Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 June 1877 — In a Royal Harem. [ARTICLE]

In a Royal Harem.

We were Introduced to Madamo Aali, a very intelligent-looking, amiable little lady, who aalamed us in Turkish style by putting her hand to her forehead and her heart, said a variety of pretty welcomes by means of the interpretress, and taking us by the hand introduced us successively to all the high and mighty female magnates of the land. We were exceedingly disappointed in the toilets of these ladies ; with the exception ot their undervests ot Broussa gauze, they were nearly all dressed in European fabrics of various kinds, full trousers, slippers, an overdress more like the soutane of a Romish priest than any otter garment—the train of which they slip under a belt when they walk, in the same manner that he does. Instead of the long braided tresses which we had expected to see falling to their feet, their hair was cut short, and surmounted by an embroidered gauze handkerchief put on like a turban; but to compensate for the lack of Oriental splendor in the rest of their dress, their jewels far outstripped our imagination. This being the only manner in which Turkish females can safely invest money, and often all tint is left to them at the death or sudden disgrace of their husbands, they seize every opportunity to enrich their store, and the display is certainly dazzling. Madame Anil's turban was surmounted by a wreath erf enormous pansies composed of diamonds, which completely encircled her head; and in the midst of the pansies rose, (mounted on an oscillating wire, a bird, the size of a humming-bird, which was one mass of .diamonds, with flashing ruby eyes. Ear-rings and necklace matched this diadem in magnificence. Most of the other ladies were (literally blazing with jewels, with the exception of the wealthiest and most nobly-born among them, an Egyptian Princess married to one of the Pachas, who, whether from having lost a near relative, or from weariness and contempt of the gewgaws, haa bedizened her numerous attendant slaves with jewels-worth a king’s ransom, and herself remained unadorned. One young married lady, about fifteen, was dressed in a French muslin of a brilliant corncolor, and next under it she had donned a crinoline, which articles were Chen worn very large, so that the effect of -the steels, clearly defined beneath the scant folds of the transparent muslin,was ludicrous in the extreme; but the others looked et her with admiration, as she paraded her French organdie and hoop-skirt before them —her girlish face surmounted with arregal coronet "of magnificent gems, Df the Moslems were harmonious in their dress before the time of Mahmoud, asithey must have been, from the accounts of travelers, its character has disappeared from the effect of has European innovations, for the scarlet fez looks as out of place with the straight-collared coat and modern trousers of the men, as the short hair and French fabrics do on the women.—Scribner for Jr*z.