THE ALPS AND ARTIFICIALITY
TERRITET, _Dec._ 1906.
I wonder if you know what life is like in a big _caravanserai_
on the shores of Lake Leman in December. This _hotel_ is filled from
the ground to the sixth floor, and from east to west with people of all
ages, who have a horror of being where they ought to be—that is to say,
in their own homes—and who have come to the Swiss mountains with but
one idea—that of enjoying themselves. What can be the matter with their
homes, that they are all so anxious to get away?
I have been more than a month in this place, and cannot get used to
it. After the calm of the Forest of Fontainebleau and the quiet little
house where, for the first time, we tasted the joys of real rest, this
existence seems to me strange and even unpleasant. Indeed, it makes me
tired even to think of the life these people lead and their expense of
muscular force to no purpose.
But the doctor wished me to come here, and I, who long above everything
else to be strong, am hoping the pure air will cure me.
On the terrace which overlooks the lake I usually take my walks, but
when I have taken about a hundred steps I have to sit down and rest.
Certainly I would be no Alpinist.
One thing to which I never seem to accustom myself is my hat. It is
always falling off. Sometimes, too, I forget that I am wearing a hat
and lean back in my chair; and what an absurd fashion—to lunch in a
hat! Still, hats seem to play a very important rôle in Western life.
Guess how many I possess at present—twenty.
I cannot tell whom I have to thank, since the parcels come anonymously,
but several kind friends, hearing of our escape, have had the
thoughtfulness and the same original idea of providing us with hats.
Hardly a day passes but someone sends us a hat; it is curious, but
charming all the same. Do they think we are too shy to order hats
for ourselves, and are still wandering about Switzerland in our
_tcharchafs_?[8]
* * * * *
Every morning the people here row on the lake, or play tennis—tennis
being one of their favourite forms of amusement. I watch them with
interest, yet even were I able I should not indulge in this unfeminine
sport.
Women rush about the court, from left to right, up and down, forwards
and backwards. Their hair is all out of curl, often it comes down; and
they wear unbecoming flat shoes and men’s shirts and collars and ties.
The ball comes scarcely over the net, a woman rushes forward, her leg
is bared to the sight of all; by almost throwing herself on the ground,
she hits it back over the net, and then her favourite man (not her
husband, I may mention), with whom she waltzes and rows and climbs,
chooses this moment to take a snapshot of her most hideous attitude.
What an unpleasant idea to think a man should possess such a souvenir!
And yet after tennis these people do not rest—on they go, walking and
climbing; and what is the use of it all?—they only come back and eat
four persons’ share of lunch.
At meal-time, the conversation is tennis and climbing, and climbing and
tennis; and again I say, I cannot understand why they employ all this
muscular force to no higher end than to give themselves an unnatural
appetite.
A friend of my father’s, who is staying here, tells me the wonderful
climbing he has accomplished. He explains to me that he has faced death
over and over again, and only by the extraordinary pluck of his guide
has his life been spared.
“And did you at last reach your friend?” I asked.
“What friend?”
“Was it not to rescue some friend that you faced death?”
“No,” he said, “for pleasure.”
“For pleasure,” I repeated, and he burst out laughing.
He spoke of this as if it were something of which to be proud, “and
his oft-repeated encounters with death,” he said, “only whetted his
appetite for more.” Was life then of so little value to this man that
he could risk it so easily?
Naturally in trying to explain this curious existence I compare it with
our life in the harem, and the more I think the more am I astonished.
What I should like to ask these people, if I dared, is, are they really
satisfied with their lot, or are they only pretending to be happy, as
we in Turkey pretended to be happy? Are they not tired of flirting and
enjoying themselves so uselessly?
We in Turkey used to envy the women of the West. We, who were denied
the rights of taking part in charitable works, imagined that the
European women not only dared to think, but carry their schemes into
action for the betterment of their fellow-creatures.
But are these women here an exception? Do they think, or do they not?
I wonder myself whether they have not found life so empty that they
are endeavouring to crush out their better selves by using up their
physical energy. How is it possible, I ask myself, that, after all this
exercise, they have strength enough to dance till midnight. Life to me
at present is all out of focus; in time perhaps I shall see it in its
proper proportions.
We go down sometimes to see the dancing. Since I have been here,
I perfectly understand why you never find time to go to balls, if
dancing in your country is anything like it is here. When we were
children of twelve, before we were veiled, we were invited to dances
given in Constantinople. I have danced with young attachés at the
British Embassy, yet, child though I was, I saw nothing clever in their
performance.
All the people at this dance are grown up, not one is under twenty—some
are old gentlemen of fifty—yet they romp like children all through the
evening till deep into the night, using up their energy and killing
time, as if their life depended on the rapidity with which they hopped
round the room without sitting down or feeling ill.
The waltz is to my mind senseless enough, but the lancers? “The ring of
roses” the little English girls play is more dignified.
It seems to me that women must forfeit a little of the respect that men
owe to them when they have romped with them at lancers.
To-night, I have found out, dancing here is after all an excuse for
flirting. In a very short while couples who were quite unacquainted
with one another become very intimate. “Oh! I could not wish for a
better death than to die waltzing,” I heard one young woman say to her
partner. His wishes were the same. Surely the air of Switzerland does
not engender ambition!
[Illustration: A TURKISH DANCER]
[Illustration: A TURKISH LADY DRESSED AS A GREEK DANCER
Turkish women spend much of their time dressing up.]
One gentleman came and asked me if I could dance. I said, “Yes, I
can _dance_,” laying particular emphasis on the word _dance_. But I do
not think he understood.
“Will you dance with me?” he asked.
“No,” I replied, “I _dance_ by myself.” He stared at me as if I were
mad—probably he took me for a professional dancer.
* * * * *
When you come to stay with us at Nice, after we have had enough of this
pure air to justify our leaving Switzerland and these commonplace and
unsympathetic people, and we are in our own villa again and free to
do as we will, then we will teach you Turkish dances, and you will no
longer be surprised at my criticisms.
Dancing with us is a fine art. In the Imperial Harem more attention
is paid to the teaching of dancing than to any other learning. When
the Sultan is worn out with cares of state and the thousand and one
other worries for which his autocratic rule is responsible, his dancing
girls are called into his presence, and there with veils and graceful
movements they soothe his tired nerves till he almost forgets the
atrocities which have been committed in his name.
A Turkish woman who dances well is seen to very great advantage; a
dancing woman may become a favourite, a Sultana, a Sultan’s mother,
the queen of the Imperial Harem.
I can assure you a Western woman is not seen at her best when she
dances the lancers.—Your affectionate
ZEYNEB.