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Marlborough Express, Volume XLIII, Issue 117, 15 May 1909, Page 3

shut up in their homes like prisoners, arid like prisoners they think of noth- | ing but liberty, and it leads them to do very strange things sometimes^ I knew one lady of very high birth, a Princess, who fled away with the passport of one of my friends, a governess there. She married afterwards a Belgian diplomatist, whom she had known in Constantinople, for, in' spite of all their guardians, Turkish ladies have their love adventures. Her departure, was a great event, in/her life; she was'mad* with joy to think she,would be able todive in a house; .where she could, open large windows, where she could sit on a balcony and look into the street, when she had never • seen anything but through the latticerwork of the harem?. Going to the steamer, she was con^ stantly looking through the1 window of the carriage, though my friend tried to frighten her in showing the danger of being recognised. She said, "There is no danger, they have never seen my face, and nobody would ever imagine a Turkish Princess driving in this equipage to a steamer. It is forbidden to any woman to leave Turkish territory; and yet some very highly-born ladies, particularly1 Egyptian ladies, -under pretext of their health, are authorised .to go and take medical water's in. Europe. I remember a Princess who had the Sultan's permission to be at a special watering place, but who spent all, her holiday in Paris, which she . found more amusing. The Turkish police watched her incessantly, but did not interfere. For a few who can get away, there are thousands anil millions of women who are real slaves in their homes. If there could be a, league of free women to. help their Turkish sisters to free \themselves from all these old prejudices, it would be a great act of charity, and through the women, the men would get enlightened, and might bring their country to understand modern ideas of justice for all.