THE INTERIOR OF THE KHEDIVE’S HOUSE.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1150, 18 September 1882, Page 2

THE INTERIOR OF THE KHEDIVE’S HOUSE.

The “ Lady of Alexandria,” who is contributing to the Kolnische Zeitung those interesting sketches of home life in Egypt, which none but a woman could give in such detail, sends a picture of the interior of the Khedive’s house. Tewfik Pasha, as most persons are probably aware, has distinguished himself from his predecessors and bis contemporaries upon Eastern thrones by restricting himself, alter the Western and Christian , manner, to one wife. The Vice-Queen { as , “ the Lady” culls Tewfik’s spouse, is a daughter of El Hamid Pasha, and grand- '”” daughter of the famous Albas Pasha. She is a beautiful and cultivated woman, who tenderly loves her husband and her four children, and takes an active part in the education of the latter. The eldest boy, Abbas, aud fhis brother are taught by a * Swiss pedagogue, aud the two little girls are placed under the care of English nurses. The Khedive’s wife is not free from hateful tricks of petty annoyance, which are often played off upon her. Thus, she received lately a visit from two Turkish ladies of high position, to whom she offered, after the usual custom, cigarettes with the chljfre of the Khedive upon them. When they had gone, the black servants found these ladies had left behind them in the ante-chamber numbers of cigarettes with the chiffre of i Arabi Pasha, us au insult to the Khedive through his wife. “The Lady” says that the “ Vioe-Queen’ has passed through agonies since the first tumults in Cairo. Like the Imperial family in Russia, she is in fear of palace intrigues, and has only a few Circassians about her in whom she can place perfect confidence, and they are slaves. Slie told her European visitor that nothing be so great a joy and relief to [her as an entire renunication of the precarious and dangerous splendor and dig nity in which she lives, and the retirement with her husband and children to a safe and quiet life. She has always hitherto been profuse in her charities towards the Arab population; but since the outbreak of the 11th of June, and the fearful scene of which ■ she was a trembling eye-witness from behind iron bars of the harem windows, she declares that she shall in future be more circumspect in her benevolence.