The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1871-10-05
A MiSOgynists Paradise.
Thc life led by thc Monks of Mt,
AthOS.

A correspondent Of the Boston
Congrcgationalist has discovered Il
community, numbering at present
about 1000 souls, which has flourish
ed for many centuries, though no wo-
man has ever been permitted or
known TO set foot in the country.
Few Of the inhabitants, he says, have
any definite idea of what q woman
is. The whole class Of ideas and
sensations ordinarily associated with
the words mother, sister, wife, and
sweetheart, are to them unknown,
and. what is equally singular, crime
is also unknown, or nearly so, while
on every side are to be seen cviden-
ces Of temperance, piety, and good
order. What Anthony, Stanton,
Woodruff & Co., will say to this
most outrageous, diabolical state of
things, must be left to the imagina-
ton. We can only repeat the ac-
count AS wo got it, and will leave the
destroying of the community to the
wrongcd sutl'ragists.
The home Of eccentric but happy
people, is in the castcrnmost of the
three pcninsuas which project from
the north coast Of the Greek archi-
pelago. 1t WAS anciently called
Acte, now Monte Sancto, and it is
about forty miles in length and from
two TO nine miles across. 1t termi-
mates in Mount Athos, a conical mass
of limestone rising abruptly to Il
height of six thousand five hundred
feet. Between this bold hCadlapd
and the coast is q beautiful plateau,
clothed throughout the woodland,
which is gay with flowers, rich with
odors, merry with song birds, and
canopied by the brightest OF all blue
skies. The cultivated fields are all
Ediyersidod with groves of oak aud
chestnut, while olive and fig trees are
there Indigenous. TO this secret par
paradise the sons, but not the daugh-
tcrR, of Eve are admitted, and such
has been the custom as far back as
history reaches, the peninsula being
religiously guarded at all points,
against the approach of woman, no
matter how sanity she might be.
The territory has been consccratcd
TO mOna,tic confederation of Greek
Chr'"JI%hS' ihey nave tMenty-'hreG
converts, and Oh the hill-sidcs and
all through the deii!cs aud rayines
are scattered inuumcrablc crosses
arc ara fC''efl'' ceils ahd herIhllageS'
ihou&h theSc conVenIUaI houses are
ooQAd together by the tie Of religious
SeclU7lo'b 'llc history OF cach IS lhde-
pendent Two oi 'AcSe monaSlcrIcS
c'ai"i Soh5' .l!ihc aS thclr founder,
sWo olhCrs as Cle Empress fHlchcria'
Not one ol inc tWcn,'y-thrce dates its
tou!'o"'loN i"ter 'han tnc twelfth
century lheSG 1rH'orhitics h"d inc
prudence 10 submit 10 Mohaihhcd
H., pFI2r 10 !he iail OF ConS'anllno-
PFC an" received rom h,hla promise
OF pro'oc'ioh' "AicI mas oech respect
I" oN q s1ii"e' lhoU3A Inc DOMAIN
- PR. S.. ~ 'hc , tusAisn empire, noI I"
va ,V'' " ), 10 Cl''i'',c'l III property Ny
Vho 'oult'lt' ot d NJ usSu,Hian ,l7Gna suOJcct,
a. IA .I' Initial :I !ilDH'c vi . 'JJO - pHio
~ io!r tio p'nln:u'u' p:.:' 'o""I'i Wilicil IN"
.iiiot'''C I1',, ooI'c''tS '.,S cohVrIO"'e 'hoif
sn"Ie. : "cto''''l8 10 assessment deter
i,t,at" hnnG py 'ncir @ fepreSell'a'iycs' pI
EaCh convent SchuS dcpuly 10 n
ulc,' Wh'ch manages general interests,
anu nous l'S sll'!hG' AZ hayaFs, a
SnlaiI toWn occupied ny carVcrs oi
oioSsco, anu tnc 'GSloei'cc OF II soilya-
~ Iurh'sh OiilclaI Wto coiiCctS inc
rev9hue'
Inc inmates are natives. OF every
part ol inc IurKlsh empire where
inc "rcck language IS spoken, ana
are consigned TO the societies either
IN INFANCY OF III early HE, by their
lahallcal parents. IAe 1lrst years ere
spent III tilllng. the land, tending the
vines, hclp.lng in the house-work, or
engaging IN some handicratt. For
tnree years the candidate is a prOba-
TONER; then, ii he has proved able to
keep the monastic vows, he receives
his first tonsurc and becomes monk.
Ihe dicipline is severe, ordinary
church services seven hours day,
extraordinary fourteen, and sleep
five. One hundred and iifty-nine
days in year they have one meal only
a day, and at this eggs, cheese, wine,
and oil are forbidden.
,olos ,. ~ ~ .ilc m @ sex universally from
tiiiiG luiHhciiioriIi no COW, mare, goose,
uuck, men, OF lclnaic OF any kind, has