TURKISH BEAUTIES. 
143 
precincts of the Harem, from the highest to the lowest, and 
I must confess that I have seen very little to change my orig¬ 
inal impression. What there may be concealed in cages and 
fed on cakes and rose water, and never suffered to be rudely 
kissed by the air that common mortals breathe, I do not 
know from personal experience, having never been in the 
domestic circle of a Turk in my life, when the ladies were 
present; nor do I anticipate that pleasure soon, unless my 
friend, Abd-ul-Mejid, should take it into his head to invite 
me to a family tea-party, which is not likely. Let it not be 
supposed, however, that I entertain any hostile feeling toward 
the ladies of Constantinople. There is occasionally a pretty 
face to be seen, a young, round, doll-baby thing, that is very 
much admired by the Turks; nice plump little toys, with 
black eyebrows and thick lashes, soft peachy cheeks, and 
the softest possible expression. I saw one on the bridge near 
Galata that quite struck a ten¬ 
derness through me. She was 
about fifteen, and as prettily cos¬ 
tumed as a Turkish lady can be 
without a change of fashion. 
Dropping the white vail that 
covered her mouth as I passed, 
she gave me a good opportunity 
of admiring her bewitching feat¬ 
ures, and to*be candid, they were 
very bewitching. The form of 
her face was round, like a full 
moon; her complexion of the 
purest transparency, just tinged 
with the roseate hue of health; 
her nose small and round, mak¬ 
ing a very beautiful natural di¬ 
vision between her cheeks ; her eyes¬ 
ing attraction—they were so large and wide open, so deeply, 
beautifully black, so gazelle-like in their innocence of expres¬ 
sion, or lack of expression ; so indicative of a repose of soul, or 
unconsciousness of soul ; so hedged around w r ith black lashes 
TURKISH BEAUTY. 
-but here was the kill- 
