to buy good look I
ing. husky Circassian, or some 9TH {
Or breed. This eliminates the ex- +
oense of a wedding and is the way Il
Preferred. A wife who comes to her a
husband with property, retains the n
light to that property. But the 0
lave wife does not and cannot act Il
If she has childrenl tt
he is no longer slave but becomes Ell
ust as legal wife and free woman W
S any one Vi
The mother is the important wo- m
IAN member of mans family. A X
oy is considered of great import al
nee and the mother rejoices over 81
i'm and makes much of him. After bs
9 is fourteen years old his mother eS
! the only woman he sees. She T.
dvises him and makes his marriage
'r him. If she then lives with him ar
he is the head of the harem and no
ot the wife, who must look to her is
wn son for her future. dc
According to the Mohammedan an
'ligion when faithful follower tn
les he goes to Heaven. to enjoy ST.
70. with beautiful Hours to enter gu
in him. There is nothing said Of
Getting his wife there or of her be- Ike
g there at all. Mohammed prom ed