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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (May 24, 1903)
By Martha McCulloch Williams TIS TIIROnniNG drum and shrilling fife Call through this morn of May, L-., -i. The veteran thrills to youth again The sad years drop away; Again he's supple, strong and straight, Part of a dauntless line That sweeps the field and drowns in cheers . The bullets' fearsome whine. The Day of the Dead Today he is the household's pride Far greater than a king; The grandchildren look up to him With awe and wondering. ' They fetch his hat, and touch his sword, And, shuddering, whisper low: "I wonder, did it kill a man, A long, long time ago?" ,.. v r i - 4 frv - i' w; :;:jJ 7.7 ; IP ..V 1. - i ! m I i iV ' i; 4m : 1 - '- From dust of death and dew of tears Upspiings the finest flower; So blooms the daughter of the post' To crown Memorial hour. She brings the tribute of the land To deck its deathless brave What wonder if they thrill to feel Ner step beside each grave? Columbia, Empress of the West, Alike on laud and sea, Your starry vestments wake acclaim-- The banner of the free! O, Sovereign-Mother! smile on us, The while we kneel and pray For those who died to live again On each Memorial Day. Daily Routine of a Turkish Woman's Life UB east Is but m nesting thow, aid the fairy Utlva of its wondom and delight which thrilled thi hoarta of our grandfathers and fuat fading, like a ummor mlHt. Turkey nay, Islam Itself la wak ing up, aping Wbtcin customs, donning Christian garments, ond generally march ing with the tlmoA, reports a correspondent of the London Telegraph. The plcturo we used to conjure up of a Turkish Interior, Its soul-Bteulltig atmosphere. It exquisite luxury and the stately enchun tress, whoso eyes were of unholy Mtie, toying with a dulcimer or sweetly playing on a lute, have given place to very prosaio notions which are much rearer the reality. To begin with, polygamy Is quickly dying out throughout the non-Chrlstlan woild. In Japan the crown prince baa given an ex cellent example In this respect; In Persia the shah has shown himself favorable to retrenchment all round even In the sanc tum of his harem and everywhere In Tur key, except at TUdii Kiosk and the houses of a few pashas, monogamy la winning the battle. Tlldls Kiosk Is undoubtedly still the focus ' of traditions of the days when Islam was young and wayward. The sultan's gorgeous palace Is a survival of the fairy-tale period of TurklBh history. Hero awful mysteries, Bluebeard tragedies, uni, at times, even ssperb comedies are still enacted, which would seem wildly Improbable If repre sented on the stage. Life and death are sundered fc a whim, a word, a nod. Heavy sacks now and again drop Into the Bos phorus a few moments after the dark-eyed maidens he ve duutppeared from the harem; sudden and fatal Illness follow coffee as rapidly as coffee succeeds dinner, and Abdul Hamld plays the part of Fate to the In mates of the palace prisons. The fair part ners of the paillwhah's Joys nnd rorrows arc ns numerous as the latter, and arc di vided Into many classes. There are no law ful wives, soelng that for over two cen turies Turkish rulers have wholly ceased to marry. Tu highest four ranks ca dints take the places of the lawful wives of olden times, enjoy extensive privileges, dwell In luxurious apartments, growing fat and looking young until 30, or dying of consumption at almost any age. Next come the lkbals, or favorites ladles who have gladdened the heart of their Imperial mas ter with a child; then the odal'ski and others, the lowest run of the ladder being occupied by the colored slaves, known as d Juris and treated as helots. But the ordinary Turk Is contented with one spouse and a quiet life. And she Is chopon for him by his parents and hers. Although she may surreptitiously get a glimpse of him long before the marraige, from behind the window luttlce, he never sees more of her than the Irritating veil and the ungainly sacklike garment that din figure her body while hiding her charms. Indolence la Inborn in the Turk, and It comes to the fore in love Just as In business. Hence there is no courtship, no flirting, no soul-thrilling glance, no oft pressure of the hands, and ferveatl attired lovers' vows. Jealousy is the ser pent In the paradise of the Turk It Is the besetting sin of the husband, while cun ning Is the most effective weapon of the wife, and the mysterious disappearance of many a warm-hearted European in Pera and Gallipoll Is explicable only as the out come of both. A Christian man is not al lowed to marry a Mohammedan girl un less he first embraces Islam, but a Mus sulman may wed one or more Christian girls if he feels so disposed, and even al low them to remain faithful to their own denomination. When the wedding festivities, which are solemn and wearisome, have come to an end, the bethrothed pair are left face to face. It Is a dramatic moment. The bride groom offers the lady a present for the favor she Is about to bestow upon him the sight of her comely or homely counte nance. It Is then that something In tha nature of a threatrical coup In a comedy; (Continued on Page FlfUn4
