FEATHERSES


One of the most amusing letters ever quoted in any book is that given in
Curzon's "Monasteries of the Levant," as the production of a Turkish
sultana who had just learned English. It is as follows:--

NOTE FROM ADILE SULTANA, THE BETROTHED OF ABBAS PASHA, TO HER
ARMENIAN COMMISSIONER.

CONSTANTINOPLE, 1844.

MY NOBLE FRIEND:--Here are the featherses sent my soul, my noble
friend, are there no other featherses leaved in the shop besides
these featherses? and these featherses remains, and these featherses
are ukly. They are very dear, who buyses dheses? And my noble
friend, we want a noat from yourself; those you brought last tim,
those you sees were very beautiful; we had searched; my soul, I want
featherses again, of those featherses. In Kalada there is plenty of
feather. Whatever bees, I only want beautiful featherses; I want
featherses of every desolation to-morrow.

(Signed) YOU KNOW WHO.

The first steps in culture do not, then, it seems, remove from the feminine
soul the love of pretty things. Nor do the later steps wholly extinguish
it; for did not Grace Greenwood hear the learned Mary Somerville conferring